“Save our Sonics!” We appealed before they left, and the people of the Pacific Northwest have never stopped hoping we’d see them return. Now we have a chance to make it a reality. The Tulalip Tribes are proud to take a meaningful role in bringing the Sonics home by partnering with Native World Sports, working alongside BlackSun Private Equity, Musa Holdings and other partners pursuing the return of the SuperSonics.
Tulalip knows what it’s like to be a comeback story. We endured attempts to relocate us, destroy our culture and assimilate us. But we’re still here, and we’re only getting better. Of more than 500 federally recognized tribes in the United States, the Tulalip Tribes was the first to establish a federally recognized city. We’ve created thriving economic enterprises. We are all in when it comes to rebuilding the Sonics, because we see ourselves in their story, and we can’t let that last chapter be the end.
The businesses and destinations we build support thousands of jobs and families throughout Snohomish County. Our economic activity strengthens local businesses and public services, while our charitable giving has invested millions of dollars in organizations throughout the region.
For us, economic growth has a purpose. It provides resources to care for our people, strengthen our sovereignty and create opportunities for future generations. When we succeed, that success reaches well beyond Tulalip.
Quil Ceda Village began with a vision of self-determination and became one of the region’s significant destinations for commerce, hospitality and entertainment. Thousands of people work here, and millions visit each year. We learned something simple but profound with the success of Tulalip Lights & Ice: People will travel when there is something worth traveling for.
Seattle is an essential part of the Sonics’ identity, but not all of it. The Sonics have a fanbase stretching from Seattle to Canada. There are enthusiasts throughout Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties, all the way north to British Columbia, another place that knows what it means to lose an NBA team.
Vancouver lost the Grizzlies in 2001, and we lost the SuperSonics in 2008. A whole generation lost access to the NBA. For an entire childhood, 18 years, a large stretch of the Pacific Northwest has been without an NBA franchise of its own. Tulalip sits along the Interstate 5 corridor right in the middle, connecting those communities.
We shouldn’t just ask whether fans will travel north from Seattle. We should also ask how many fans will travel south to a newly accessible stadium, and how a new franchise could serve basketball fans across a much larger region. Fandom has no borders, like the historic territories of the Coast Salish people, the SuperSonics fanbase could stretch from California to Canada. Tulalip isn’t just a location outside of Seattle; we’re a linchpin. Our traditional territories have always encompassed trade centers across the region.
We already know people will come here because they do. Millions of visitors travel to Tulalip each year for shopping, dining, entertainment and hospitality. That destination has taken decades of investment, planning and partnership to build.
That experience is what Tulalip brings to this development partnership. We are more than a potential location. We bring economic strength, development experience, established relationships and a destination that already draws people from Washington, British Columbia and beyond.
There is a lot of work ahead, and important questions to answer as we move forward. But the return of the SuperSonics would restore something the region lost nearly two decades ago. Together, we can draw basketball fans from the entire Pacific Northwest.
Our people have always been here. We helped build this region, we continue to shape its future and we will be here for generations to come. We’re steadfast fans who are eager to help build what comes next. Tulalip is ready. Let’s bring the SuperSonics home.
