I think it's hilarious how much midwesterners hate the NBA. The number of people that have used that talking point "NBA players only play defense in the playoffs" on me the past few days is just hilarious. A KC team would never work.
OKC is pretty midwesterny.
No, they are pretty desperate...for any pro team, and particularly one that is a winner. Let's see how they do when they suck.
Hockey would do wonderful in OKC instead of the NBA, if they were winners.
Now, add an NFL team and an MLB to that market and you'll quickly exceed the discretionary income of the population/corporations in the area.
It's no secret that the NBA takes a back seat to football and baseball in nearly every single market in which all three sports exist. And, probably not as good as dominant college football teams in those areas either. That isn't a midwestern thing.
Ask the Charlotte Hornets how well they think they stacked up against UNC/Duke/Wake/NC State basketball (you'll have to go to terrible college basketball town/region New Orleans to ask them).
