Professional basketball might be headed back to the Emerald City and for Nate Robinson, born and raised in Seattle, he couldn’t be any happier.
Yahoo Sports reported early on Wednesday that the Maloof family was finalizing an agreement to sell the Sacramento Kings to a group that hopes to move the franchise to Seattle as early as early as next season.
“That’s big time for our city,” Robinson said. “I’m a city boy. For our city it’s big time. They been waiting for that for a few years now. The fans pretty much got their prayers answered. For me, I’m happy just because my family is out there. My kids love watching me play basketball, so (the team) going back home, for me – I would be ecstatic.”
Robinson has fond memories of the Seattle Supersonics and grew up playing in Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp basketball camps.
As much as he was a fan of the Sonics, he was also a Bulls’ fan because of his idol Michael Jordan. He did experience some confliction when the two franchises met in the ’96 Finals, in which the Bulls won in six games.
“At the same time I was sad, I was happy, because I was a Michael Jordan fan,” Robinson said. “Just to see my city in the championship then, it was just awesome. The city was going bonkers, just how they played. You had the Reign Man, the Glove, Detlef Schrempf, Sam Perkins and so many guys who contributed, and they gave (the Bulls) a run for their money. On top of that, you had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and those guys here. They were rolling.”
Payton is one of the nominees for this year’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Robinson feels he should’ve been already inducted along with Kemp. “They’re one player, together.”
Like every fan and citizen of Seattle, Robinson was heartbroken when the Sonics were relocated to Oklahoma City after the 2007-08 season and now shares its history with the Thunder.
If the Kings are to be relocated to Seattle, the colors and Sonics name and logo would be available and for Robinson, it’s only right that the name be changed.
“They have to, it’s a must,” Robinson said. “It wouldn’t be the same. The Seattle Kings? No way. The city wouldn’t let that happen.”
Comments