With the Oklahoma City Thunder in the midst of an NBA Finals battle with the Miami Heat, my thoughts turn to the team that the Thunder were once known by, the Seattle Sonics. After 40 years in the city of Seattle, the team moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. They changed their colors and their nickname became the Thunder. Despite the change in name and location, the current team still retains the former city's history. Even with a push to bring the team back to Seattle and name it the Sonics, their history lies in a city thousands of miles away.
What's wrong with this? The Thunder are basically a separate team and should be thought of that way. They should make their own history and not take another's with them. When the original Cleveland Browns franchise moved to Baltimore in 1996, the Brown's name, colors, uniform design, and franchise records would remain in Cleveland. After a three-year hiatus, the Browns returned in 1999. The Balttimire franchise became the Ravens and despite having the same players from the old Cleveland team, they were essentially a new team.
If and when the Sonics return to Seattle, should their history be returned to them? The answer is yes. Why would a team with the exact same name and color be forced to write a new history for themselves? Their history should belong to them and the Thunder should have no claim to it. It should be an interesting battle if it ever comes to it.
