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Will we ever see a team from Seattle again

  • Thread starter Thread starter mon232
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mon232

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Will we ever see a NBA team relocating in Seattle someday, I know some NBA fans do miss that green jerseys of the Supersonics.

the Utah Jazz were first relocated in New Orleans, now we have the New Orleans Hornets. that team itself started at Charlotte, and now the city of Charlotte, North Carolina had a different squad in the Bobcats.

The City of Oklahoma first joined forces with New Orleans, brought by the Hurricane incident, now Oklahoma has its own team, somehow they opted for Thunder instead of the Sonics of Seattle.
 
Will we ever see a NBA team relocating in Seattle someday, I know some NBA fans do miss that green jerseys of the Supersonics.
If the NBA expands again in the US, it will probably be in St. Louis, Seattle, or Kansas. I hope it doesn't expand again though.
 
I'm still hoping the NBA returns to Vancouver. The Grizzlies were never given a fair shake in Vancouver, especially thanks to Bennedict err I mean Michael Heisley.
If not Vancouver, then maybe give Calgary a shot.
But yes it would be good to see the NBA back in Seattle. I miss the days of the short-distance rivalry between Vancouver and Seattle.
I know St. Louis has been wanting a team for ages, but I don't know if Bill Laurie is still personna non gratta to David Stern and league officials because of the whole Grizzlies debacle, where Laurie wanted to buy the team with letting everyone know he planned to move them to St. Louis.
 
Cheer up Seattle, you still have the Mariners and the SeaHawks.;)

I just want the Roanoke Dazzle back in the fold on the D-League. Is that so much to ask?
 
Seattle is known for aviation technology. The best way to name a basketball team in Seattle is related to aviation. Air Force? High-flyers? Avionics? :D
 
You'll never see this jerseys on the rafters... presumably not within the near future.

Ray Allen #34

A supposed tribute to the one of the league's best shooters ever.

31-37856-F.jpg

Gary Payton #20

Hall of Famer. The man named "The Glove" was among the best defensive guards ever.

dUnNFJXyCh7IDuy.jpg

And the other previously retired jerseys from the Seattle SuperSonics franchise:

* 1 Gus Williams, G, 1977–1984 (Number Retired March 26, 2004)
* 10 Nate McMillan, G, 1986–1998; Head Coach, 2000–2005 (Number Retired March 24, 1999)
* 19 Lenny Wilkens, G, 1968–1972; Head Coach, 1969–1972 & 1977–1985 (Number Retired October 19, 1979)
* 24 Spencer Haywood, F, 1971–1975 (Number Retired February 26, 2007)
* 32 Fred Brown, G, 1971–1984 (Number Retired November 6, 1986)
* 43 Jack Sikma, C, 1977–1986 (Number Retired November 21, 1992)
* Microphone Bob Blackburn, Broadcaster, 1967–1992
 
You'll never see this jerseys on the rafters... presumably not within the near future.

Ray Allen #34

A supposed tribute to the one of the league's best shooters ever.

31-37856-F.jpg

Gary Payton #20

Hall of Famer. The man named "The Glove" was among the best defensive guards ever.

dUnNFJXyCh7IDuy.jpg

And the other previously retired jerseys from the Seattle SuperSonics franchise:

* 1 Gus Williams, G, 1977–1984 (Number Retired March 26, 2004)
* 10 Nate McMillan, G, 1986–1998; Head Coach, 2000–2005 (Number Retired March 24, 1999)
* 19 Lenny Wilkens, G, 1968–1972; Head Coach, 1969–1972 & 1977–1985 (Number Retired October 19, 1979)
* 24 Spencer Haywood, F, 1971–1975 (Number Retired February 26, 2007)
* 32 Fred Brown, G, 1971–1984 (Number Retired November 6, 1986)
* 43 Jack Sikma, C, 1977–1986 (Number Retired November 21, 1992)
* Microphone Bob Blackburn, Broadcaster, 1967–1992



Hopefully the OKC Thunder will just keep those jerseys as mementos.
 
Hopefully the OKC Thunder will just keep those jerseys as mementos.

So far, I haven't seen relics of the Seattle SuperSonics on the Oklahoma City Thunder's rafters as primarily, the Thunder are an entirely new franchise.
 
When Stern steps out of the NBA, you might see a team back in Seattle, hopefully named the SuperSonics
 
I'm still hoping the NBA returns to Vancouver.
Vancouver is another big possibility that I didn't even think about. Vancouver might be a better candidate than Seattle or Kansas City. The Vancouver metro area is enormous. So is the Calgary/Edmonton metro area.

