It has been 10 years since the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics left Seattle.
On July 2, 2008, the city of Seattle settled with Clay Bennett’s ownership group, just before a federal judge was going to issue an order on whether the Sonics needed to fulfill their KeyArena lease. The city got the building’s debt paid off, and Clay Bennett, who already had the NBA’s blessing, moved the franchise to Oklahoma City.
It left a void with many longtime fans and businesses who supported the franchise for 41 years.
It also kicked off a saga that has been filled with many twists and turns. Now that is closer and closer to a resolution with a new Seattle Center arena in KeyArena’s spot. The NHL may fill the building, but the NBA still seems like it won’t be filling the hole from the NBA franchise anytime soon.
KING 5’s Chris Daniels and Chris Cashman looked back at the past 10 years in a special edition of the Next Best Pod on iTunes and Soundcloud.
