NBA to Seattle: What We Know So Far
Contents
The NBA appears to be headed back to Seattle. Here’s what we know so far about the possible return of the Sonics.
NBA to Seattle: The History
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a Professional Basketball league in North America The league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and played its first season with 11 teams. The league changed its name to the National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League The NBAtoday is composed of 30 teams, 26 of which are located in the United States and 3 in Canada.
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington. The Supersonics were founded in 1967 as an expansion team, and played their home games at the Seattle Center Coliseum (now KeyArena at Seattle Center). The team won the NBA Championship in 1979, and made the NBA Finals three other times (1978, 1996, 2000). Despite their success on the court, the Supersonics were sold to Clay Bennett and his investment group in 2006, who then moved the team to Oklahoma City Oklahoma, and renamed them the Oklahoma City Thunder
The return of professional basketball to Seattle has been a topic of discussion since the Sonics left for Oklahoma City In October 2012, Chris Hansen, a San Francisco hedge fund manager, announced his intention to purchase and relocate an NBA Franchise to Seattle. Hansen’s plan included building a new arena in downtown Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. In 2013, Hansen reached an agreement with the city of Seattle and King County to build a new arena for $490 million. However, the arena deal was contingent on Hansen acquiring an NBA team to play in it.
In 2013, Hansen entered into exclusive negotiations with the owners of the Sacramento Kings with the intent of relocating that team to Seattle. However, those negotiations fell apart when a group led by Vivek Ranadivé made a counteroffer to keep the Kings in Sacramento.
In February 2014 it was reported that Hansen had acquired an option to purchase land adjacent to KeyArena from Washington State Public Stadium Authority; this was seen as further evidence that he planned to build a new arena even if he failed to acquire a team through relocation or expansion. On May 15th it was announced that Steve Ballmer had agreedto purchase the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion; it is speculatedthat Ballmer’s purchase price would have been higher if he hadacquiredcontrol of another franchise such as those formerly knownaseitherthe Supersonics or Pilots
NBA to Seattle: The Present
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is expanding to Seattle, Washington for the first time in nearly 40 years. The new team, which has not yet been named, will replace the SuperSonics, who left for Oklahoma City in 2008.
While the NBA has not officially announced the expansion franchise, it is widely believed that the league’s Board of Governors will vote to approve the team at their meeting on October 22nd. If approved, the new team is expected to begin play in the 2021-2022 season.
The ownership group for the new Seattle NBA franchise includes hedge fund manager Chris Hansen, who has been trying to bring an NBA team back to Seattle since 2012. Hansen’s group also includes Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, and Peter Guber, owner of the Golden State Warriors
Hansen has already secured a deal for a new arena in downtown Seattle, which is scheduled to open in 2021. The arena is being financed entirely with private funds, and is not dependent on any public money.
The proposed expansion fee for the new team is $2.5 billion dollars, which would be split among the other 29 NBA owners
NBA to Seattle: The Future
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, and is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world.
The NBA Seattle SuperSonics were a professional Basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, from 1967 until 2008. The SuperSonics won the NBA Championship in 1979. The franchise relocated to Oklahoma City Oklahoma, in 2008 and became the Oklahoma City Thunder
In early February 2013, it was reported that a group of investors led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen had reached an agreement to buy the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle, pending approval by the league’s Board of Governors. On May 15, 2013, the sale of the Kings to Hansen’s group was approved by the Board of Governors, and the team will play its first season in Seattle since 2008 as the NBA Seattle SuperSonics during the 2013-14 season.
NBA to Seattle: The Fans
After 5 years without an NBA team basketball fans in Seattle are eagerly anticipating the return of the Sonics. The proposed new team, to be called the Seattle SuperSonics, would replace the Oklahoma City Thunder as the NBA’s franchise in the Pacific Northwest. what we know so far:
The ownership group is led by investor Chris Hansen and includes Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft.
The plan is for the team to play in a new arena in downtown Seattle, which is currently in the early stages of development.
The estimated cost of the arena is $490 million, and construction is expected to begin in late 2013 or early 2014.
The SuperSonics name and colors are currently owned by a Native American tribe in Oklahoma, but it’s expected that a deal will be reached to allow Hansen’s group to use them.
NBA to Seattle: The Arena
One of the biggest questions surrounding a potential NBA return to Seattle has been where the team would play. KeyArena, the home of the former SuperSonics, is currently undergoing a $700 million renovation that is scheduled to be completed in 2020. According to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver the arena will be ” NBA-ready” once the renovation is complete.
The other potential arena site that has been mentioned is a brand new facility in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. A group led by investment firm Oak View Group has submitted a proposal to build a $600 million arena that would be privately financed. The proposed arena would seat 18,100 for basketball games and have 56 suites.
While it is still early in the process, it appears that KeyArena is the leading candidate to be the home of a future NBA Team in Seattle.
