Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle will host an NBA preseason game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers this fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle will host an NBA preseason game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers this fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Seattle to host NBA preseason game between Blazers, Clippers

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell declined to comment on any recent conversations with NBA officials about expansion to the city.

  • Geoff Baker The Seattle Times (TNS)
  • Wednesday, June 29, 2022 3:24pm
  • SportsPro sports

By Geoff Baker / The Seattle Times

SEATTLE — While it isn’t the Sonics — at least not yet — NBA basketball will make its Climate Pledge Arena debut Oct. 3 in a “Rain City Showcase” exhibition game between the L.A. Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers.

A news conference was held Wednesday at Climate Pledge to announce the first NBA contest in this city since a similar October 2018 exhibition and comes amid increased talk of a Sonics rebirth. The Clippers are owned by longtime Seattle-area resident and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer while the Trail Blazers are managed by Jody Allen, the Seattle-based sister of deceased Microsoft co-founder and team owner Paul Allen.

“I think it validates the fact that we have a great Seattle market,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in an interview after the news conference. “I think by having this game here … some of the players that will play will get a chance to see, in a more informal way, Seattle at its best.”

Harrell declined to comment on whether he’d had any recent conversations with NBA officials about expansion.

“I’m going to get away from specifics on that just for obvious reasons,” he said. “But I have made it very clear that I don’t think there’s anyone around here that wants to get an NBA team back as badly as myself.”

Lenny Wilkens, a Hall of Fame former all-star point guard who played for the Sonics and then returned to coach them to the 1979 NBA title, agreed the upcoming exhibition will be a showcase of sorts for the city with regards to the league.

“It shows how popular the sport is in this town,” Wilkens, who resides in Bellevue, said after speaking at the news conference. “I mean, this is a great sports town and basketball has a great legacy here. There are so many young people growing up and wanting to be a part of that. So, here is an opportunity again, to get it back.”

Plenty has changed since that prior Seattle exhibition game in 2018 between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings served as the final event at what was then known as KeyArena.

That venue has since been overhauled into Climate Pledge for nearly $1.2 billion, with an entirely new interior built beneath a historically preserved, 44-million pound roof. Climate Pledge, home of the NHL’s Kraken and WNBA’s Storm, has also been specifically outfitted for NBA play with $50 million of interior features geared toward that league, lending somewhat of an audition-type element to the upcoming preseason affair.

“There are no more excuses,” Wilkens said. “I mean, we’ve got a beautiful place here. You can’t say that ‘We need a new building, we need this, we need that.’”

Gillian Zucker, president of business operations for the Clippers, said the idea for the game came about when her team’s coach, Tyronn Lue, had a recent conversation with Trail Blazers counterpart Chauncey Billups.

“Ty really wanted to match wits in the preseason with Chauncey,” Zucker said. “And so, here we are with tickets going on sale, fans getting fired up and our entire organization looking forward to participating in this first Rain City Showcase.”

The NBA had long resisted talk of replacing the former Sonics franchise, which relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008. One of the major reasons for the team leaving was the inability of former Sonics owner Howard Schultz to acquire a new, taxpayer-subsidized arena for his team to play in.

Schultz later sold the team to a group headed by Clay Bennett, who moved it to Oklahoma two years later under a new “Thunder” name. After nearly a decade of various groups jockeying to build a new arena within the greater Seattle region, former NBA executive Tim Leiweke and his Oak View Group won the rights to rebuild KeyArena beneath its roof in June 2017.

Leiweke has since maintained his goal is to have a reborn Sonics franchise playing in the arena, but cautioned that he can’t get ahead of league commissioner Adam Silver and other team owners. Silver had insisted for years the league wasn’t close to expanding, but opened the door to the possibility in December 2020 as his league grappled with reduced revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

NBA media personality Bill Simmons said on his podcast in February that he “had intel” the league is contemplating expansion and that Seattle and Las Vegas would be the two front-running candidates. Simmons speculated that NBA star LeBron James could be involved in owning a Las Vegas franchise.

