The Seattle SuperSonics last played an NBA game in 2008. Somehow, the state of Washington has managed to move forward ever since, but it still doesn’t feel right that this basketball hotspot no longer has a professional team.
These days, many younger sports fans only know the Sonics from video games such as NBA Jam, or from looking up highlights of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp on YouTube. But the Sonics also had Kevin Durant for a season too.
Of course, the newest NBA fans have no nostalgia for the Sonics and only know the team from pictures or learning about their history when studying where the Oklahoma City Thunder came from, which technically is tied to the Sonics’ past, being that they have all their franchise history tied to OKC.
However, the NHL’s Seattle Kraken team owner, Samantha Holloway, is putting together a plan to bring the Sonics back to Seattle, and the NBA is now re-considering expansion.
According to Bloomberg’s Anna Edgerton, Holloway is aiming to land one of the NBA’s two proposed expansion teams, in which she intends to resurrect the Sonics.
“It would be an amazing market, and the NBA knows that. This is an exercise in patience for both us and the fans because we’re all really excited for what could be.”
Samantha Holloway on interest in bringing Seattle SuperSonics back to NBA
The NBA anticipates receiving bids nearing $4 billion from interested parties, which would then be shared among the 30 current team owners.
However, while she’s optimistic about the future, Holloway admitted it’s far too early to discuss other outside investors, aside from members of the Kraken’s current ownership group.
With the Kraken’s $1.15 billion state-of-the-art arena, there’s already a space for the Sonics to play basketball in Seattle. Thanks to Holloway’s persistence, it’s possible locals could soon have a chance to watch their favorite basketball team again.
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