State of Oklahoma Continues to Steal Pro Sports Franchises
For the second time in two years, a successful basketball franchise is leaving for Oklahoma.
After the Seattle Sonics moved to Oklahoma City before last season, the three-time WNBA champion Detroit Shock are going to Tulsa:
Last week, a group of investors in Tulsa said they would formally apply to the WNBA to purchase a franchise.
Lead investor Bill Cameron has said his group, called Tulsa Pro Hoops LLC, will exercise its option to buy a WNBA team and expected a decision from the league by the end of October with the goal of having a team in Oklahoma next season.
According to an anonymous team source, that team will be the Shock.
It's certainly not on the level of Seattle losing a historic franchise in a big market, but the Shock, aside from their three titles, also had Pistons legends Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn coaching the team, as well as star player Deanna Nolan, who was born and became a basketball star in Flint, just down the expressway from Detroit.
In reality, the Shock will probably have a chance at a bigger fanbase in Tulsa, where there will be less pro sports competition. But if one of the most successful franchises in WNBA history is moving, that can't bode well for the league's future solvency.
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