Sonics | Two teams in search of fans

Scan the home arenas of the Sonics and Hornets, and it's easy to tell there's work to do.

Patches of empty red seats are evident at Seattle's KeyArena, and clumps of blue show at New Orleans' Hornets Arena.

The Sonics rank 24th of 30 NBA teams in attendance, averaging 13,840 fans with only one sellout this season. The Hornets, who host the Sonics today, are last in attendance at 11,431 for their 8-year-old, 18,208-seat arena.

Both teams' problems drawing fans go beyond NBA attendance decline.

On one end are the Sonics, a once-proud franchise in the middle of a fight between the city and owner Clay Bennett over Bennett's demand for a state-of-the-art facility and threat to move the team to Oklahoma City. On the other end are the Hornets, trying to draw fans in a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Players feel the weight of playing for a city, but try to just focus on games.

"They don't know if they're staying or leaving," said former Sonic Rashard Lewis to Orlando reporters in November about Seattle players. "I played there eight, nine years and can't see a city like Seattle without a franchise. They won a championship there, had history there, Hall of Fame guys who played in Seattle. Now they'll be moving to another city? When I get older, I'll say I played with the Sonics once, but my kids will [say], 'They don't even have a team out there. You must have played a long time ago.' "

The Sonics (5-15) begin a five-game, eight-day road trip today against the Hornets (13-7). After starting the season 0-8, Seattle hopes for its first three-game winning streak.

"It's going to definitely be a test for us," said guard Earl Watson after the Sonics defeated Milwaukee 104-98 on Friday. "It's part of the NBA. It's going to be good to see how we respond to it and it's a chance for us to grow as a team."

For New Orleans, the situation is different.

The Hornets, who spent the previous two seasons in Oklahoma City because of Hurricane Katrina, are trying to keep a still struggling city in the spotlight. The NBA is helping with various programs, including joining with T-Mobile to donate $20 to the New Orleans Recovery School District for every point scored by the players named Rookie of the Month. For the opening month of the season, Sonics forward Kevin Durant won the award, accounting for $6,940.

And the NBA will spotlight New Orleans by holding its All-Star Game there in February.

Yet attendance still lags.

Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler make headlines, including Paul's career-high 43 points in an overtime win against Memphis on Friday. But the Hornets struggle for fans as the city tries to rebuild.

Owner George Shinn has said repeatedly the team still needs more.

"There is no way we are going to survive without support," Shinn told the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Sounds familiar.

Note

• Sonics guard Luke Ridnour said he didn't play Friday against Milwaukee because he wanted to make sure he was 100 percent from the left quadriceps injury. "I just wanted to get a little more conditioning in and make sure I'm up to par," he said. "Sunday is in the mix as far as me returning. Sunday for sure." Today's game is the first of three against the Hornets, who split four games with the Sonics last season.

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com

Staff reporter Percy Allen contributed to this report.