Climate Pledge Arena to host NBA preseason game, first NBA action in Seattle since 2018

Climate Pledge Arena announced today it will bring an NBA preseason game to the arena with the Los Angeles Clippers hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, October 3, 2022. The game will take place at Seattle’s new world-class music and sports venue, which is already the home to the four-time WNBA champions, the Seattle Storm.

Tickets for the game will go on sale Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at 10 am at ticketmaster.com.

Video: Tour inside of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Kraken home opener

“We are thrilled to be able to continue the legacy of basketball in Seattle by hosting two of the western conference’s finest teams,” said Steve Mattson, General Manager of Climate Pledge Arena. “Climate Pledge Arena was built for hockey, music, and basketball.”

Both teams have ties to Seattle through their ownership groups. Steve Ballmer, the Clippers’ owner, lives in the area, while Jody Allen, the Trail Blazers’ chair, has run the NFL’s Seahawks since the death of her brother, Paul Allen, in 2018.

Yet, Clippers Head Coach Tyronn Lue said the preseason destination originated from a conversation between him and Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups. Billups was Lue’s assistant coach for the Clippers before becoming Portland’s head coach last season.

Climate Pledge Arena is located at Seattle Center, off Lenny Wilkens Way; a tribute to the manager of the 1979 NBA champions, the Seattle Supersonics.

Seattle last hosted an NBA preseason game in 2018 at KeyArena, the longtime home of the Sonics before the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 after the sale of the team. Since that 2018 preseason matchup between Golden State and Sacramento, the arena underwent a $1.15-billion renovation to be home to the WNBA’s Storm and NHL’s Kraken that kept its signature roof while digging out a new arena with a capacity of up to 18,100 beneath it. The redevelopment was led by Oak View Group, whose co-founder, Tim Leiweke, helped open the former Staples Center in 1999 as the longtime head of Anschutz Entertainment Group.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell noted, “Seattle has been, and always will be, a basketball city through and through. From local talent that produces first-round draft picks to our championship professional basketball team the Seattle Storm, we know this sport unites our community and builds civic pride. We welcome the Clippers, Trail Blazers, and NBA back to Seattle for this exciting opportunity.”

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