The NBA may be looking to resume business in Seattle. Certainly, former NBA great Gary Payton, who played for the SuperSonics, wants to see that happen. The same holds for former guard Isiah Thomas.
On Friday, it was reported that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver met with Washington Governor Bob Ferguson about the prospects of an expansion franchise, per Tim Booth of The Seattle Times.
Both met over Zoom in what was merely an introductory meeting.
“As a kid, the governor grew up attending many Sonics games, and attending the Lenny Wilkens basketball camp. The governor recently reached out to Commissioner Adam Silver requesting an introductory meeting. They had a good conversation, and the governor offered to be helpful,” Ferguson’s communications director, Brionna Aho, said in a statement.”
“Governor Ferguson initiated the call to introduce himself to Commissioner Silver and they had a good conversation,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement Thursday.
All this comes at a time when the NBA is looking into other markets.
“Not a secret we’re looking at this market in Las Vegas. We are looking at Seattle. We’ve looked at other markets, as well. I’d say I want to be sensitive there about this notion that we’re somehow teasing these markets, because I know we’ve been talking about it for a while,” Silver said in December.
The history of the Seattle SuperSonics is rich.
From 1967 to 2008, the Seattle SuperSonics were a staple in the NBA. They put themselves on the map in 1979 when they won their first and only NBA Championship.
In the 1990s, the Sonics took on a whole new dimension with the likes of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Their respective styles of play matched with their charisma endeared them to a large swath of fans.
In 1996, they squared off against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.
Unfortunately, they failed to secure a new arena and in 2008 became the Oklahoma City Thunder.
