It really is sleepless in Seattle. The city has not had an NBA team since 2008 and they’re hurting.
After packing up and moving more than half way across the country to Oklahoma City, the city has never been more hungrier for an NBA team.
The Supersonics were named after the planned Boeing 2707 which was developed in Seattle. The plane was intended to be larger and faster than the Concorde jet.
Much like the SuperSonics the 2707 plane was cancelled. It never got off the ground amid environment concerns and government funding cuts.
Back on Earth now – what’s it like being a fan in Seattle? Do the famous green, gold and white SuperSonics deserve a team?
The city of Seattle has had a strong supporter base for sports and a love affair for basketball. Their beloved Sonics were born in 1967 following the expansion of the NBA.
In 1983 the Sonics were sold by it’s original owner Sam Schulman to Barry Ackerley.
It was then sold to the Basketball Club of Seattle in 2001 and finally sold to Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett in 2006.
After a 41-year run in the NBA as Seattle’s most successful sports franchise, they played their final game on April 13, 2008.
Kevin Durant’s debut season was the only highlight of their final season as they posted a franchise worst record of 20-62.
The Oklahoma City Thunder debuted in the 2008-09 NBA season. Thunder owner Clay Bennett had agreed to leave the SuperSonics name, logo and colours in Seattle for a possible future franchise in the city.
The lack of a suitable NBA standard arena in the city and a failure to obtain state funding for an update to Seattle’s KeyArena led to the eventual relocation from Seattle to Oklahoma.
The Seattle-Tacoma region is the 12th largest media market in America. The love for sport in Seattle makes it one of the most energetic sports markets in the country.
The love Seattle shows for their Seahawks, Mariners and the Sounders in the NFL, MLB and MLS respectively, shows they’re deserving of an NBA team.
In 2013, fans of the Seahawks celebrated so hard that they registered a then record of 137.6 decibels. It was so loud it even registered as an earthquake!
It measured between 1-2 in the region on the Richter scale. To put that into perspective, an a jet taking off at 25 metres away registers levels of around 150dB, enough to rupture an eardrum.
The city’s MLS franchise the Seattle Sounders have set the hallmark for soccer match day experiences in North America.
For decades the Sounders have dominated attendance averages blowing away other franchises, with averages pushing 40 000+.
In 2017 Atlanta United FC joined the league and have set the new benchmark for attendances with the 73 000+ capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The likelihood of NBA expansion isn’t likely until at least 2025. This is when a newly negotiated TV rights deal will take place.
The current deal is worth a whopping $24 billion over a nine-year agreement with ESPN and Turner Sports.
Another obstacle for Seattle getting picked as an expansion team is the long list of candidates. The NBA have an international team with the Toronto Raptors.
The NBA have also been exploring games in international markets such as in Mexico City and Vancouver.
Other strong American candidates for expansion are in Louisville, Kansas City, Austin, San Diego and Las Vegas.
Relocation of an existing team seems the more likely route for Seattle in the nearer future.
From 2006 the Sacramento Kings were seemingly destined to relocate to Seattle. However in 2013, NBA owners voted 22-8 in favour of rejecting the move all but ending any relocation from Sacramento.
At the moment, New Orleans Pelicans seems one of the more likely routes of any potential relocations. The region is the 51st largest media market in America making relocation a lucrative option for it’s owners.
The SuperSonics have had a very colourful history. They were NBA Champions in the 1978-79 season.
In more recent history they went 63-19 in the 1993-94 season before becoming the first ever #1 seed to lose a playoff series to the #8 seed.
Their strongest roster perhaps was 1995-96 with the likes of Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and Detlef Schrempf reaching the NBA Finals. They lost in six games to the Michael Jordan-led Bulls.
More recently the city’s passion for sports is seen in the city’s $850 million renovations of KeyArena in preparation for an NHL expansion team to begin playing in the city in 2021.
Seattle waited seven long years for an MLB franchise to return when their beloved Pilots moved to Milwaukee in 1970.
Being a Sonics fan is sleepless, having gone more than eleven years without an NBA team. Is it ever going to happen?
The isolation of Seattle in the north-west of America makes the city a national afterthought, too far away to make any headlines on the East Coast.
The city’s passion for sports however has a long history. In the 1970’s, Supersonics fans were so infuriated with the Golden State Warriors during the second round of the NBA playoffs the crowd threw half-filled boxes of popcorn, beer, and soft drinks at their players.
Such was their hatred for small-forward Rick Barry, he was smacked with a purse from a member of the crowd and attempted to be tripped over.
So strong is the Supersonics brand, the support and passion of Seattle, it will happen sooner rather than later. I have no doubt they’ll be the next team to enter the league whether relocation or expansion.