Rain City Showcase gives Seattle Sonics fans hope for a return to the NBA, sooner rather than later

A fan holds up a sign in the stands urging the former Seattle Sonics basketball team to return to Seattle before a preseason NBA game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

On Friday night, the Los Angeles Clippers narrowly defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 101-99 in a preseason matchup. But for this game, what mattered wasn’t so much the “what” as the “where.”

Friday marked the third edition of the Rain City Showcase, with the Clippers hosting a preseason game in Seattle. The game, sponsored by Pokémon, brought the NBA back to Seattle 16 years after the SuperSonics were abruptly moved to become the Oklahoma City Thunder.

For one night only, it was like the Sonics were back in town: Seattle packed into Climate Pledge Arena, a sold-out crowd spotted with green and yellow (and Pikachu hats handed out as giveaways). Kids who weren’t even born when the Sonics were moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City were wearing Sonics jerseys — those of Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Kevin Durant. With five minutes left in the game, a chant of “SuperSonics” was heard on one side of the arena. Signs throughout the crowd called for the NBA to bring the team back.

The biggest cheers of the night had nothing to do with either team, but with the former Sonics in the building: A slew of Sonics legends — Payton, Kemp, Detlef Schrempf, Dale Ellis, Rashard Lewis, George Karl, Sam Perkins, Luke Ridnour, as well as former Sonics coach Lenny Wilkens — were at the game and received a hearty response from the crowd.

Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas and Brandon Roy rounded out a who’s who of Seattle basketball stars, and former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll also received a loud cheer of his own. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Washington Governor Jay Inslee were also in the building, demonstrating a show of solidarity from the state and the city.

On the concourse, Sarah Parks, a self-described “lifelong Sonics fan” who watched the team from the early ’90s until the move, was there with her mother and brother, Karen and Sam. All three were…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-12 12:28:59

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