Gary Payton Reacts to Melinda French Gates Joining Kraken Ownership Group, Boosting Supersonics Push

Seattle Supersonics legend Gary Payton says the news that Melinda French Gates is joining the Seattle Kraken's ownership group as a minority investor is more than a hockey headline; it's a signal that the city's push to bring the NBA back to Seattle just got stronger.

"Well, that just solidifies what we're doing. You know, the Gates family has been in Seattle for a long time. I've been dealing with them since my whole career. It just makes it stronger for us. I'm going to be getting a phone call from her pretty soon, so it's going to be good. I'm just looking forward to it." — Gary Payton, speaking to LandonBuford.com.

Payton, one of the most vocal advocates for the Sonics' return, has spent years connecting Seattle's sports and business communities around the cause. French Gates entering the ownership picture, even on the hockey side, gives that effort new momentum and a new set of doors to knock on.

French Gates Becomes Minority Investor in Kraken

Melinda French Gates is joining the Seattle Kraken as a minority investor, pending NHL approval, according to ESPN. Pairing one of the world's most influential philanthropists and business leaders with Kraken majority owner Samantha Holloway, one of the few women to serve as a principal owner in the NHL.

French Gates told ESPN she was drawn not only to continuing her investment in Seattle, but to Holloway's vision for the franchise's future.

"I see this incredible opportunity that sports plays for a community to bring people together. When I met Samantha and learned about her leadership — her background in tech and the innovative way she approaches challenges — it felt like a natural fit for me." — Melinda French Gates

A Dallas native and longtime sports fan, French Gates said the Kraken represent her first ownership stake in a major professional sports franchise, arriving as women take on increasingly visible leadership roles across the industry.

"It's just time. What you're seeing is a generation of women coming into their full power. I've walked into tough rooms, and being one of the few is very hard. Once we can create enough that we're one of many, it just gets easier." — Melinda French Gates

French Gates and Holloway also pointed to shared priorities around the Kraken's One Roof Foundation, which focuses on expanding youth access to sports.

"We're really aligned on that. We really believe that in order to evolve the sport of hockey over the next 20 years, we have to start now by growing the fanbase and growing the number of people playing the game." — Samantha Holloway

Holloway Confirms Group Is Building an NBA Expansion Bid

Holloway's ambitions extend well beyond hockey. She confirmed she is assembling an ownership group prepared to bid for an NBA franchise, continuing Seattle's longstanding pursuit of bringing the Supersonics back to the city, the same effort Payton has championed for years.

Holloway said the Kraken ownership group's recent acquisition of a majority stake in Climate Pledge Arena strengthens its position for a potential NBA bid.

"The City of Seattle certainly could use an NBA team, and the fans here are ready for it. If that happens, they will all buy their Kraken friends beers because it wouldn't happen without them. So we are hopeful, we are working on it, and stay tuned." — Samantha Holloway

For Payton and the broader group of Seattle sports figures pushing for the Sonics' return, Holloway's confirmation adds real financial and institutional weight to the movement pairing arena ownership with a growing bench of high-profile investors.

Winning Still Comes First for the Kraken

Even as the ownership group looks ahead to basketball, Holloway stressed that improving results on the ice remains the franchise's top priority. The Kraken have reached the playoffs just once in five seasons and are already on their third head coach. After finishing sixth in the Pacific Division at 34-37-11 this season, Seattle hired consulting firm Sportsology to conduct an independent review of hockey operations.

"It's no secret that we're not thrilled with where we ended the season, and we take that really seriously. We can talk all day about the work we do in the community, and that's great, but winning does matter. We are looking into every part of our hockey operations team right now, understanding what's working and what's not working, and everything is on the table." — Samantha Holloway

French Gates said she believes the Kraken are on the path toward becoming a Stanley Cup contender.

"My hopes and dreams are that they blow the roof off the stadium because they're so loud because they won a Stanley Cup. They absolutely can do that. We know they can do that. Sam's making the right investments and looking at it the right way. Seattle is a big sports town. We saw the Mariners go quite far in the playoffs. We saw what happened with the Seahawks this year. So within 10 years, I have all the confidence that's going to happen, if not a whole lot sooner." — Melinda French Gates

Another Familiar Face Wants In on a Future Sonics Bid

The growing momentum behind Seattle's NBA push has also caught the attention of players outside the basketball world. A former NFL wide receiver and Pacific Northwest native, Nate Burleson recently told Sportico he has an intense desire to join a future ownership group as a minority investor if the Supersonics return to Seattle, another sign that the city's sports figures, across multiple leagues, are lining up behind the cause.

With Gates and Holloway now publicly tied to the effort, and Payton continuing to work his own relationships behind the scenes, Seattle's path back to the NBA looks more organized and better funded than it has in years.