OKLAHOMA CITY Its been official for about a week now: The NBAs New Orleans Hornets wont be coming back to Oklahoma City for a third season. But what does the teams departure mean for the remainder of the Hornets games and the future of professional basketball in Oklahoma City?
The last time Oklahoma City had a professional basketball team to call its own was 1997 when the Oklahoma City Cavalry won the Continental Basketball Association championship prior to folding for financial reasons.
The last time Oklahoma City shared a professional basketball team, it was Enids Oklahoma Storm, which won the United States Basketball League championship in 2002.
Thats quite a reputation to uphold for the Hornets.
Though Chris Paul of the Hornets said he knows winning an NBA championship in his last season in Oklahoma is a lofty expectation, he wants his team to finish strong.
[Our] first goal is to make the playoffs, Paul said. Thats definitely our top priority.
Paul has recently come back from an injured ankle and the Hornets have won two of their last three coming into Monday nights game against the Sacramento Kings.
Tyson Chandler, center for the Hornets, said the teams departure from Oklahoma City is added motivation to make the playoffs.
This citys been great to us so any extra games we can play here would be awesome, Chandler said.
Paul said making the playoffs would show New Orleans that the Hornets are back in full force and leave Oklahoma City with a bang.
As of press time, the Hornets are 21-26 and fourth in the Southwest Division, a division home to three teams with winning records: Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
When the Hornets leave, they will take the glitz of the NBA and the polish of the professional game with them. But has Oklahoma City, and its fans, done enough to show it can support an NBA team on a full-time basis?
Hornets coach Byron Scott told the Associated Press he thinks Oklahoma City fans have done just that.
(Oklahoma City) wanted to make an impression to the NBA that this was an NBA-type city, that it can definitely support a basketball team and a franchise, and I think theyve made their point as well, Scott said.
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