Averaging Major League Soccer crowds of almost 40,000 fans, the Sounders have had larger average crowds than AC Milan, Chelsea and Juventus.įortunately when the Supersonics relocated to Oklahoma City, Clay Bennett agreed to leave the Supersonics name, logo and colors in Seattle for a possible future franchise in the city. The Seattle Sounders have also set the benchmark for soccer match day experiences in North America and is one of the reasons why Major League Soccer is becoming one of the best soccer leagues in the world. The run that shook the Earth: The BeastQuake. It was so loud it measured as a small earthquake at 2.0 on the Richter scale. Seattle fans are known for the legendary “Beast Quake” moment which registered a then-record 137.6 decibels following a Marshawn Lynch touchdown for the Seahawks in 2011. The Seahawks, Mariners and the Sounders all have huge and energetic fan bases in the NFL, MLB and MLS respectively. Seattle could make a case for being one of the best sports cities in America if they still had the Supersonics back again. A Vancouver expansion team also makes sense with the population exploding since they relocated to Memphis in 2001. Making a huge case is Las Vegas with a $4 billion arena breaking ground which is ready to attract a franchise ready to play ball. There are many cities ready to become the next NBA expansion team. has ALL the fun facts on Climate Pledge Arena! □ | #TexasHockey | □: BSSW /pHfTvePKJg The loss of the franchise left Seattle without an NBA team, despite having been one of the league’s original cities. Relocating the Supersonics was extremely controversial and unpopular with fans in Seattle who felt that the team had been taken away from them unfairly. That failed to eventuate and despite efforts by Seattle officials and fans to keep the Supersonics in the city, negotiations for a new arena stalled, and Bennett eventually applied for and received approval from the NBA to move the team to Oklahoma City in 2008. In a final ditch effort to keep the Supersonics in Seattle, an investor group led by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer promised that they would pay for half of the $300 million needed to upgrade KeyArena. Originally opened as the Washington State Pavilion in 1962, KeyArena was nowhere near NBA standards by the 2000s.Ī potential replacement arena in the SoDo District was planned in the 90s but failed to materialize. The Seattle Supersonics left Seattle for a few reasons including ownership disputes, an ageing Key Arena, and a lack of progress in obtaining a new arena in Seattle. Why Did the Seattle Supersonics Leave the NBA? This is one of most exciting duos the NBA has ever seen /2C5ziK611u The new team became known as the Oklahoma City Thunder and began playing in the NBA from the 2008–09 season onward. In 2008 the NBA Board of Governors approved the relocation of the Supersonics to Oklahoma City. ![]() ![]() The group led by Bennett had always intended to relocate the franchise away from Seattle. In 2006 thats exactly what happened, and the Seattle Supersonics were sold to a group led by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett for $350 million. ![]() Schultz was hinting that he was willing to sell the franchise if a new stadium or a refurbishment of KeyArena couldn’t be funded. Ackerley held on to the franchise for 18 years before selling it to former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz for $200 million in 2001. The first sale of the Supersonics franchise was completed in 1983 when longtime owner Sam Schulman sold the team to a group of investors led by Barry Ackerley for $13.5 million. Supersonics ultimately won out with the name chosen to pay homage to the planned, but ultimately failed, Boeing 2707 which was proposed to be developed in the city and was to rival the French-British Concorde jet. The Supersonics name came about following a fan vote which included alternatives like the Rainmakers, Cascade, Sockeyes, Orcas, Emeralds and Thunderbolts. The Seattle Supersonics were founded as an expansion team in 1967. What Happened to the Seattle Supersonics? It’s hard to imagine how a team with the history of the Supersonics could end up getting relocated in the first place. What happened to the Seattle Supersonics? After 41 years in the NBA, Seattle played their final game on Apbefore relocating to Oklahoma City.
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