Sonics’ Legend Gary Payton Believes Las Vegas & Seattle Next Up For NBA Expansion
Seattle Supersonics legend Gary Payton has been on the frontlines regarding being vocal about the NBA needing to return to the Emerald City. The not-so-secret NBA plan is to award Las Vegas and Seattle expansion teams at some point following the completion of the media rights deal.
Payton recently spoke with Komo News’ Sports Director Niko Tamurian, about the Sonics potentially returning soon.
“I feel good about it,” Payton said. “We have to let the NBA do its process. The owners and governors, they have to do what they have to do. I think most of them have agreed they need to have two expansion teams. I think the two will probably be Vegas and Seattle. We have to wait for the TV deal, all that stuff to fall in place.
“You know, (Silver has) been here, he’s been in the new arena, he went around and looked at it before the Kraken even opened up. He looked at the facility and said this is one of the greatest arenas in the country, and that’s where it got its start. I think it’s going to happen, and I think it’s going to happen on Adam Silver’s watch.”
He added, ”
Payton has also been vocal about be an owner of the Seattle Sonics as well one day and wouldn’t mind PlayersTV’s Ken Griffey Jr as a part of the ownership group. That is if Jr would be interest in adding another team in Seattle to his investment portfolio. Griffey is already an investor with the Seattle Mariners & Seattle Sounders.
“That’s my brother; that’s my family! Whatever he wants to do, it is what it is,” said Payton.
“If it’s something that Ken wants to be part of, yes, we gotta have him in there, even with Detlef Schrempf and Shawn Kemp. We gotta have people come back because we want that fanbase to come up and be big.”
Seattle Sonics Legend Gary Payton Recently Shared His Thoughts On Ken Griffey Jr Potentially Joining Sonics Ownership Group:
“That’s my brother; that’s my family! Whatever he wants to do, it is what it is,” said @GaryPayton.
“If it’s something that… pic.twitter.com/h80RrsrfQ6
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) June 7, 2023
Currently the Seattle Storm and Seattle Kraken are current tenants at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle and one of the Co-Owners Of the Kraken has their eye on being the majority owner of the Sonics too. According to the Seattle Times, the Kraken are finalizing how management of an unnamed corporation to potentially house both the Sonics and the Kraken. The Kraken majority ownership consist of Samantha Holloway and her Billionaire father, David Bonderman. Bonderman is a current minority owner in the Boston Celtics, but it would make sense for him to sell his share if he were to acquire majority ownership of the Seattle Sonics.
Leave a comment