Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver is in the midst of a political battle for the funding of upgrades for the team’s home Talking Stick Resort Arena. One day after reportedly threatening to leave Phoenix for Seattle or Las Vegas, he changed his rhetoric on Thursday.
“The Phoenix Suns are not leaving Phoenix,” Sarver stated on the team’s official Twitter account. “I’m 100 percent committed and have been for the last four years to find a solution to keep them in downtown Phoenix where they belong.”
That statement came 24 hours after the Phoenix City Council voted to delay a vote on funding renovations for Talking Stick Resort Arena. The council was scheduled to vote on a $230 million deal to pay for upgrades to the arena.
The council is now expected to vote on January 23rd to allow time for additional meetings to get feedback from the public.
Sarver has talked about moving the team to another location, possibly out of state, if upgrades are not made to the arena which opened in 1992.
At the first of five scheduled hearings, tonight in downtown Phoenix, area resident Greta Rogers made an impassioned speech directing her anger right at the Suns’ owner.
“Mr. Sarver has done nothing to improve this team in the 14 years he’s owned it,” Rogers said. “He’s never funded or bought—paid for—two or key three players, which make any professional sports team successful or on the road to success. We are not in the business of paying taxes to support private enterprise, especially not an entertainment enterprise. They can support themselves or fail on their own lack of diligence. He’s (Sarver) so tight, he squeaks when he walks.”
The Suns signed a 40-year lease at Talking Stick Resort Arena in 1992. The agreement includes a provision for the team to opt out at 30 years if the building is considered obsolete. The arena is one of the oldest in the NBA. The Suns could opt out in 2022 if they do not receive the funding they are asking for.
The Suns just snapped a 10-game losing streak with a home win over Dallas on Thursday night. They are a league-worst 5-24 on the season.
The Arizona Republic reported Wednesday that Sarver threatened to move the team to an unnamed Phoenix City Council member. Immediately speculation grew about two potential NBA cities.
Seattle has been pining for a team ever since the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City in 2008. Last week the city was awarded an NHL expansion franchise to begin play in 2021 and broke ground on a remodel of the Sonics former home, Key Arena. Seattle was mentioned as a potential relocation option during negotiations for both the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings back in 2013.
Las Vegas already has the Vegas Golden Knights in their second NHL season. The Raiders are set to begin play there in 2020. They have an existing building and if the NBA would ever consider Vegas, now is as good a time as there has ever been.
“I believe that there is a high likelihood that the Suns will ultimately receive the desired level of public funding,” said Scott Rosner, Academic Director of Columbia University's Sports Management program. “With multiple strong markets in pursuit of an NBA franchise - Las Vegas and Seattle most prominently - the Suns have a lot of leverage in their pursuit of public funding.”
There are still four more hearings scheduled between now and the vote on January 23. The city of Phoenix is currently dealing with the Arizona Diamondbacks battle with Phoenix legislators over upgrades to Chase Field. The Diamondbacks can leave Chase Field and end the team's 20-year residence at the downtown Phoenix stadium as early as 2022.
It’s a rough time for Arizona pro sports. Both the Suns and the Arizona Cardinals have the worst record in their respective leagues. The Diamondbacks just traded away all-star Paul Goldschmidt. The Coyotes are in a 4 game losing streak. That’s not the best time to ask the public to subsidize upgrades to an arena. This story is clearly far from over.