Leiweke then announced a month later that OVG was building a new 20,000-seat arena in Las Vegas that could host an NBA team. In a phone interview at the time, he said both Climate Pledge and his forthcoming Las Vegas venue would be well positioned to accommodate expansion franchises.

“You more than anyone know we never get ahead of the commissioners,” Leiweke said. “The decision on if and when the NBA will expand is up to (commissioner) Adam (Silver) and the 30 team owners. But if those owners decide they want to expand, we believe Seattle will be in good shape with the arena there. And Las Vegas will be in very good shape as well with this project.”

Former NBA player Jamal Crawford, a Seattle native and onetime Rainier Beach High School standout, also partook in Wednesday’s news conference and said afterward this remains a tremendous basketball town in need of an NBA presence for younger players to aspire to.

“Gary Payton was coming to my high school games,” Crawford said. “Coach (Wilkens) was seeing me as a youngster. He saw Jason Terry. He saw all these guys that were coming up.

“And kids that were underneath me, Nate Robinson, Brandon Roy. They’re saying: ‘Oh, if all these guys from our community can do it, we can do it too.’ And now you’ll see kids take off. You’ll see three (Seattle area) first-round draft picks (debut) this year with more to come. That’s what makes our community special.”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Sports

X
Vote for The Herald’s Prep Athlete of the Week for March 8-17

The Athlete of the Week nominees for March 8-17. Voting closes at… Continue reading

X
Silvertips’ playoff picture coming together as season hits final week

Everett is officially the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed and is likely heading into a matchup with Kelowna or Vancouver.

Los Angeles Rams offensive guard Tremayne Anchrum (72) against the Denver Broncos during the second half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Seahawks add to position of need, sign guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr.

The 25-year-old has played in 31 games, starting once, since being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 2020.

Everett Community College head coach Chet Hovde watches as the women's team practices on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 in Everett, Wa. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
EvCC coach Chet Hovde, who ‘lived for’ basketball, dies at 77

Coach Hovde graduated from Everett High School in 1965. He spent 33 years as the women’s basketball coach at the community college.

Jackson’s Ian Friedrichsen celebrates his goal with his teammates during the game against Bothell on Thursday, May 11, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Prep boys soccer: 5 things to watch for the 2024 season in Snohomish County

A look at the top local storylines for this high school boys soccer season

Jackson’s Rachel Sysum is hugged by Leneyah Mitchell after hitting a home run during the game against Bothell on Friday, May 19, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Prep softball: 5 things to watch for the 2024 season in Snohomish County

A look at the top local storylines to keep an eye on this high school softball season.

X
Prep roundup for Friday, March 15

Prep roundup for Friday, March 15: (Note for coaches/scorekeepers: To report results… Continue reading

Glacier Peak’s Samantha Christensen runs to home plate to celebrate her home run with her teammates during the game against Snohomish on Friday, March 15, 2024 in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
GALLERY: Glacier Peak softball tops rival Snohomish

The Grizzlies prevail 9-5 in a clash of area powers.

X
Prep roundup for Thursday, March 14

Prep roundup for Thursday, March 14: (Note for coaches/scorekeepers: To report results… Continue reading

The Washington Wolfpack logo is revealed during the Everett AFL team unveiling at Tony V's Garage in Everett, Washington onThursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Everett’s new arena football team to have 4 televised games

The NFL Network will broadcast 30 AFL games this season, including two Wolfpack home games.

Washington coach Mike Hopkins yells to the team during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against California, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Seattle. California won 82-80. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Looking back at Mike Hopkins’ turbulent tenure as UW men’s basketball coach

The departing Huskies coach had highs early, but the good times didn’t last long.

X
Prep roundup for Saturday, March 16

Prep roundup for Saturday, March 16: (Note for coaches/scorekeepers: To report results… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.