NBA champion and former two-time All-Star Rashard Lewis was also drafted 30 years ago by the Seattle Supersonics with the 32nd pick in the second round of the 1998 NBA draft out of Elsik High School in Houston, Texas. After he spent a lot of time in the green room, he expected to be drafted in the first round. The NBA later limited green room invites to avoid a repeat.
In Seattle, he learned quickly about the city’s culture and how passionate the fans are about their sports teams.
During his seven-year tenure in Seattle, he became a favorite of the city before being traded to the Orlando Magic in July of 2007 in a sign-and-trade, which the Magic signed him to a six-year deal worth $118 million, The Seattle Times reported.
The Sonics were going through a rebuild, which is why they traded Lewis to the Magic and Ray Allen to the Celtics for Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and Jeff Green, ESPN reported.
Ray Allen helped the Boston Celtics win a championship against the Los Angeles Lakers, including the late great Kobe Bryant, in his first year with the team. Allen’s former teammate, Rashard Lewis, would later become a key piece with the Orlando Magic during their 2009 NBA Finals run.
Two years after both players were traded away, the team relocated to Oklahoma City and was rebranded as the Thunder. The city of Seattle still owns the Sonics’ accolades and the naming rights, so when they do return, they can resume the name.
Lewis recently shared with LandonBuford.com that he can’t wait to see the Sonics return to the Pacific Northwest.
“Seattle is a true sports city; the fans there really love their teams. I remember my years playing there, through both the good seasons and the tough ones, and even during those down years, the support for the Seahawks never wavered. The ‘12s’ are incredible; they bring so much energy,” said Lewis.
“Talking about it now brings back a lot of great memories, and I can’t wait to see the team back out there. The city deserves it. There’s so much talent that comes from that area, guys like Brandon, Roy, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, it’s a long list. Seattle has always had a deep sports culture, full of players who may not always get the spotlight, but are truly special, kind of like underground kings.”
Last month, the NBA approved a vote to explore expansion in both Las Vegas and Seattle. According to ESPN’s Senior reporter Shams Charania, expansion of ownership groups representing both franchises is in place both teams could join as early as the 2028-29 season.
“He also reported, “A bidding process is expected to generate offers in the $7-10 billion range for each team.
This starts the NBA’s 32-team expansion process. Multiple high-ranking officials have termed expansion as “when, not if.” Now the NBA will examine Seattle and Las Vegas bids over the next several months, and whether to execute the new franchise purchases now or in a few years.”
As for Rashard Lewis, he averaged 14.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game in 16 seasons and won an NBA Championship with the Miami Heat in 2013. He is now an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs
