It's Happening: Seattle Is Getting the SuperSonics Back and the NBA Just Made It Official
The wait is over. Well, almost. On Wednesday, the NBA board of governors unanimously approved a vote to accept bids on two new expansion franchises, one in Seattle and one in Las Vegas. This is it. After 20 years without basketball, Seattle is one massive step closer to bringing the Sonics home.
The price tag? Between $7 billion and $10 billion per team. Yeah, that is real money. But here is the thing: the NBA wants to move fast on this. The target date for the new franchises to start playing is the 2028-29 season, and both Seattle and Las Vegas already have the arena infrastructure ready to go. Climate Pledge Arena is waiting.
Why Seattle Gets the Sonics Name Back
Here is what matters most to us: the new Seattle franchise will almost certainly reclaim the SuperSonics name and all of the history that comes with it. No rebranding. No starting from scratch like Vegas will have to do. Seattle ownership can tap into that immediate national brand recognition, plus a fanbase that has been begging for NBA basketball for two decades. That is huge.
The SuperSonics name itself came from Boeing's supersonic commercial aircraft that the Seattle aviation company was developing when the team joined the NBA in 1967. Over 40 years in the Emerald City, the Sonics went 1,745 wins and 1,585 losses with 22 playoff appearances. Not bad for a franchise that gave us some of the most exciting basketball ever played.
The Glory Days We Are Getting Back
Remember 1979? The Sonics won their first and only NBA championship under Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkels, led by Hall of Famer Jack Sikma. That 52-30 team beat the Lakers, Suns, and Bullets to bring a title home. Then came the 90s, when Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and Detlef Schrempf made Seattle basketball must-see TV. Coach George Karl had those teams cooking. The 1996 squad won 64 games before losing to Michael Jordan's Bulls in the Finals, but those were beloved teams around the entire league. This is the legacy the new SuperSonics get to reclaim.
We are in the final stages now. Bids are coming in. The NBA is moving faster than expected. 2028-29 is the target. Seattle, get ready. The SuperSonics are coming home.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.