OKC Arena Vote Looms as Thunder Host Jazz

Oklahoma City may not have a game on Tuesday, but it will likely still be one of the most impactful dates in franchise history.

On Monday evening, the Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Utah Jazz in a Western Conference matchup.

The Jazz have gotten off to a slow start this season, sitting at 7-15 and 12th in the conference standings. Aside from All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen and promising rookie Keyonte George, Utah's roster has not been as competitive as they were early in the 2022-23 season, which should clear the way for an OKC victory. 

While moving to 15-7 and maintaining a spot near the top of the West is extremely important in such a competitive conference, an even more important moment that could decide the team's future will come the following day.

On Tuesday, Dec. 12, Oklahoma City is holding an election that will decide whether the city publically funds a new arena for the Thunder. If the vote passes, the proposed plan would continue a one-cent sales tax that OKC has had in place since the 1990s.

If the city does "Vote Yes" on Dec. 12, the arena would be completely publicly owned, and would become a hot spot for concerts and other entertainment ventures when not being used by the Thunder.

According to okc.gov, "In addition to the temporary sales tax, the arena will be paid for with $70 million in MAPS 4 funding and $50 million from the Oklahoma City Thunder ownership group." 

MAPS stands for Metropolitan Area Projects and has been a successful catalyst in improving the Modern Frontier since the mid-1990s. 

In addition to building a more modern arena that would be one of the newest stadiums in the NBA, the city's contract with the organization also states that the Thunder would stay in OKC until at least 2050 if the vote passes and a new arena is built for the team. 

If the vote does not pass on Tuesday, there is no assurance that Clay Bennett and company would stick around in Oklahoma City, as the team could potentially relocate to a bigger market.

While a "No" vote wouldn't necessarily drive the Thunder out of town, it is much more likely that the organization finds a new home if the city does not build a new arena. Similarly, the Supersonics (now the Thunder) originally left Seattle due to the city not wanting to publicly fund a new stadium for the team.

Regardless of Tuesday's outcome, one of the most important dates of the season for OKC will come on Dec. 12 and will be almost completely out of the players' hands.

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