WA Gov. Ferguson to meet with NBA Commissioner

Climate pledge final decision on which cities will get a team that's expected by the end of the year. The league says it is seriously weighing expanding the league from 30 to 32 teams. The focus is on Seattle and Las Vegas. Now longtime fans do remain skeptical because if you were born when the Sonics left for Oklahoma City, you're now old enough legally to vote. Numerous flirtations with returning a team to the Emerald City over these last 18 years have led to nothing, really. The commissioner even recently insinuated the league may consider Mexico City over Seattle, but the governor remains optimistic. I think fans and NBA players across the country understand that NBA basketball needs to return to Seattle. Our bid's strong. We have the right arena. I mean, we check each and every box that the NBA could possibly hope to have for someone bidding for a new team. Now, I recently spoke with the VP of Marketing at Climate Pledge Arena, who also once worked for the Sonics. She says they can still accommodate an NBA team and 40-plus home games a year and are ready to go. Personally, my fingers and toes are both crossed, there would be nothing better. I think we're excited, the building's ready, that's for sure. I think the city is ready, we're more than ready. And of course, it's up to the commissioner, it's up to the NBA what they wanna do, but I think the city is going to go crazy if we get that chance to bring the Sonics back. And I will be the first in line for tickets. And we've got the perfect spot for it, right? Perfect spot. Yeah, I mean, this building was built for it. We've had already a lot of basketball here with NCAA finals. We've hosted some NBA games. The Storm plays here. So it's basketball ready for sure. I think we have maybe a locker room tucked in the back that's ready that might have a blank name on it. So we're excited. And it has been ready for five years now. They just had their fifth anniversary at Climate Pledge. So it's time, if we're going to do it, do it. I have a new thought, a new idea. Let's just zip it and never say those words again and talk about it. And if we think it, maybe it will come. But we do like the fact that the governor is talking about it with the commissioner of the NBA because maybe that does help push it down the line. That is substantive. I would love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation today. John, thanks. All right, thank you.