Seattle has not seen NBA basketball since 2008 and fans in the city were outraged when their Super Sonics moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. The Thunder are now one of the best teams in the league and those living in Seattle feel as though they deserve an NBA team in the state.
Although there is no guarantee that the league will put another team in Seattle, the first step of that process has been completed. ESPN reports that the Seattle City Council has agreed on a deal that will build a $490 million arena in the city. At this point, there is no team with plans to use the arena, but it could host both an NBA and NHL franchise.
The Seattle City Council has agreed to a deal that would build a $490 million arena that could host NBA and NHL teams.
The public will fund $200 million towards the project and there will also be a $40 million transportation project that will reduce traffic in the area. The land in the area is near Safeco Field for the Seattle Mariners and Qwest Field for the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle is known as a city that loves basketball and it has bred many NBA players over the years. The Sonics were fortunate to have very loyal fans and it will only be the right thing to give those people another team to root for. Although there is nothing planned yet, the most likely situation is that a NBA franchises will relocate to Seattle.
Seattle city councilman Mike O’Brien calls the deal, “one of the best arena deals we’ve seen in the country,” and he, and a lot of people, is hoping that the NBA makes its return to great city of Seattle.
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