Ray Allen Calls for NBA Team to Return to Seattle in Instagram Post
Former Seattle SuperSonics shooting guard Ray Allen called for the NBA to bring a franchise back to the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday.
In a post on his Instagram account, Allen said "we need to rally and bring the NBA back to Seattle" while reflecting on his playing days with the Sonics:
The Sonics resided in Seattle from 1967 until 2008—but they moved to Oklahoma City after Howard Schultz sold the team to a group led by Clay Bennett.
However, there have been several pushes over the past nine years to try to revive the NBA in Seattle.
Last October, the Associated Press (via ESPN.com) reported investor Chris Hansen offered to privately fund a new arena in Seattle if the NBA committed to expansion.
Days later, Fox Sports Ohio insider Sam Amico spoke to one owner who told him the league has made returning to Seattle a "big priority."
An ownership group spearheaded by Hansen previously agreed to purchase the Sacramento Kings from the Maloof brothers and move the franchise to Seattle for the start of the 2013-14 season. However, that plan was derailed when the NBA's Board of Governors voted 22-8 against the sale.
