The Seattle SuperSonics were a beloved team in the NBA. They won the ultimate prize in 1979, defeating the Washington Bullets in five games in the NBA Finals. They brought much excitement to their city during the 1990s led by the dynamic duo of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Kevin Durant was selected by Seattle in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Durant only played one season for them though. The team moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder in 2008. Fans were heartbroken that their beloved Sonics were no longer. Expansion has been a topic in the NBA in recent years. Many point to Seattle as the place who should be part of that expansion, bringing back the SuperSonics. A former NBA MVP candidate wants to be part of their rebirth, if/when it happens.
Former MVP Candidate Wants To Be Part Of Seattle Rebirth
Will Seattle Once Again Get A Team?
Isaiah Thomas, 12-year NBA veteran, went on X to voice how he needs to be a part of the SuperSonics when they return.
I need in the front office/coaching staff when the Sonics come back… That’s the play!
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) August 26, 2024
It has been more than 16 years since the SuperSonics last played an NBA game. Now 35 years old, Thomas was still a late teenager (19) at the time. The five-foot-nine point guard was born in Tacoma, Washington and played three years collegiately for the University of Washington, located in Seattle.
While Thomas was a Los Angeles Lakers fan as a youngster due to that being his father’s favorite team, he certainly got to see plenty of SuperSonics basketball on television. He was mostly in grade school during the days of Payton and Kemp, but he later got to experience players like Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.
It was a little more than a month ago that Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, brought up expansion. He said that expansion talks would likely happen in the fall. Cities such as Seattle and Las Vegas are seen as favorites to be awarded a franchise.
Still Hopeful To Continue Career
Thomas isn’t quite done with the NBA as a player, although he remains unsigned. He has had a remarkable career in the league, which should be applauded even if he never plays again. While the last pick of the draft isn’t referred to as Mr. Irrelevant as it is in the NFL, that’s what Thomas was. The Sacramento Kings selected him with the 60th and final pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
The runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2014-15, Thomas leveled up his game even further after that. In 2016-17 with the Boston Celtics, he averaged 28.9 points and 5.9 assists. Thomas finished fifth in MVP voting and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
Unfortunately, injuries helped to derail his stardom, but he has kept grinding. Last season, he joined the Phoenix Suns late in the year and got in six games. About a week ago, it was reported that Thomas took part in a workout with other free agents for Sacramento, his first NBA team. No further news has come out since about a potential signing.
Regardless of what happens, Thomas can hold his head up high for how he overcame the odds due to his height and low draft status. It would be cool if the SuperSonics come back, and he is a part of it.
