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[SomewhatGroovy]

Please welcome the Houston Oilers

 

[Sanjuro]

Move the team.

 

[Hyperactivity]

But is there a buyout clause?

To be more specific

https://mobile.twitter.com/jeffbalke/status/887043617101160449

FYI, new #Rockets owner is subject to a lease/non-relocation agreement with Houston/Harris County through 2033. They aren't moving.
3:17 PM · Jul 17, 2017

Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States, the 8th largest media market, a growing city, and has benefited a ton in attracting free agents via the no income tax of Texas (of the 5 Florida/Texas teams, Houston is only comparable to Miami in terms of ability to attracts FAs the past few years)

 

[Parham]

Come back to San Diego

I wish.

 

[theWB27]

The real news is this will be the third time Chris Paul will be in the uniform of a sold team.

 

[juliushandle]

Yao Ming needs to find Chinese investors to buy the team.

 

[YoungOne]

If we all pitch in, GAF can own a NBA team!

I'll pitch in $5.

 

[SomewhatGroovy]

Hakeem should buy it

 

[CrocMother]

If you're going to sell the Rockets, now is probably a great time. Lots of hype around the team, and they are almost certainly going to go nowhere and crater in a few years with their short term planning.

 

[Heretic]

i'll pay $50 and my pogs collection

Do you have metal slammers?

holy flash back, Batman...

 

[LyleLanley]

If you're going to sell the Rockets, now is probably a great time. Lots of hype around the team, and they are almost certainly going to go nowhere and crater in a few years with their short term planning.

They aren't exactly built for a very long run but I don't see what they've done that seems especially short sighted.

 

[Undefined]

actually thinking about buying this. its a good deal.

 

[CrocMother]

They aren't exactly built for a very long run but I don't see what they've done that seems especially short sighted.

Giving a huge contract to Chris Paul?

 

[jtb]

Smart. Locked in one superstar, traded for another - if he knew he was going to cash out, he certainly picked the right time to do it.

Giving a huge contract to Chris Paul?

? Doesn't he only have one year left on his deal?

 

[LyleLanley]

Giving a huge contract to Chris Paul?

They traded for him and he's on the last year of his deal.

 

[Tallshortman]

Apparently he's been selling off a lot of his properties, I wonder what he's up to since he's always come off as a lifer.

 

[Ric Flair]

Apparently he's been selling off a lot of his properties, I wonder what he's up to since he's always come off as a lifer.

He's the right age to buy an island and smoke his days away in a blissful reefer and bud light haze

 

[ConfusingJazz]

I should ban every one of you thinking this team is moving. Too big of a market and too many billionaires that like to make splashy purchases.

I am curious whether the league would be happy about a casino owner purchasing a team. All of the Fertitta's own a casino. Tilman owns the Golden Nugget, while Frank and Lorenzo own Station Casinos.

 

[jtb]

I should ban every one of you thinking this team is moving. Too big of a market and too many billionaires that like to make splashy purchases.

I am curious whether the league would be happy about a casino owner purchasing a team. All of the Fertitta's own a casino. Tilman owns the Golden Nugget, while Frank and Lorenzo own Station Casinos.

Nobody's afraid of gambling anymore.

 

[Vanillalite]

It's weird time to sell. New ownership didn't get any say in this off season nor the Harden contract. Whomever purchases the team will basically have to be ok with the moves made cause they are locked in for a while.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Seattle's new team, everyone.

Not sure why the person who buys it would move the team elsewhere. Houston is the 4th biggest city in the U.S, so there's a huge market for them.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

it's a top 10 tv market, in a tax free state. Nobody is buying this team for $2+billion to move it guys, and sure as fuck not to Seattle or San Diego.

Not sure why the person who buys it would move the team elsewhere. Houston is the 4th biggest city in the U.S, so there's a huge market for them.

the owners and league would never approve it. They'd be giving up money in the next tv contract negotiations.

 

[LyleLanley]

It's weird time to sell. New ownership didn't get any say in this off season nor the Harden contract. Whomever purchases the team will basically have to be ok with the moves made cause they are locked in for a while.

On the other hand the new owner has an MVP runner up locked up through his prime.

 

[entremet]

He saw the Clippers sale and got enticed lol.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

I should ban every one of you thinking this team is moving. Too big of a market and too many billionaires that like to make splashy purchases.

You don't scare me!

I am curious whether the league would be happy about a casino owner purchasing a team. All of the Fertitta's own a casino. Tilman owns the Golden Nugget, while Frank and Lorenzo own Station Casinos.

Didn't the Maloofs own a casino when they owned the Kings?

 

[ConfusingJazz]

You don't scare me!

Your city is tiny and your market share is laughable.

Didn't the Maloofs own a casino when they owned the Kings?

Solid point that supports my argument! Who wants the Maloofs in their league?

 

[Zee-Row]

I wanna buy the team and then move them to Alaska for beating the Orlando Magic in the Finals in 1995.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

I wanna buy the team and then move them to Alaska for beating the Orlando Magic in the Finals in 1995.

Sweeping.

For sweeping the Orlando Magic in the Finals in 1995.

 

[Zee-Row]

Sweeping.

For sweeping the Orlando Magic in the Finals in 1995.

I'm still salty! Penny and Shaq should have won a title together!

