‘You have to make it attractive’: Former city attorney questions whether Seattle can lure NBA ownership

Several questions have surrounded the potential return of the Seattle SuperSonics as of late, following Governor Bob Ferguson’s meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

A proposed bill in Washington’s legislative cycle, known as the “millionaire’s tax,” could impact the SuperSonics’ return, as potential owners could have fewer attractions to sell as a home for top NBA talent.

As a former front office staffer for the SuperSonics and former Seattle City Attorney, Ann Davison joined “The John Curley Show” to provide a roadmap on how a deal could get done, what the process is like, and her views on how Seattle’s politics can intermingle with its vibrant sports environment.

“Adam Silver has been positive, but he’s been careful. It’s really exciting to have that conversation be kind of the most real it’s probably been in a long time. I just support any way we can get them here. We need to get them here,” Davison said. “Everyone’s on high alert, like ‘is it for real this time?’ They’ll take a vote and have a conversation at the next Board of Governors in spring, then likely take a vote in the summertime.”

Davison cites Seahawks parade as proof of pro sports’ impact on community

KIRO Newsradio fill-in host Tim Gaydos recalled a previous statement from a former Seattle city council member who claimed the SuperSonics didn’t provide much cultural value ahead of their departure from the city.

Davison raised concerns over the message, noting that Seattle’s professional sports teams are a vital part of the city’s culture, and reconnecting with the NBA would be an immense positive for the community.

“That’s really troubling, because when politicians get involved with sports, I think a lot of sports people just like, stay out, right?” Davison said. “I talk about it because I’ve worked in pro sports for about a decade; for me, it’s like a part of my life. I think a lot of people would prefer politics to stay out of sports.

“We just saw what happened across so many segments of our city population and our region,” Davison continued. “I mean, people came in from outside the city to come to the parade and celebrate the Seahawks. It absolutely provides a source of civic pride, and part of our history is having the Sonics; to have them back is really, really important for kids and our community.”

Ever since Seattle lost its beloved SuperSonics in 2008, there has been chatter about the team returning to fill the void. In recent years, rumors have picked up steam, with the NBA announcing Seattle and Las Vegas as top targets for league-wide expansion.

Keeping the league’s recent statements in mind, Gaydos asked whether the SuperSonics’ return is no longer a matter of if, but when.

“If we have sensible policies, top to bottom in our area, I think it’s a question of when. You have to make it attractive for an owner to want to come here and spend that kind of money,” Davison said. “You have to make it where it’s attractive for them to come. You want to attract top talent. For an owner or an ownership group to spend that type of money to own a team, they have to look at, will I actually be successful in my mission?

“When you can be on the beach down in Miami or something, we have to have things that we can sell up here to live in the rain,” Davison continued. “We have to have things that are higher commodity, at higher value to attract that type of talent, so that an ownership group would want to have that type of money spent. And that’s one of the factors. You have to have distinctive things that are attractive to make the talent come.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

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