OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Rashard Lewis remembers fondly the last time he got to step off a plane in Seattle, drive down the same highways and past the same landmarks as he made his way to KeyArena.
It’s a feeling he’ll miss this year after the NBA’s departure from the city where he says he went “from a boy to a man.” Lewis spent nine seasons in Seattle after getting drafted out of high school, but his time there ended in July 2007, when he was traded to the Orlando Magic for a second-round draft pick and a trade exception.
One year later, the SuperSonics were also gone from Seattle.
“Even though I’m not playing for that team anymore, it still would be nice to visit the city of Seattle once in a while. I feel like it was a great city, the fans were great for us and unfortunately they don’t have a team. Hopefully, they’ll get another team in the future,” Lewis said before facing the Oklahoma City Thunder – the relocated and renamed SuperSonics – on Wednesday night.
ickets sales that they’ve already had. I think they’ll do a good job out here, but at the same time I’m hoping that Seattle will get another team.”
Lewis is perfectly happy with his situation with the Magic, where he returned to the playoffs last season alongside All-Star Dwight Howard. But there’s still a part of him that will miss playing in Seattle – even on the visiting team.
“For some reason, it just feels a lot different. They’re wearing different colors, different name, different city, different staff,” Lewis said.
“Even when I went back last year, everything started coming back. I was reminiscing, just remembering playing in the city of Seattle. Coming here, it just feels like it’s a whole different team. It doesn’t even feel like the Seattle SuperSonics.”
Many of Lewis’ former Seattle teammates are still with the franchise – including Earl Watson, Nick Collison, Robert Swift, Mouhamed Sene and Johan Petro. Desmond Mason is even back for a second stint with the franchise, having played with Lewis in Seattle for 2 1/2 seasons beginning in 2000.
“There’s still that same Seattle team, but at the same time we’re in Oklahoma,” Lewis said. “We’re not in Seattle.”
Lewis said he’s enjoying the warm weather and a shorter flight to his hometown in Houston now that he’s in Orlando, but he’d be interested in joining the effort to get the NBA to return to Seattle.
nd a hand and they called and asked, I wouldn’t mind helping at all because I feel like my legacy is in Seattle,” Lewis said.
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