This is a guest opinion column

In 1998, Birmingham was abuzz with a bold new proposal from then-Mayor Richard Arrington—an initiative he believed would propel the city into the future. The plan was to adopt the Metropolitan Area Projects Strategy (MAPS), which would fund a metroplex anchored by a state-of-the-art domed stadium. This ambitious vision would be financed through a one-cent sales tax increase, with all revenue placed into a dedicated trust earmarked solely for the projects outlined in the plan.

Confident in the potential, Mayor Arrington saw MAPS as a golden opportunity to build cross-county collaboration. Since the benefits would reach well beyond the city limits, a countywide vote was called. Birmingham residents overwhelmingly supported the plan, voting 97 to 3 in favor. But the proposal was defeated thanks to opposition from surrounding suburbs. Misinformation, largely spread by Jimmy Blake— a Hoover dentist and, ironically, a Birmingham city councilman—fueled resistance and ultimately killed the measure that could have lifted the city from its economic stagnation.

MAPS wasn’t just a flashy stadium idea. It was a foundational strategy meant to prepare Birmingham for bigger opportunities on the horizon. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast and displaced thousands from New Orleans, both the NFL and NBA began scouting for new host cities to temporarily house their franchises. Birmingham made the shortlist for both leagues. Yet when the time came to decide, the city was passed over.

One of the cities that succeeded was a seemingly unlikely candidate: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At the time, it was a mid-sized metropolis undergoing major redevelopment—guided, as it turns out, by the very same MAPS concept that Birmingham rejected. Oklahoma City adopted MAPS with enthusiasm. They followed through. They built. They became the temporary home of the New Orleans Hornets (now the Pelicans) and eventually the permanent home of the relocated Seattle Supersonics—now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Full Circle

On Sunday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder were crowned NBA Champions. It was more than a victory on the court—it was the culmination of a long-term vision that began with a civic investment in themselves. A belief that they could build something world-class, if only they had the courage to plan for it. That courage started with MAPS.

Meanwhile, Birmingham, which once held the same playbook in its hands, has had to settle for the NBA G League’s Birmingham Squadron—a developmental team for the very same New Orleans Pelicans that Oklahoma City once temporarily hosted. While it’s something to be proud of, it’s a far cry from being on the world championship stage hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

It didn’t have to be this way.

As we head into this election season, the stakes are clear. Birmingham needs leadership with vision — leaders who don’t just talk about change but take the shots that matter, who fight for investments that elevate the city, and who can finally turn potential into prosperity.

Championship cities aren’t born—they’re built. With the right champions in office, Birmingham can still rise. But it starts with the vote. It starts with bold leadership. It starts now.

History has a funny way of showing us what could’ve been.

Brandan Stuckey, a Birmingham native, now lives in the Washington, D.C. area where he serves as an Urban District Manager and transportation leader, advocating for equitable development and community investment.