For a while, I thought that the another NBA team might go to Guadalajara or Monterrey, but I seriously doubt there is a market in those cities. Nobody there wants to pay $20 for bad tickets for a bad game.

But honestly, I hope the NBA doesn't expand again. I would much rather see a team move. Perhaps Charlotte or Miami (which will do well in ticket sales this year, but is always a weak sports market).
 
Seattle >> Las Vegas. Vegas is a disaster waiting to happen. Seattle is one of the nation's most sport city. I lived there for 2 years and it is extremely evident. They need an NBA team there now!
 
Lenny Wilkens Wants to Bring NBA Franchise Back to Seattle

Lenny Wilkens Wants to Bring NBA Franchise Back to Seattle

Lenny Wilkens Wants to Bring NBA Franchise Back to Seattle

Lenny Wilkens might be 73, but he knows nothing about the word retirement.

The Hall of Famer as both a player and a coach isn't slowing down these days. He just got back from Guangzhou, China, after serving as a consultant during South Korea's run to an Asian Games silver medal. And he's working on trying to bring the NBA back to Seattle.

The SuperSonics bolted in 2008 for Oklahoma City, and Wilkens was heartbroken. Wilkens, a Seattle resident who ended his 32-year NBA coaching run in January 2005, directed the SuperSonics to their only NBA crown in 1978-79.

Wilkens played for Seattle from 1968-72 and had two stints as head coach there, from 1969-72 (as player-coach) and from 1977-85. He also was in the team's front office in 2006-07.

"Yeah, I've been talking to some people that I know,'' Wilkens said in a telephone interview Tuesday, but said he wasn't at liberty to identify others involved in the effort to bring hoops back to Seattle.

Regardless of whether it's an expansion or an existing team, Wilkens said it's clear what it will take for an NBA return after Seattle's 41-year run ended with the move to Oklahoma City.

"We've got to get a building first,'' Wilkens said of a replacement for antiquated Key Arena. "Nobody is going to come if we don't have a building.''

Wilkens is working toward getting that done. Oklahoma City had the modern Ford Center already in place, one reason it was able to lure away the SuperSonics.

"They had a building,'' Wilkens said. "Key Arena was great, but its time has passed.''

Former NBA player and coach Paul Silas, who played for Wilkens on Seattle's 1978-79 title team, speaks to his old coach often. He admires Wilkens' efforts to try to bring a team back to the Emerald City.

"I was so disappointed when (the SuperSonics) left, with the success they had,'' Silas said. "It was a special place for basketball. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't build a new arena to keep the franchise going. But it's going to be tough getting a new arena now, with the economy. ... I'm glad to see Lenny is trying to get it done. They really admire him in Seattle.''

Wilkens is still going 50 years after he began a Hall of Fame 15-year NBA playing career in 1960 as a St. Louis Hawks' point guard. Wilkens has been an effective consultant for South Korea, which went from fifth in the 2006 Asian Games to getting the silver after a 77-71 loss last Friday to China.

"I was so very happy,'' Wilkens said. "It was a huge achievement for them.''

Wilkens has rated players for the team and recommended it play pressing defense. He worked with South Korea in 2010 at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and at the Los Angeles Summer League.

"I think they could,'' Wilkens said of whether South Korea, which never has produced an NBA player, can make great strides in basketball. "They need to keep working. They have some good young kids (coming up).''

Wilkens was the NBA's winningest coach with 1,332 victories until Don Nelson passed him last April. Nelson, who departed as Golden State's coach last September, has 1,335.

-AOL-NBA-Fanhouse by Chris Tomasson
 
City of Seattle working to bring NBA back

The city of Seattle has been working behind the scenes the past eight months with a hedge-fund manager to bring an NBA team back to town— possibly as early as next fall if the Sacramento Kings fail to get a satisfactory deal for a new arena, newly released documents show.

The city turned over the documents to The Seattle Times on Friday under a public records request (http://is.gd/PyQ06N ). The documents included the agenda for a meeting between the parties on Dec. 13, with topics including “Review of Basic Deal Structure,” “City Debt Capacity” and “Financing Issues.”

A Seattle native who now lives in San Francisco, 44-year-old hedge-fund manager Christopher Hansen, approached the city about his desire to buy an NBA team and build an arena south of Safeco Field, the documents show. Hansen told city officials an arena could be built with minimal impact on taxpayers.

