Chris Hansen is an unfamiliar name in NBA circles — save for some holdover fans of To Catch A Predator (which is a different Chris Hansen) — but the investor has led a team of businessmen in the journey to bring an NBA team back to Seattle, as told in a terrific story in Saturday’s New York Times. Hansen has already purchased a plot of land in Seattle’s SoDo district and teamed up with the Nordstrom brothers (yes, that Nordstrom) in an investment plan that doesn’t rely on public tax money, the inevitable back-breaker with the team’s move to Oklahoma City. From the NYT:
Potential For Seattle NBA Team In Hands Of Seattle-Based Investor
He started from scratch and developed a proposal that will include nearly $300 million in private investment toward an arena, with the remaining $200 million bonded by the City of Seattle and King County and paid off over 30 years through rent and tax revenue that will not exist if the arena is not built.
Hansen’s an interesting character — he’s been a Sonics fan since the ‘70s, including during their lone NBA championship in 1979. Still, despite the glowing comments from those surrounding the efforts to bring a team back to Seattle, there is no plan in place for how to actually get said team to come. Stay optimistic, Seattle.
For more on Seattle’s continued pursuit of an NBA return, check out SB Nation Seattle.
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