The Seattle Supersonics (more commonly known as the Sonics) were an NBA franchise from 1967 – 2008. The high point of the franchise was in 1979 when the Sonics won the NBA title and became the first Seattle-based franchise in any sport since 1917 to win a professional sports championship.
In 2000, Starbucks chairman and Seattle icon Howard Schultz purchased the Sonics and there was hope among locals that the Sonics would return to their former glory. But in 2006, businessman Clay Bennett made Schultz an offer he couldn’t refuse and Shultz sold the franchise to a group led by Bennett.
Almost immediately, Bennett began pressuring the City of Seattle to build a new arena for the Sonics. When that effort failed, Bennett announced that he would be relocating the Sonics to Oklahoma City. That’s when things got ugly.
Sonicsgate, the new documentary film from director Jason Reid, chronicles the heartbreak and betrayal that fans felt when the Sonics left Seattle. The film also examines the lawsuit filed by the City of Seattle to keep the Sonics in town and the last minute settlement that Seattle Mayor Gary Nickels orchestrated that allowed the Sonics to leave.
Reid gained access to politicians, journalists and everyday fans to tell the story of exactly how a slick talking businessman from Oklahoma could come to Seattle and steal their team and a little bit of their soul. Sonicsgate explores the questions, what exactly happened and who’s to blame? The story is fascinating, and as it turns out, there’s more than enough blame to go around.
Sonicsgate will be premiering at the Seattle Film Festival on October 9 and then will be released in its entirety on the Internet on October 12. Once it is released, you’ll be able to watch the film at www.Sonicsgate.org.
Here’s a sneak peak:
Sonicsgate Trailer from sonicsgate on Vimeo.