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Abdul-Jabbar supports Sonics return to Seattle

KING 5's David Espinosa-Hall talks one-on-one with the NBA legend about the future of the NBA in Seattle.
Basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar talked with KING 5 about the future of the NBA in Seattle. (Photo: KING)

It’s not every day you get to sit down and talk with a living legend, someone who has one of the most recognizable names in all of sports, whose voice is one of the most vocal among athletes on social injustices.

Basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar talked with KING 5 about the future of the NBA in Seattle.

“It’s really great to come to Seattle. I’m really sorry that the Sonics aren’t still here. The city’s grown so much, become such a world-class city even more so than back in the days when I was playing. It’s just gotten better,” said Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Jabbar is an NBA champion and the league’s all-time leading scorer.

He played in more than 1,500 games over his 20-year career, devastating his opponents with his graceful sky hook.

Jabbar is well aware of the Sonics' legacy in Seattle. We’re talking greats like Lenny Wilkens, who played for the team and coached them to their only title in 1979, and Spencer Haywood, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and more recently Kevin Durant.

The history they leave behind, only magnifies the absence of an N-B-A team right now.

“If Seattle and Washington state were to get a pro basketball team, it would get all of the support. Every time I come here since the Sonics left I hear the nostalgia as people wish they could watch their own team," Jabbar.

“I think the NBA is doing great today because there are so many fans around the world. NBA TV is viewed on all of the continents where people view TV. That’s pretty amazing, and I never thought that that would happen."

Which only makes sense that an NBA team returns to Seattle, a world-class city known for its diverse community.

“If it should happen where it comes together that Seattle can get a franchise, it would be a success from day one,” said Jabbar.

As for now, the wait continues for the NBA's return to Seattle as the city prepares to welcome a potential future NHL team.

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