Quote:
Originally Posted by llamaorama
I'd be surprised if the Spurs move.
1. Nothing indicates Austin will build an NBA quality arena any time in the near or even medium term future . UT is eventually going to tear down and replace the Erwin Center with something else that's smaller, more college-oriented, and use that existing site to expand their medical school. That means there's nowhere in the central city where you could put a pro arena. I wouldn't be surprised if a private investor proposed building a big pro sports facility in a place like Round Rock, but would there be enough momentum?
2. The Spurs are too popular and too good, it would be really distastful if they left their home and there would probably be major political backlash. The City of San Antonio has sunk a LOT of money into luring and then retaining pro sports(see Alamodome), the Spurs are their only success so far. Local leaders would freak out if the Spurs threatened to leave and they'd bribe them with arena improvements.
3. Austin and San Antonio are basically one market. It's only a short drive from one city to the other. Eventually they are likely to become a single CSA.
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1. The word "Austin" is almost synonymous with "momentum", so by all means, yes there would.
2. The Spurs *
were too popular and too good. In light of the Kawhi Leonard uncertainty, there is
more than enough reason to believe that those circumstances have peaked and are now trending in the opposite direction.
3. Google "
Washington Wizards Wikipedia", and refer to "
Baltimore Bullets". There is precedent, as those two cities also eventually became one CSA (with the faster-growing, more prominent city retaining the team).