On Sonics' NBA title anniversary, fans can root for expansion - and Seattle's Mitch Johnson
Monday marks the 47th anniversary of the SuperSonics' first, and only, NBA title.
On June 1, 1979 the Sonics defeated the Washington Bullets, 97-93 in Game 5 in Landover, Maryland. Gus Williams scored 23 points in the final, while Dennis Johnson added 21 points and was named the series MVP.
Just determination, we thought we should have had last year, but we naturally just blew it," an exhausted Dennis Johnson said postgame on the CBS broadcast about his Sonics overcoming the loss in the 1978 finals to win the following year. "We came back this year with a lot more determination, hustle, a lot more guts and we pulled it off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddFDLfz4tbI
There's no doubt that Seattle's NBA fans, who have been without a team since 2008, would love to celebrate the occasion with the news of a Sonics return. But talks remain ongoing and a vote to approve expansion by NBA owners isn't expected until later this summer.
Still, Sonics fans had something to celebrate this weekend when Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, son of Sonics great John "JJ" Johnson, led San Antonio to a Game 7 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
Here's where things stand with the potential Sonics return and why, until that return happens, Seattle fans might want to be rooting for the Spurs.
A piece of the 1979 legacy lives on
In 1979, the Sonics were back in the NBA Finals for the second year in a row after falling short the previous season. The team, coached by Lenny Wilkens with players including Dennis Johnson, Gus Williams and John "JJ" Johnson were looking for the team's first title.
On June 1 1979, the Sonics beat the Washington Bullets in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. It was Seattle's first major professional sports championship since the 1917 Stanley Cup and the only title that the Sonics would win in their 41 seasons in Seattle.
The NBA left Seattle in 2008 with the controversial relocation of the Sonics to Oklahoma City. Seattle fans have loathed the Thunder since.
On Saturday, the son of two-time All-Star JJ Johnson offered Sonics fans something to cheer for. Mitch Johnson, who is in his first full season as the Spurs' head coach, took away the Thunder's chance of a repeat finals appearance with a 111-103 victory over last year's champions in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
Johnson is a Seattle-born O'Dea alum who got his start in coaching as an intern at Seattle U in 2011. He stepped into the role of interim head coach a few games into the 2024-25 season due to Gregg Popovich's health issues and officially took over ahead of this season.
The win, and the ties to Seattle basketball, were celebrated.
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A photo of Johnson holding the conference trophy and wearing a white t-shirt with Jimi Hendrix in a No. 27 Sonics jersey circulated on social media after the game. JJ Johnson the same number when he played for the Sonics.
Previously, a photo of Mitch Johnson wearing the same shirt on a plane and a Seahawks hat sparked discussions of the head coach's Seattle roots.
https://twitter.com/AndrewKSchlecht/status/2060948015192350960?s=20
Spencer Hawes, a former NBA player from Seattle, Seattle Prep and UW Husky star and longtime friend of Mitch Johnson, was at Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals wearing Sonics gear. Hawes, who has been a vocal advocate for the Sonics' return, met Johnson playing AAU basketball as a teenager.
https://twitter.com/J_Kirshenbaum/status/2060918454224597271?s=20
Over at T-Mobile Park, the Mariners put the final moments of the game up on the jumbotron. The response was loud.
What comes next for the NBA
The Spurs gave Seattle NBA fans something to celebrate. But the wait for news on a possible Sonics return continues.
In April, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he doesn't expect owners to vote on an expansion, that could include the return of the Supersonics, until after the summer. The goal remains to make a final decision by the end of the calendar year.
If owners approve an expansion, the league has mentioned the 2028-29 season as a potential start date for the new teams. A vote in the late summer or early fall would offer about two years for organizations to get ready.
Support for the Sonics' return has come from various avenues. Shawn Kemp said this spring that he wants the Sonics back because it's "good for the community." At a city meeting in April, a councilmember introduced a resolution that affirmed Seattle was ready for an NBA franchise and Hawes reiterated his view that Seattle is a basketball town.
On the financial side, One Roof Sports and Entertainment remains the only group that has publicly stated its intention to pursue expansion in Seattle. One Roof Sports was formed by Kraken majority owner Samantha Holloway in March of this year, just days before a key NBA meeting.
The group also acquired a majority stake in Climate Pledge Arena, which is expected to be the home of the Sonics if the team returns.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 4:52 PM.