Seattle Sonics: How this 50th anniversary could be key to securing team
SEATTLE - The NBA Board of Governors has voted to allow the league to explore expansion bids exclusively for teams in Las Vegas and Seattle – a major step in the right direction for Seattle Sonics fans.
1970s Sonics (Museum of History & Industry. All rights reserved.)
What's next:
To be clear, Wednesday's vote was about expansion exploration, not expansion itself – that could come at a later date.
The news means that the focus is now on potential ownership groups in Seattle to come to the table with a bid to the league, showing they can afford the expected $7 billion to $10 billion expansion price.
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It is a big day for Seattle sports fans, with the NBA’s 30 voters voting in favor of expansion exploration for Seattle and Las Vegas.
Now, a potential SuperSonics return could align with a historic 50th anniversary milestone for Seattle sports, adding symbolic significance beyond the logistics of NBA expansion.
It's pretty common for a sports enthusiast to be a little superstitious – or at least have solid pattern recognition.
For example, during the last NFL season, there was a theory that gained traction that every time a new pope is elected, the Seahawks go to the Super Bowl.
- 2005: When Pope Benedict XVI was elected, the Seahawks made it to Super Bowl XL and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- 2013: When Pope Francis was elected, the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
- 2025: When Pope Leo XIV was elected, sure enough, the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Though this new theory doesn't seem to put faith in divine intervention, a return of the Seattle SuperSonics could coincide with a series of major milestones across the Emerald City's sports landscape.
Seattle Seahawks 50th anniversary
The Seattle Seahawks franchise recently marked its 50th season with a Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots.
Seattle Mariners 50th anniversary
This year, the Seattle Mariners are celebrating their 50th anniversary with hopes of reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history.
Seattle Sonics 50th anniversary
If the NBA were to target a 2028-29 debut for a Seattle franchise, that timing would also align with the 50th anniversary of the Seattle SuperSonics' 1979 championship – the first major professional sports title in city history.
That overlap of milestones could give added meaning to a possible NBA return to Seattle, highlighting the city's long and storied sports history, which stretches back more than a century and includes an early Stanley Cup championship in 1917-18.
The Source: Information in this story came from an original interview with FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine.
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