Report: Warriors vs Kings pre-season game to be played in Seattle
What's the story?
Seattle's Key Arena will host a pre-season contest between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings just prior to the new campaign beginning in October this year.
In case you didn't know...
This fixture may have increased interest given the fact that the Kings themselves were on the verge of sealing a move to Seattle back in 2013, but their owners voted 22-8 to keep the team in Sacramento.
The heart of the matter...
Although Seattle are still waiting for an NBA team to return to the city, this pre-season match - as small as it may seem - could prove beneficial in their hopes of one day seeing professional basketball back once more. The report is according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee and this match will mark the first NBA game in Seattle since the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008.
This encounter is set to give Kevin Durant - fitness and availability permitting - a chance to return to the place where his NBA career began a decade ago. Having been drafted number two overall during the 2007 NBA Draft, he played a season in Seattle before moving to Oklahoma City alongside the rest of the franchise. The fans are starving for some quality basketball in action and this encounter will provide them with precisely that.
The Big 3 hosted its play-offs in the Key Arena last August, drawing an attendance of more than 8,000 Seattle fans. This game does not exactly serve as a consolation prize for Seattle fans, but will atleast provide them an opportunity to watch some quality basketball in their own city before the new season gets underway.
What's next?
All that is left is for the contracts to be officially signed but according to many NBA insiders, it's now a formality at this point. The match itself will be played on Saturday, October 6th at the Key Arena in Seattle.
Author's take
A pre-season match in Seattle is a good move on the NBA's part, to increase their fanbase in the city while gaining interest prior to the new season. It'll present a good opportunity for players to compete in a different arena in-front of a new group of supporters, whilst there are various storylines which make this a special occasion besides the competitive aspect behidn pre-season matches.