Who knew that it would take a February game in a different sport on the opposite end of the United States to kick-start a resurrection campaign for the Seattle SuperSonics?
Fox Sports Ohio is reporting that new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has a soft spot for the city, which lost the Sonics to Oklahoma City in 2008, when the franchise relocated and changed its name to the Thunder.
The Seattle Seahawks' 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII resulted in video footage being shown of the city's last win in one of the four major professional sports, and that was the Sonics' 1978-79 NBA championship led by coach Lenny Wilkens.
The nation got to witness the strength of Seattle as a sports town first-hand. Fox Sports Ohio said that the old Sonics green and yellow jerseys pop up at random NBA games.
The report added that during a recent national broadcast of a Thunder game, former NBA coach and current ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy talked fondly about the Sonics, about their history, about how Seattle deserves another team.
Silver, who replaced David Stern at the beginning of the month, is said to have the return of basketball to Seattle among his list of priorities.
"Whether that's by relocation or expansion, league sources told FOX Sports Ohio, is yet to be determined. The league is not totally against adding a 31st team. It's certainly not in favor of relocation. Last year, it looked as if the Sacramento Kings would become the Sonics, but new ownership swooped in to keep the Kings right where they are," the FOX Sports Ohio report indicated.
The NBA stepped and facilitated the new deal for the Kings franchise to remain in Sacramento, preventing a higher bidder to relocate the franchise in Seattle.
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