-Hoopsworld
 
There seems to be surging momentum for Seattle, with talk of a new stadium that would feature both the NHL and NBA (the fact that it is for two tenants seems to sweeten the deal.)

To me I would love to move the Hornets over there, just have them swap divisions with OKC and it would be perfect.

Unfortunately it seems Sacramento is the team in danger of being relocated, and as much as I would love to see the Sonics back, I'd hate to see the Kings fans be the ones to suffer.
 
This just in:

Reports: Announcement may come Thursday on Seattle NBA arena deal

A news conference is set for Thursday at City Hall to announce details around a potential new NBA arena deal in Seattle, according to reports.
Christopher Hansen, the Seattle-born hedge-fund manager behind the project, is currently in Seattle, King 5 reports — and may be ready to reveal more about the possibility of the NBA returning to Seattle. According to The Seattle Times, Hansen will stay out of the limelight as Mayor Mike McGinn reveals details Thursday of Hansen’s proposal.

But the news conference, which reportedly could take place at 2 p.m., is still not firmly scheduled, the Times reported.

Hansen owns property south of Safeco Field, and has reportedly been developing a plan with the city and the NBA for a year. If Seattle were to get the Kings, the team could play at KeyArena — the Sonics’ old home — on a temporary basis, until a new venue is finished. Before the Sonics even left for Oklahoma City, and became the Thunder, the NBA had declared KeyArena an unsuitable venue.

The Seattle Times, which originally broke the arena story two weeks ago, reported that Hansen met with three Seattle City Council members on Wednesday to discuss the arena deal.

“We’re very close to announcing our offer to the city. That’s why I’m here,” Hansen told the Times on Wednesday.


Hansen is a relatively unknown name in the realm of multimillionaires connected to Seattle. A graduate of Roosevelt High School, he’s not alone in wanting pro basketball back in the Emerald City. A potential site on the Eastside is being eyed by potential investors like Chicago businessman Donald Levin and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

But Hansen seems like the real deal.

From the Times:

Hansen said he is only reluctantly stepping forward now because of the intense interest in and speculation around his arena proposal, the details of which are still not known. While he acknowledged that an arena can’t be a burden on taxpayers, the package is expected to include a combination of private money and tax revenues spun from the facility.

Speaking in self-effacing tones, Hansen talked about his deep Seattle roots, his modest upbringing in Rainier Valley and his desire to help a city where he still closely follows all the professional sports teams.

“I still consider this home,” he said.

“I think it’s fair to say that what we have is a serious and committed investor in Chris Hansen, who’s doing his analysis of what it would take to make it work for him,” McGinn told 710 ESPN Seattle radio last week. “And you have a city that — as you can see, we’ve taken it very seriously about what we take to work from our side.

For a tenant, Hansen has his sights set on the Sacramento Kings, whose city is under intense pressure to build a new basketball facility to keep the team. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Coyotes have been floated as a potential NHL team that could move to Seattle.

If Seattle were to get the Kings, the team might play at KeyArena — the Sonics’ old home — on a temporary basis, until the new stadium is finished. Before the Sonics even left for Oklahoma City, and became the Thunder, the NBA had declared KeyArena an unsuitable venue.

“A lot of things have to align for this to work, and I can’t predict whether everything will align or not,” McGinn said last week.

On Thursday, perhaps we’ll see whether the planets are aligning. However, Hansen told the Times that his arena proposal is complex and could fall apart at any time.

“I think we are very close to reaching an agreement with the city and county,” he told the Times, which has an interesting feature on Hansen and the current status of his plan.

-Seattle Pi
 
There seems to be surging momentum for Seattle, with talk of a new stadium that would feature both the NHL and NBA (the fact that it is for two tenants seems to sweeten the deal.)

To me I would love to move the Hornets over there, just have them swap divisions with OKC and it would be perfect.

Unfortunately it seems Sacramento is the team in danger of being relocated, and as much as I would love to see the Sonics back, I'd hate to see the Kings fans be the ones to suffer.

It's so strange how the NBA treats its most loyal fans. Seattle should get NOLA Hornets, Sac fans love their team. It shouldn't be about the Arena but the fans.
 
It's so strange how the NBA treats its most loyal fans. Seattle should get NOLA Hornets, Sac fans love their team. It shouldn't be about the Arena but the fans.

Reality bites. Keeping an NBA franchise in a city means conforming to league standards and aside from financial requirements in commitment, a designated home court must also be "NBA worthy". The focus is on the Sacramento Kings for now and we are burning midnight oil in keeping the team. Not too far ahead, the Milwaukee Bucks will undergo the same focus.
 
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