While the NBA’s grand old gatekeepers take their time weighing the option of keeping the Sacramento Kings in California’s capital versus relocating the franchise to Seattle, the strongest reason for my pro-Emerald City optimism is that the league ultimately will not escape Seattle’s presence.

Like a ghost unable to stay hidden in a closet of skeletons, the Sonics – the team taken from its home in 2008 and moved to Oklahoma City – will haunt the league until that particular wrong is righted. And while I can envision Sacramento joining the likes of Buffalo, Vancouver and Fort Wayne in the pro basketball history books, I cannot envision the NBA in 10 years without a Seattle franchise.

The latest reminder of the Sonics’ omnipresent legacy was issued this week, with the news that Gary Payton has been voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Growing up in Seattle during the prime of Payton’s career, my biases say he is the greatest Sonic of all time. But even if I were objective, that wouldn’t be a bold statement. Read More »

I caught up with Nate Robinson yesterday at the Giraffe Hotel in NYC to play NBA 2K10 and talk about, amongst other things, his summer, free agency, Seattle basketball, the UW/USC game and Twitter. Check it out.

Anybody who knows me knows that I’m a Nate Robinson advocate. After last season ended, I was positive Aaron Goodwin’s Blackberry was going to be blowing up with offers come July 1st. But here we are nearly two months later and Nate the Great is still unsigned with only a modest qualifying offer from the Knicks on the table. It baffles me that his only other option was a contract offer in Greece. Read More »