Stern: 'Hoping For a Miracle' in Seattle

Ostensibly, the Joey Crawford suspension would be the main dish at David Stern's ESPN.com chat early this afternoon. But with regards to actual league impact, no statement carried more weight than the Commish's comments on the hemorrhaging Seattle arena situation:

"From a league perspective, we are hoping for a miracle that gets a vote accomplished. If not, things don't look very good."

The comment comes a day after the Washington State Legislature pushed aside the Sonics' latest proposal to build a suburban arena, partially funded by taxpayer dollars. Majority owner Clay Bennett didn't skirt the obvious in comments to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer this morning: no arena, no Seattle Sonics.

"Clearly at this time the Sonics and Storm have little hope of remaining in the Puget Sound region."

The Sonics will spend at least one more season at KeyArena, but there's no guarantee past next April. The team's lease with the facility runs until 2010, but there's an out in Bennett's purchase contract as suitors such as suddenly vacant Oklahoma City come calling.
OKC hoops fans should no doubt be thrilled by Pacific Northwest fans' pain. Even Stern recently seemed to foreshadow the nearly certain Sonics move as the Hornets played their last game there:

"I look forward to the day that the NBA will return to Oklahoma City."

Stern's short chat came with two other intriguing comments: HORSE is an All-Star Weekend possibility, and he could keep his job another 23 ~~gloriously frightening~~ years.