Features
Editor’s Note: Spirit of the Sonics
Basketball-crazy Seattle awaits the NBA’s return
By Rob Smith May 8, 2023
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of Seattle magazine.
Rob Smith Executive Editor Seattle magazine/Seattle Business magazine
Photo by Tate Carlson
Back in the ’90s, I rented an apartment near Seattle Center. My buddy — a longtime SuperSonics season ticket-holder — took me to dozens of games at the old KeyArena in exchange for a convenient parking spot at my complex (which, sadly, like many things from that time period, is now gone).
Those early-to-mid ’90s Sonics were on the cusp of greatness. Playful billboards depicting Coach George Karl as a mad genius blanketed the city. Gary Payton was just beginning his Hall-of-Fame career. Shawn Kemp was wreaking havoc on opponents. The names stick with me to this day: Michael Cage. Ricky Pierce. Derrick McKey. Nate McMillan.
It was a magical time.
Samantha Holloway aims to bring it back. Holloway, co-chair and co-owner of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, is the point person as rumors persist that the NBA will return a team to Seattle. The spirit of the Sonics is very much alive.
“It’s a very unique city,” Holloway said on a recent Iconic Sonics podcast. “We understand why no one leaves. We understand why people support the teams here.” (Seattle magazine has a strategic partnership with Truth + Media, Karl’s Denver-based media company that produces the Iconic Sonics podcast.)
The Kraken have at least brought some life to Seattle Center during the dark and drizzly winters, but the city won’t be whole again until the NBA returns. Though they’ve been gone for 15 years, the Sonics and their influence are not forgotten. Just last fall, the Sonics Legend Fund was created to assist former players experiencing financial difficulties, with a focus on meeting medical needs.
“Basketball has always given back to the community here,” Sonics legend Lenny Wilkens said on a recent Iconic Sonics podcast. “Anytime you have an opportunity to give back to the community, it’s important. It’s what makes us strong and allows us to relate to one another.”
“When the Sonics come back, it’s going to be out of control. The excitement is there.” — Samantha Holloway
Former Sonics remain very much a part of this community. Kemp operates two cannabis shops and makes numerous public appearances. Detlef Schrempf has operated his eponymous foundation that benefits local charities since 1996. Karl now lives in Denver but returns frequently to tout the city’s basketball culture.
For Holloway, bringing a team back is top priority.
“When the Sonics come back, it’s going to be out of control,” she says. “The excitement is there. The positivity is there. There’s a huge history. It’s a tremendous honor to even have this opportunity.”
About the Editor's Note Column
Rob Smith is the editor of Seattle magazine and Seattle Business magazine. Following a brief stint in politics after graduating from the University of Oregon, he began freelance writing when a friend landed a job at a small newspaper. A few months later he was offered a full-time position and, as Mark Twain said, "I had no other options," so Rob became a journalist. He likes getting paid to be nosy.
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