The Warriors and the Kings are set for a preseason game on Friday night at KeyArena, and if "nothing else," perhaps the game "could spark more conversation and demand about Seattle’s NBA future," according to Mark Medina of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. Warriors President & COO Rick Welts "played an instrumental role in ensuring this preseason game for various reasons." Ever since Kevin Durant signed with the Warriors in '16, Welts has "talked with NBA officials for permission to have an exhibition that would allow Durant to return" to Seattle, where he was drafted as a Sonic. Welts also has "personal ties" to the city. His HOF career began in '69 as a Sonics ball boy and "later became" a PR official for the team. It is possible the Seattle exhibition could "eventually yield more consequential NBA games soon." However, Welts said of the exhibition, "The NBA doesn’t plug into this at all." He said there is "no master plan" on the NBA in Seattle. Welts added that it is "obvious" the city has "got to be the next North American market." But he said, “I’d be less than forthcoming if I didn’t say I knew this would focus a lot of attention on Seattle and the NBA. I’m happy about that.” Medina writes the NBA's return to Seattle is "unlikely to happen any time soon." The NBA "views Seattle as a great basketball city, but does not currently consider expansion a priority on the league’s agenda," as it is "more focused on competitive balance among its 30 teams" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 10/5).
GOOD FOR THE LEAGUE: ESPN.com's Nick Friedell noted Durant "believes the NBA should bring a team back to Seattle." Durant said, "It's a basketball city. It's a sports town. ... They have a good representation of basketball in the NBA from Seattle-born players, Washington state-born players. And I feel like that whole brand deserves an NBA team." Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the NBA in Seattle should be a "no-brainer." Kerr: "A big TV market, Pacific Coast time slot, which would be great for TV purposes so we don't get stuck with these 8:30 starts around the league, which is a result of kind of the domino effect of losing Seattle and Vancouver. There are fewer teams on the West Coast, now we got to create these West Coast time slots" (ESPN.com, 10/3).
SUPER-FANS: The AP's Tim Booth noted KeyArena for the exhibition is "expected to be a sold out sea of green and gold." The "love of the Sonics still runs deep" in the Seattle community. WWE wrestler Elias was "booed for nearly five minutes during a taping of 'Monday Night Raw,' this past week" after making a joke about the Sonics leaving town (AP, 10/4). In Seattle, Brent Stecker wrote the city "dearly misses its NBA team, and it has perhaps never been as apparent as it has been this week." The "Monday Night Raw" incident was a result of "pent-up anger that Seattle sports fans still have over their team being ripped away from them and never replaced." Seattle during the exhibition has a "chance to tap into that anger and use it in a productive way." The NBA "will be watching, and we know it is aware there is a market starving for men’s pro basketball here." The KeyArena crowd has a "golden opportunity to speed up the NBA’s expansion process" and "remind the NBA what is missing" (MYNORTHWEST.com, 10/4).