 

[Sir Doom]

Vegas is getting into Sports

Las Vegas Rockets

 

[theWB27]

I'm still salty! Penny and Shaq should have won a title together!

It was always supposed to be kobe and Shaq.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Vegas is getting into Sports

Las Vegas Rockets

Explain why.

 

[Zee-Row]

It was always supposed to be kobe and Shaq.

I picture an alternate universe where the Magic beat the Rockets in the Finals and Shaq never leaves for L.A.

 

[hydragonwarrior]

Can GAF raise enough money to buy? If we each pitched in a dollar or something

 

[Duane Cunningham]

I wish they'd rocket on up I-35 to Kansas City.

 

[Sir Doom]

Explain why.

We got Hockey and Football. We need B-ball to complete that.
Maybe ⚽️ next

 

[ConfusingJazz]

We got Hockey and Football. We need B-ball to complete that.
Maybe ⚽️ next

Why would a new owner want to move the Rockets to Vegas?

 

[Instro]

Yao should get something together.

 

[captive]

I should ban every one of you thinking this team is moving. Too big of a market and too many billionaires that like to make splashy purchases.

I am curious whether the league would be happy about a casino owner purchasing a team. All of the Fertitta's own a casino. Tilman owns the Golden Nugget, while Frank and Lorenzo own Station Casinos.

more importantly will they let someone with such clear ties to the mob own a team.

 

[Tallshortman]

Yao should get something together.

Yao buying the rockets and moving them to China would be more plausible than the people thinking the team is moving to Seattle or Vegas

 

[theWB27]

I picture an alternate universe where the Magic beat the Rockets in the Finals and Shaq never leaves for L.A.

And penny's knees never give out.

 

[Falchion]

This is crazy, guess he wants to maximize his return and use the capital for some other project.

 

[Laieon]

The Houston GAFers?

Keep it Houston Rockets.


Still sour we never got our space shuttle.

 

[Hyperactivity]

NYT article on the sale

This is crazy, guess he wants to maximize his return and use the capital for some other project.

Doesn't sound like it

Leslie Alexander, the team’s owner, said in a statement, “I’ve made this decision after much deliberation with my family and friends, and do so knowing the franchise is in great shape with the players, coaches and management team in place.”

https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/887026549559570437

Tad Brown said "it can wear on you after so many decades. There are passions in his life." Cited philanthropic efforts, family.

https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/887026986346061824

Alexander had been approached over the years, Brown said. Looking at "changing the fabric of his life."

Sounds like he is just getting sorta old. At least he leaves us after giving us a memorable moments from the playoffs (and taking a 100k fine for it), extending Morey's contract (that better be a term of the sale - Morey is untouchable), getting more involved and being a major factor in deciding to hire D'Antoni, freely giving away money for those non-guaranteed contracts, and extending Harden.

 

[Kickz]

Watch a Chinese based group buy this team for 3 billion.

Yao Ming and Hakeem Olajuwon majority owners incoming

 

[Tom Nook]

LOL.

 

[dlemarc]

Apparently he was also a major block to an NHL team being in Houston, so Houston hockey fans are happy.

 

[Hyperactivity]

Apparently he was also a major block to an NHL team being in Houston, so Houston hockey fans are happy.

He tried to bring an NHL team to Houston a few years back iirc

 

[Hyperactivity]

Some updates on potential buyers

https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/887462210196262912

Hall of Fame center Dikembe Mutombo (@officialmutombo)hopes to put together a group that'll try & buy the #Rockets.

http://amp.fox26houston.com/sports/268731434-story

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Mutombo trying to put group together to buy the Rockets
By: Mark Berman
POSTED: JUL 18 2017 06:56PM CDT
UPDATED: JUL 18 2017 06:56PM CDT
HOUSTON - Hall of Fame center Dikembe Mutombo, who played the final five years of his career with the Houston Rockets and retired in 2009, said he is working on putting a group together that he hopes will try and buy the Rockets franchise.

Owner Leslie Alexander put the Rockets on the market on Monday.

"I'm working on it," Mutombo said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "I'm talking to a lot of people already since (Monday). We'll see.

"I'm just talking to the people who can cut the check and they can make me be part of it. I'm working on that."

Mutombo said the people he is speaking with are receptive to the idea of attempting to purchase the Rockets franchise.

"A lot of people think it's a great thing," Mutombo said. "It's a great opportunity.

"Now it's just a question of the number," he said laughing. "There's going to be a lot of discussion and a lot of cash.

"I missed my opportunity two years ago with the Atlanta Hawks."

https://mobile.twitter.com/jonathan_feigen/status/887343869997744130

Mattress Mack expresses interest in buying Houston Rockets (link: http://www.chron.com/sports/rockets...on-Rockets-11296583.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop) chron.com/sports/rockets… via @houstonchron

http://abc13.com/sports/who-can-buy-the-rockets-look-at-potential-buyers/2227600/

With the international success of Hall of Famer Yao Ming, the Rockets remain a top team in Asia. Sources close to Ming told Eyewitness News that the former Rocket is interested in the team.

 

[Atenhaus]

Not sure why the person who buys it would move the team elsewhere. Houston is the 4th biggest city in the U.S, so there's a huge market for them.

LET ME DREAM GODDAMNIT ;_;