As the NBA continues to grow and expand its brand, the idea of adding an expansion team (or even several) is becoming more and more plausible. With so much talent across the NBA, it really seems like the league would have no problem supporting a whole new franchise. The question is, which lucky city is first in line for an expansion team?
The answer is still unclear at this time, but it’s no secret that Seattle is in the mix. As the former home of the SuperSonics, the movement to resurrect the team is strong and has grown in support over the years. Now, even Stephen Curry is campaigning to bring the Sonics back.
“Having been around when my dad was playing in the league, and seeing the buzz in Seattle when they were there, I think that would be a good city,” said Curry when asked by BuzzFeed which city he would like to see get a new NBA team.
The SuperSonics had a pretty strong fanbase back in the day and many of them are still waiting for their team to come back to root for them again. Unfortunately for those people, Seattle is far from a guarantee when it comes to potential NBA expansion cities.
As previously reported, Las Vegas and Mexico City are not only strong contenders for a new team, but they are both in bigger markets than Seattle. So even if the league says yes to an expansion, nobody knows which city will be granted a team first.
So, for now, the return of the Sonics remains a pipe dream, but if Steph Curry is in on bringing them back, then maybe it says something about the NBA’s stance on it.
Will The SuperSonics Ever Return?
Back in 2009, the Sonics officially became the Oklahoma City Thunder, and nobody ever thought they’d return. As a franchise, the Thunder are thriving right now and will not relocate again, but Seattle will always be in the mix for an NBA return down the road.
“I felt like the world ended in Seattle,” said Gary Payton on the Sonics. “Because that city and them fans don’t deserve that. They don’t deserve it. And I’ve been working very hard to get it back. We’re gonna try and get an expansion team and I think the expansion team is gonna happen. I think with Adam Silver, he knows that we’re gonna add some teams and I think Seattle is one of them teams that he’s going to add and I think that they deserve it.”
There’s no doubt that it would be special to see the NBA back in Seattle and it’s something that many players, fans, and experts want to see happen one day. Hopefully, it becomes a reality sooner rather than later.
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