Seattle is still feeling the pain of losing their beloved SuperSonics. The team up and left town for Oklahoma City in 2008 right after Kevin Durant's rookie season. Seattle is longing for basketball's return to the city, and Durant believes the city deserves a team.

Durant spoke with ESPN prior to Friday's game (via WSAU 550 AM):

“Most definitely. It's a basketball city. It's a sports town. The brand of basketball in Seattle — just from how many NBA players they have in the NBA — they have a good representation of basketball in the NBA from Seattle-born players, Washington state-born players.

“And I feel like that whole brand deserves an NBA team. Just like the Golden State Warriors deserve a team or the Los Angeles Lakers deserve a team, Seattle is that same way. A team has that same type of impact in the community. So (we have) a lot of time in life before this whole thing is over, and I'm sure we'll see a team before it's time.”

Durant deserves a chance to speak on Seattle considering he is one of two active NBA players who played for the Seattle SuperSonics (the other is Jeff Green). Durant was only in Seattle for one year, but he knows the type of passion the city has for basketball.

The greater Seattle area is a hotbed for talent. NBA stars like Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas, Marvin Williams, and Jason Terry have all emerged from the area. Whether or not the NBA ever decides to expand to 32 teams is up for debate, but if they do, Seattle should be at the top of the list for cities that deserve a team.