Seattle — Tomorrow night (Friday, October 5), Seattle's KeyArena will host its final event before closing its doors and undergoing a massive, $700 million dollar renovation, to make room for an NHL expansion team. The arena opened in 1962 as the Washington State Pavilion, for the Seattle World's Fair.
Five years later, the Seattle Supersonics moved in and spent the better part of the next four decades under its rafters. A number of other sports teams also called KeyArena home, most recently, the Seattle Storm, who just celebrated their third WNBA title So, it's only fitting the venue's final event is a game between two NBA teams.
Former Supersonics stars James Donaldson (1980 - 1983) and Slick Watts (1973 - 1978), shared their favorite KeyArena memories. Along with playing basketball, they have also each gone on to start their own projects, each focused on providing a positive impact on kids and teenagers.
James is working with young people to de-stigmatize mental illness. He's also the author of a book called "Standing Above the Crowd".
Connect with James on Facebook and Twitter: @TeamDonaldson
Slick and his son, former University of Washington basketball standout Donald, are working on upcoming camps for kids and teenagers at Watts Basketball. They have an extensive list of ongoing and specialized camps.
Connect with Watts Basketball on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter: @WattsBBAll
KeyArena final event details:
What: NBA pre-season game, the Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings.
When: Friday, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
James, Slick, and Margaret also chatted about a Seattle store that sells only Supersonics items. Simply Seattle is located in Pioneer Square, at 607 1st Ave.
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