Kings AKA Supersonics?
The last time the NBA had a game in Seattle, Washington was on April 13, 2008 when the Seattle Supersonics would go out in high fashion as they took down the Dallas Mavericks by a score of 99-95. At that time Kevin Durant was still becoming a household name and Clay Bennett was quickly becoming Seattle public enemy No. 1.
After having to watch their former franchise become one of the best in the business, led by the likes of Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden (now departed), many Seattle fans felt left out of an excellent organization that should have been theirs.
The thought-provoking and exploratory documentary “Sonicsgate” exposed the backdoor dealings between Bennett, the NBA, and other important players, further lighting a spark in Seattle to lay claim to what was rightfully theirs.
As the years wore on things began to look bleak despite a passionate calling for basketball in Seattle. After all, with such a rich bed of talent and prime market, why would the NBA not want a team in The Emerald City? Speculation and controversies aside, there was always a vibrant fan base calling for another Seattle basketball team.
Chris Hansen and Co. have been instrumental in bringing the NBA back to Seattle.
And, in 2012, those faithful supporters that stuck to their Sonics’ roots saw their first glimpse of hope when Chris Hansen, a man with a plan, stepped into the picture.
Working with the producers of Sonicsgate to spearhead a movement that would bring the NBA back to Seattle, Hansen and Co. drafted up arena plans, coordinated with the City of Seattle to manage budgets and issues, and went out in the public to spread the word about their ideas.
With a budget that really stretches further than one could imagine, Hansen quickly met all his opposition and instilled hope in the minds of devout Seattle basketball fans.
After plans for the new arena were released that would incorporate both an NBA and NHL team into the mix in Seattle, the city became buzzed with the idea that they would soon become a 5-sport city.
Even David Stern, the infamous NBA Commissioner that so many Seattle-ites had come to hate, stated that it would be great to have another NBA team in Seattle.
With the March deadline for ironing out the transferring of teams between cities, many saw the potential for Seattle to be playing basketball in 2013.
And, on January 9, 2013, the City of Seattle began to rejoice as reports surfaced that the Sacramento Kings were being sold to Chris Hansen and Co., a move that would bring basketball back to the Key Arena in November of 2013.
Though there were early reports coming from the daughter of NBA agent David Falk that the Kings were being sold to Seattle (which were quickly dismissed), Seattle having a basketball team in 2013 became more concrete when Adrian Wojnarowski, a reporter for Yahoo! Sports, tweeted that the two sides were very close to an agreement.
The Maloofs are finalizing an agreement to sell the Sacramento Kings to the Hansen-Ballmer led Seattle group, sources tell Yahoo! Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) January 9, 2013
No agreement signed, but one source describes deal as “1st and goal at 1.” Maloofs history of changing course late still makes many uneasy.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) January 9, 2013
The Maloofs are expected to keep an extremely small percentage of team, but will have no real input or say in franchise, sources say.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) January 9, 2013
The Deal
The deal will reportedly cost Chris Hansen $500 million and still give the Maloofs a partial share in the team. During the first two years of their existence they will be housed in the Key Arena, which will be given a facelift by Chris Hansen to help sustain the facility for the two years and beyond. The move, which is one of the costliest in history, will make Seattle’s NBA team one of the most valued and prized franchises in the nation.
After the initial two years in Key Arena the team will be moved to the new arena that is planned to be built in the near future.
Instant Reaction
Wow. Just wow.
If anybody in the Seattle area were to wake up this morning this is likely the last piece of sports news that they expected to hear today. Sure the Maloofs were rumored to be selling their team, but who could have ever realized that today would be the day that Seattle would see the return of an NBA team. While it will still be some time (11 months, in fact) before the NBA tips off in Seattle, the buzz surrounding the city today is almost reaching that of a packed CenturyLink Stadium crowd screaming at the top of their lungs.
Should all players make the move to Seattle, the roster of the first basketball team to return to this city will be DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, and Isaiah Thomas, among many others. If we’re getting pumped about this move, imagine how Isaiah Thomas, a Seattle native, feels this morning.
What This Means
Obviously this means that Seattle will soon have an NBA team. Yet, it is so much more than that.
As mentioned previously this move will tentatively make Seattle a 5-sport city. With the addition of the NBA will come the NHL as well, a move that many Washingtonians have been wanting to be made for quite some time. Besides the NBA and NHL teams, Seattle will have the Seahawks, Mariners, and Sounders, making Seattle one of the best cities for sports in the entire country.
The combination of all these teams also gives Seattle’s economy a huge boost, likely resulting in much more traffic coming through the area, greater support of local teams and programs, and more revenue coming from attendance at multiple sporting events.
But, most of all, this means that the NBA will soon be back in Seattle and the roaring voices of Sonics fans all around the world will soon echo loudly once again inside the Key Arena.
About Chris Anderson
