Fans lined up under grey skies outside KeyArena. A buzz began to build as the smell of popcorn and hot dogs filled the concourse. The roars electrified the stadium as hometown favorite Kevin Durant dazzled on the court. For a brief few hours on a cool fall evening in Seattle, it was as if the NBA had never left town a decade ago ― a symbol of the team that was lost, and the league that could someday return again. This booming city hosted an NBA game Friday night for the first time since the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in… Read More
TAYLOR’S TAKE ON THE WEEK IN SPORTS TECH: We caught up with two big names in the NBA world to get an update on Seattle’s chances of getting professional basketball back in the Emerald City. My colleague Todd Bishop sat down with former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, now the owner of the L.A. Clippers, and discussed the city’s prospects for bringing back the Sonics, which left town in 2008. Ballmer noted that Seattle is “the most affluent city in America” without an NBA team, but noted that transportation issues around KeyArena could pose an issue. Can technology help? Separately, I ran… Read More
This week marked a big milestone for the future of pro sports and live entertainment in Seattle as the City Council approved a new $660 million deal to renovate Key Arena, signed by Mayor Jenny Durkan today. It’s the latest chapter in a decade-long saga that started after Seattle’s NBA franchise departed to Oklahoma City in 2008. Numerous high-powered groups and individuals have been involved in the process of building a potential new stadium in Seattle, including former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who was part of a ownership group that nearly brought the NBA back to Seattle in 2013. But… Read More
Somebody at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters is having some fun. Here’s what happens when you ask Alexa to name her favorite NBA or basketball team, as first spotted by SB Nation earlier today. Does this mean Minneapolis is a front runner for Amazon’s HQ2?
