After 15 years without a men’s basketball franchise, the Seattle men’s basketball community is thriving once again thanks to the emergence of the Seattle SuperHawks, who have taken The Basketball League (TBL) by storm. With an impressive 10-1 record in their inaugural season, the SuperHawks are making waves in the west division and turning heads across the league.

For team owner Pierre Crockrell, the success of his team is nothing short of a dream come true.

“I’ve been around this for a long time,” Crockrell said. “I was a ball boy. I used to perform at the Sonic games as a little kid back in the 70s, so I’ve been around the Sonic organization for my entire life. It’s about helping try to bring a pro basketball team back to Seattle.”

Crockrell’s love for basketball and his hometown is palpable, and it shows in the way he’s running the SuperHawks. The team’s culture is centered around family, as many of the players have known Crockrell since they were young, including Michael Carter III, who has been a standout player for the team.

Carter III plays as a shooting guard for the SuperHawks. Leading the team in points per game and steals per game, he has embraced playing for Seattle.

“I would say above all, my favorite part would be representing Seattle,” Carter III said. “I used to go to the Supersonics games when I was younger. We had season tickets when I was in the 5th grade and ever since they left there’s just been a little drought. The energy has been a little lower when it comes to basketball than it usually is.”

“This is my first year in the league,” Carter III said. “I would say that one thing that I’ve seen that is unique is just the love from my team, it’s the kind of family-oriented structure that they got. I went overseas for a couple of months in Bosnia and being over there versus here you could feel the energy is different because a lot of the people are a part of the family.”

The SuperHawks have been a positive addition to the Seattle basketball community, not only for the fans but for the players as well.

As Carter III explains, the TBL presents a better opportunity for players who may have fallen through the cracks of traditional basketball pipelines.

“There’s a lot of good players. Like I said I went to the All-Star weekend this past weekend and there’s a lot of players that can play and from just talking to them and getting to know them they all had the same story where they just didn’t get the right opportunity,” Carter III said. “They went to a certain college where they thought it was the right fit but it ended up not being the right fit so they had to go a different route. I would say the TBL presents a better opportunity for them and gives them a real opportunity for the first time.”

The SuperHawks are a testament to the Seattle basketball community’s love for the game. With their success, they are proving that there is still a place for professional basketball in the city.

“With this first team it’s like a test for the city and I think right now we’re doing really well. We have a lot of fans supporting us. Some more are going to come in as the games get rolling as we get more exposure. As of right now I feel like we’re doing really well, I feel like the community is supporting us a lot,” Said Carter III.