It's a tale that begins with a refreshingly frank admission by Holt that before passage of the Metropolitan Area Projects initiative in 1993, “living in Oklahoma City kind of sucked.” Holt then credits former Mayor Andy Coats with introducing the idea of investing in the city in the 1980s, followed by successor Ron Norick's successful launch of the MAPS effort, which created the funding and plan for a ballpark, canal, library, renovated convention center and music hall, and yes, an arena.
Oklahoma City, once considered too small a market to be a serious contender for an NBA team, was at first seen as the good guy in this story as it came to the rescue of the New Orleans Hornets. But Oklahoma City was quickly cast into a two-act play that pit it as the aggressor with NBA fans in New Orleans, to where the Hornets eventually returned, and in Seattle, where fans of the Sonics remain bitter over the loss of their team.
Oklahoma City's rise to the NBA
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