Kings-Warriors NBA preseason game official for Oct. 5 at Seattle’s KeyArena

The NBA is officially returning to Seattle for at least one exhibition game.

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The league announced Thursday that the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors will play at Seattle’s KeyArena at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5 in a preseason game. The Kings will be the designated home team.

The game, which was first reported to be in the works in February, is said to be the last scheduled event for the building before it begins a renovation that is being made in the hopes of bringing the NBA and NHL to the city.

It may make for an awkward ending to a 23-year run for the building in its current iteration. The Seattle Sonics played their final 13 seasons at KeyArena before moving to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder behind the reasoning that it was no longer a viable home for a men’s pro basketball franchise. Then, in 2013, Chris Hansen nearly bought and relocated the Kings to Seattle, only for the NBA to ax the deal so as not to alienate another fan base like it had in Seattle five years previous.

At least the game will feature Warriors star Kevin Durant, who played his first season in the league as a member of the Sonics and has continued to be a beloved figure in Seattle due to his positive comments about and frequent offseason visits to the city.

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