Sonics Attorney Grills Nickels In Sonics-Seattle Trial Day One

Sonics Fans Show Their Support At Courthouse As Trial Begins In Seattle

Sonics Attorney Says Walker Tried To Hamper Efforts Of Current Ownership

NEW EVIDENCE: Sonics attorneys yesterday also submitted into evidence a July 24, 2007, e-mail from Walker to Western Wireless Founder John Stanton, a member of the investment group led by Ballmer that in March "offered to buy the team and help the city fund a $300[M] KeyArena remodel." Walker in the e-mail "outlined his plan for sidetracking any move of the team." Walker: "I met with the city today and felt better about my message of fighting Clay's attempt to leave. Make it too expensive and too litigious for him. I get the impression that they were in total agreement and that they (administration) understand the value of buying more time." Nickels denied "knowing anything about Walker's plans, but acknowledged under Keller's questioning that the city did proceed shortly thereafter to allocate $1[M] to Slade Gorton's K&L Gates law firm to fight the Sonics owners." Sonics attorneys are "attempting to undercut the city's claim of specific performance," arguing that the lease agreement should "be nullified by the city's 'unclean hands' at the time the suit was filed" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 6/17). 

REAX: In Tacoma, Dave Boling writes Nickels and Seattle's attorneys yesterday were "dominated and ineffectual," and the trial felt "one-sided to an almost embarrassing degree." If there were "points given for sound arguments," Bennett and his partners "would be far ahead." Boling: "How bad was Nickels? He seemed to serve as a better witness for the defense than for the city." Keller got Nickels to admit that he has "attended only two Sonics games in the last 'six or seven' years" (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 6/17). But in Seattle, Art Thiel writes under the header, "Owners Sent Sonics Down Crooked Path." While Nickels "wandered through four hours of passionless, sometimes contradictory testimony," Anderson offered a "spirited account of the value of pro hoops and a decent history lesson in how the franchise's fate has come to hang by a litigious thread in federal court." Anderson said in her testimony, "One of the lessons [former Sonics Owner] Barry Ackerley taught me was you have to anticipate (cycles). One of the reasons he wanted a smaller arena is that he anticipated down cycles. They can head down quick and head up quickly." Thiel notes Anderson "didn't get to an important point yet to be discussed: the role successive Sonics ownerships and managements have had in putting hands around the franchise's throat" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 6/17).

SAVE WHOSE SONICS? In Seattle, Dan Raley reports an "estimated 3,000 people attended a 'Save Our Sonics' rally" yesterday outside the courthouse (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 6/17). But the SEATTLE TIMES' Allen in a separate piece reports police "estimated the crowd at somewhere between 800 and 2,000" (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/17). And the NEWS TRIBUNE's Williams reports "more than 1,000 fans gathered for a rally on the steps" of the courthouse (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 6/17).

Former Sonics Player Xavier McDaniel Participates In Fan Rally At Courthouse

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