Sonics Are Back? Seattle Prepares for the NBA Basketball Team's Triumphant Return

The city of Seattle has yearned for the return of its basketball team since the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, becoming the Thunder.

Now, with the NBA on the brink of expansion, the return of the Sonics seems more viable than ever. This is due, in part, to an agreement between the city and the Thunder's ownership group, which has kept the name and related intellectual property in a state of status quo for 18 years.

The history of the SuperSonics in Seattle is rich, with an NBA championship and a passionate fan base that never forgot their team.

In 1967, the Seattle SuperSonics became the first major-league franchise in the city, led by business partners Sam Schulman and Gene Klein.

Under the original ownership, the Sonics won a division title, two conference titles, and an NBA championship. In the 1980s, the franchise declined, and Schulman sold the team for $21 million to Barry Ackerley.

Despite some achievements, Ackerley sold the team to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz for $200 million in 2001, marking the beginning of a series of events that ultimately led to the team's departure from Seattle.

Schultz's time as owner was short and controversial; in 2006, he announced the need to replace or renovate KeyArena, seeking $220 million in public funding.

Schultz sold the team for $350 million to Clay Bennett, an Oklahoma City businessman, who could not secure the necessary funding and moved the Sonics to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season.

Schultz later lamented his decision, calling it one of the biggest regrets of his professional life, according to his autobiography.

When Bennett announced the team's move, Seattle tried to keep the Sonics in the city until 2010, when the KeyArena lease ended.

Bennett bought out the remainder of the lease for $45 million. The agreement also stipulated that Bennett's company would pay an additional $30 million to Seattle if the city did not get a replacement team within five years.

In addition, the agreement prohibits the new Oklahoma City team from using the Sonics' colors. PBC agreed to transfer at no cost all rights to the Sonics' intellectual property to a new owner in Seattle.

With the agreement in place, it is assumed that if an NBA team returns to Seattle, it will revive the SuperSonics name. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and has made public comments about the Sonics' return.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has also reinforced the idea that the Sonics would return to the city, rather than creating a new brand.

Since the team's relocation in 2008, more than 5,000 pieces of Sonics team history have been stored away at a museum in Seattle, preparing for the expected return.