Rain Metropolis Showcase offers Seattle Sonics followers hope for a return to the NBA, sooner reasonably than later

On Friday night time, the Los Angeles Clippers narrowly defeated the Portland Path Blazers 101-99 in a preseason matchup. However for this sport, what mattered wasn’t a lot the “what” because the “the place.”

Friday marked the third version of the Rain Metropolis Showcase, with the Clippers internet hosting a preseason sport in Seattle. The sport, sponsored by Pokémon, introduced the NBA again to Seattle 16 years after the SuperSonics have been abruptly moved to change into the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.

For one night time solely, it was just like the Sonics have been again on the town: Seattle packed into Local weather Pledge Enviornment, a sold-out crowd noticed with inexperienced and yellow (and Pikachu hats handed out as giveaways). Youngsters who weren’t even born when the Sonics have been moved from Seattle to Oklahoma Metropolis have been carrying Sonics jerseys — these of Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Kevin Durant. With 5 minutes left within the sport, a chant of “SuperSonics” was heard on one aspect of the world. Indicators all through the gang referred to as for the NBA to carry the group again.

The largest cheers of the night time had nothing to do with both group, however with the previous Sonics within the constructing: A slew of Sonics legends — Payton, Kemp, Detlef Schrempf, Dale Ellis, Rashard Lewis, George Karl, Sam Perkins, Luke Ridnour, in addition to former Sonics coach Lenny Wilkens — have been on the sport and acquired a hearty response from the gang.

Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas and Brandon Roy rounded out a who’s who of Seattle basketball stars, and former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll additionally acquired a loud cheer of his personal. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Washington Governor Jay Inslee have been additionally within the constructing, demonstrating a present of solidarity from the state and the town.

On the concourse, Sarah Parks, a self-described “lifelong Sonics fan” who watched the group from the early ’90s till the transfer, was there together with her mom and brother, Karen and Sam. All three have been decked out in Sonics gear at Sarah’s urging, even though they have been rooting for the Path Blazers, having “adopted” the group within the Sonics’ absence.

Sarah, who mentioned she was “devastated” when the group was moved, has been to all three of those preseason video games at Local weather Pledge Enviornment. “I’ll preserve coming to them till we get ’em again,” she mentioned.

For a lot of followers, gamers and coaches alike, bringing the NBA again to Seattle is a no brainer. A number of energetic gamers have mentioned that they’re all for giving Seattle an growth bid, with Durant, who spent his rookie season with the Sonics earlier than the transfer, being of bringing the NBA again to the town.

Forward of the matchup, Clippers and Path Blazers coaches Tyronn Lue and Chauncey Billups each praised the Seattle setting, saying that they cherished coming to Seattle as gamers. The 2 coaches additionally cited Seattle’s different fan bases — the Seahawks, the Storm — as proof of the town’s ardour for sports activities.

“These followers are passionate, they perceive the sport of basketball, and we miss that,” Lue mentioned.

“That is clearly a deserved metropolis and market,” Billups mentioned. “It makes essentially the most sense.”

Clippers proprietor Steve Ballmer, the previous CEO of Seattle-based firm Microsoft and a resident of the Seattle space, shouted out the town in a speech earlier than the sport, saying that “Seattle’s obtained one of the best basketball followers on the earth.”

Manny and Laura Ochoa, who have been there with their youngsters Quentin and Elena, have been a few of these followers, decked out in their very own Sonics gear on the concourse and itching for basketball to return to the world.

Manny, who grew up in LA and rooted for the Clippers, mentioned that he wished the NBA again in Seattle in order that it might change into an everyday a part of their life, with video games on Wednesdays and $25 nosebleed tickets like he had when he was rising up. When the Sonics left, he mentioned, “I felt a void in our hearts.”

Manny and Quentin went to final 12 months’s Rain Metropolis Showcase, and determined to carry the remainder of the household this 12 months. Now, Manny and Laura are hopeful that the group will come again — and he’s passing down a love for the Sonics to his youngsters.

“And what will we inform folks in regards to the Sonics?” Manny requested Elena, who wore a Payton jersey that went right down to her knees. With some prompting from her mom, Elena relays the message: “Deliver them again.”

Most followers weren’t a lot right here for the Clippers and Path Blazers as they have been for the return of NBA basketball within the metropolis.

“We would like basketball in our lives. We miss our group, so when an actual basketball sport is occurring in Seattle, folks present up,” Cathy Jimenez mentioned earlier than the sport, whereas on the concourse together with her husband Jacobo. They’re longtime Sonics followers, they usually purchased the tickets earlier on Friday after realizing that the occasion was taking place.

It was Jacobo’s first time, and Cathy’s second, contained in the brand-new Local weather Pledge Enviornment, which was accomplished in 2021. The brand new stadium efficiently attracted an NHL growth group, the Seattle Kraken, and was additionally constructed with the hope of attracting an NBA growth bid.

The proposal to construct a brand new stadium was one of many main sticking factors that led to the group getting moved, with proprietor of the now-Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder Clay Bennett saying that the town wanted to redo the world in an effort to preserve the group in Seattle. However, the way in which Jacobo and lots of Seattle followers see it, that was simply an excuse for Bennett and former NBA commissioner David Stern to relocate the group.

The Jimenezes agree that the stadium is “lovely” and can serve properly for a future NBA group. However for now, they must accept watching different cities’ groups.

“I like the world and I’m actually hoping that we don’t have to attend an excessive amount of longer to observe our Sonics right here, as a result of that’s what I really need,” Jacobo mentioned.

Friday’s sport got here right down to the wire, with the Path Blazers getting a game-tying free throw with 4 seconds left. The sector was rocking as Kai Jones hit a go-ahead dunk off an alley-oop from Jordan Miller with simply two seconds left, main the Clippers to the win.

“It’s simply good to see, it simply tells you the way a lot this metropolis needs a basketball group they usually deserve it,” Lue mentioned after the sport. “They confirmed you that tonight once more.”