Seattle mayor meets with NBA head in New York

By Associated Press Published: Jun 11, 2012 at 4:06 PM PDT Last Updated: Jun 11, 2012 at 5:40 PM PDT

SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has delivered a personal message to NBA Commissioner David Stern, saying the city is interested in having the league come back.

McGinn's spokesman Aaron Pickus said McGinn met with Stern in New York on Monday. A new ownership group took the Seattle Sonics to Oklahoma City in 2008. Now playing as the Thunder, Oklahoma City faces the Miami Heat when the NBA finals begin Tuesday.

A hedge-fund manager has proposed building a nearly $500 million arena south of Safeco and CenturyLink fields in Seattle. The amount of public support would be $200 million if an NBA and NHL franchise moved to Seattle.

McGinn backs the plan, but some business interests worry traffic would impede commerce in the city's industrial area.

The City Council and King County Council are scrutinizing the proposal.

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