NBA to Seattle: The Team
It’s been five years since the NBA had a team in Seattle, but it looks like that’s about to change. The league has agreed to sell the Sacramento Kings to a group of investors who intend to move the team to Seattle and rename them the SuperSonics. The deal still needs to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors, but that is expected to happen at their meeting on April 18th. Here’s what we know so far about the team that will soon be calling Seattle home again.
The ownership group is led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen and includes Erik Bladewick, Skot McLeod and Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft. Hansen has been working on this deal for more than a year and has already secured an agreement with the city of Seattle and King County to build a new arena. The arena will be located in downtown Seattle, just south of Safeco Field, home of the Mariners.
Hansen has said that he intends for the arena to be privately funded and that no taxpayer money will be used for its construction. He has also promised to Create an NBA ready facility, meaning it would meet all of the league’s requirements for hosting games and events.
The sale price for the Kings is $525 million, which would be a record for an NBA Franchise Hansen has said that he plans to keep the team in Sacramento through next season while the new arena is being built in Seattle. The earliest they could move would be during the 2014-2015 season.
No official name or logo has been announced yet, but it’s widely assumed that they will bring back the SuperSonics name and logo from when the team was last in Seattle. As for colors, Hansen has said that “green and gold are here to stay,” so it sounds like those will remain as well.
There are still many details to be worked out, but it looks like basketball is on its way back to Seattle.
NBA to Seattle: The League
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men’s professional Basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams. It was founded on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. NBA players are the world’s best paid athletes by average annual salary per player.
NBA to Seattle: The Economics
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is considering expanding to Seattle, Washington. The city has been home to an NBA team before, the Seattle Supersonics, who played in the city from 1967 until 2008 when they relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.
There are a few reasons why the NBA may be interested in expanding to Seattle. Firstly, the city has a large population and is located in a major media market. Secondly, there is already an arena in place that could be used for an NBA team – KeyArena. Lastly, there is significant interest from potential owners in bringing an NBA Team back to Seattle.
The NBA has not yet officially announced whether or not it will expand to Seattle, but if it does happen, it is expected that it would happen for the 2021-2022 season.
NBA to Seattle: The Politics
The political landscape in Seattle is a tricky one when it comes to the NBA. The city has been without an NBA team since the Supersonics left for Oklahoma City in 2008, and there have been multiple attempts to bring the league back. However, there are several significant obstacles in the way of an NBA team returning to Seattle.
First, there is the issue of arena financing. The city of Seattle has made it clear that it will not use public money to finance a new arena, as it did with KeyArena. This leaves private financing as the only option, and there are no clear investors lined up at this point.
Second, there is the matter of the Seattle Mariners The Mariners are currently the only professional Sports Team in Seattle, and they have a lease on Safeco Field that runs through 2027. It is highly unlikely that another professional sports team would be able to find a home in Seattle without displacing the Mariners, and that is not something that is likely to happen.
Finally, there is the question of expandable markets. The NBA has been reluctant to expand into markets that do not already have an NBA team and Seattle is not currently served by an NBA Franchise This means that there would need to be another city willing to give up its team before Seattle could get its own, which is unlikely given the financial stability of most NBA franchises.
Despite these obstacles, there is still hope for an NBA team in Seattle. The city has been working hard to line up private investors for a new arena, and there have been discussions about potentially moving the Mariners to a different location. Additionally, the NBA has shown a willingness to expand into new markets in recent years with teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets joining the league within the last decade. If any of these factors come together, it is possible that we could see an NBA team back in Seattle in the near future.
NBA to Seattle: The Legacy
The NBA is returning to Seattle after a hiatus of nearly four years, and the city is poised to reclaim its mantle as one of the nation’s top basketball markets. The approval of the sale of the Kings to a group led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen means that Seattle will have an NBA franchise again, and that the league will have a strong presence on the West Coast once again.
Seattle has a long and rich Basketball History dating back to the 1950s when the Seattle SuperSonics were founded. The SuperSonics were one of the most successful teams in the NBA in the 1970s and 1980s, led by Hall of Fame players such as Gus Williams and Lenny Wilkens. The team won an NBA Championship in 1979, and made it to the Finals again in 1996.
In 2008, the SuperSonics were sold to Clay Bennett and moved to Oklahoma City becoming the Thunder. The move was hugely unpopular in Seattle, and left a hole in the city’s sports scene.
Now, with Hansen’s purchase of the Kings, Seattle looks set to reclaim its place as an NBA City It is unclear at this stage what will happen to the Kings’ current home, Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, but it islikely that they will move to Seattle’s KeyArena for at least two seasons while a new arena is built.
The return of the NBA to Seattle is great news for basketball fans in the city, and also for those who remember the SuperSonics fondly. It remains to be seen how successful the new franchise will be on-court, but there is no doubt that they will be warmly welcomed back by the people of Seattle.