Return of the SuperSonics? Owner of NHL's Kraken preparing bid to bring expansion team back to Seattle
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Return of the SuperSonics? Owner of NHL's Kraken preparing bid to bring expansion team back to Seattle originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
SuperSonics fans have long awaited hearing the following words: NBA action may be back in Seattle very soon.
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With the NBA looking at expansion franchises over the next few seasons, one of the cities mentioned most often is Seattle. They were once home to the SuperSonics, prior to the team's relocation to Oklahoma City.
With the addition of the Kraken in 2021, the NBA remains the only big four American sports league without a Seattle franchise. This could change in as little as two years.
Here's what to know about a potential return for a new Seattle SuperSonics franchise, including the ownership group leading the charge.
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Are the Seattle SuperSonics coming back?
There is no definite return for the SuperSonics, who moved to Oklahoma City and rebranded as the Thunder in 2008. That being said, they are viewed as a favorite to rejoin the NBA through an expansion franchise. This could come as early as the 2028-29 season.
Samantha Holloway is leading a group to secure the winning bid for the franchise. She has retained JPMorgan Chase and Moelis & Co. to assist and advise in creating the winning bid for a new NBA team, per Bloomberg.
Seattle fans will need some patience with this, as the timeline to confirm a new franchise is still likely a few years away. But the odds are looking high that the SuperSonics will return to Seattle soon.
MORE: What to know about the NBA's next expansion cities
Who is Samantha Holloway?
Samantha Holloway is a co-owner of the Seattle Kraken, one of the NHL's newest franchises, with their inaugural season coming in 2021-22. She has also been a co-owner or co-founder of four other companies, including the 2nd & Filmore investment group and software startup Hat Labs.
She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan, an MA in Forensic Psychology from the University of Denver and an MBA in Marketing, also from Denver.
With degrees from two hockey powerhouses under her belt, she became a core member of the group that got the Seattle Kraken off the ground and into the NHL.
MORE: Adam Silver discusses expansion timeline for Seattle, Las Vegas