"It's still hard to believe that more and more it's looking like that team is leaving," McMillan said Saturday reflecting on the franchise's storied 41 years in Seattle.

"You've seen some of these teams move before and go to a different city and it doesn't feel the same. Seattle has a lot of history there. Even before I came there was a lot of history and tradition. Now you're talking about that team is pretty much gone."

For McMillan, the subject of the Sonics relocating anywhere – even knowing the team plans to open the 2008-09 season in Oklahoma City – still pulls at the heartstrings of a man who gave 19 years to the Seattle organization as a player, assistant coach and eventually head coach.

Who can forget how McMillan led the Sonics to the Northwest Division crown in 2005 after a couple mediocre seasons prior to that achievement? But still, like the memories of Slick Watts, Payton-to-Kemp or even the Sonics Sasquatch mascot, some things simply don't translate to the Sooner State.  

"It's going to be strange," McMillan continued. "It's going to be real strange not to have them there and it looks like they could be gone this year. It's just hard to believe."

Reality bites and has never tasted so sour. Reports surfaced days ago about a series of emails released by the city of Seattle, which details owner Clay Bennett and co-owner Aubrey McClendon discussing their hopes of moving the Sonics out of Seattle during a time they were allegedly supposed to be acting in "good faith" for the NBA.

They tell Commissioner David Stern what he wants to hear, all while going about their own master plan.

This entire relocation project will now forever be viewed as a hostile takeover by the current ownership with the sole purpose of coming in and pulling the Sonics out of Seattle. You don't need an email to read the writing on the wall or understand those politics.

Then again, it's not like this comes as a shock to those with their own Seattle roots.

"I don't want to act like I know what was going on," McMillan explained. "But they( city and state officials) gave the money back in the '90's to renovate it from Seattle Center to KeyArena and that was 10 to 12 years ago.Then you talk about building Qwest and building Safeco, and I don't even know if the money has been paid off for Key Arena. Maybe that time was the time to tear it down and re-do it then."

In the end, there is and was only one factor that could have kept the Sonics in Seattle.

"It goes back to winning," said McMillan. "If you win, those cities are more apt to re-do things. Right now the Seahawks are the team up there and they feel they'll ride the wave of the Seahawks and the Mariners. And right now it looks like they are gone."

So what about the history? What about the three trips to the NBA Finals? What about the 1979 NBA Championship? What about the retired jerseys?

"I don't know where my jersey is going to be. They may just take it down," McMillan joked with thoughts of his retired no. 10 arriving in a box at his house. Or even yet, in an Oklahoma City arena where few will likely know what McMillan meant to the Seattle SuperSonics.

"Who is that? I don't know Nate McMillan. They'll bring Gus (Williams) and Jack (Sikma)…. but we can't take McMillan. Leave that at Key. Let the (Seattle) Storm hang on to it."

McMillan had no choice but to laugh.

That's all anyone can do now, with the Sonics last game at KeyArena in Seattle set for a 6pm PST tip-off against Dallas on Sunday. And come Wednesday at Golden State, the Sonics will likely play their very last game as a Seattle franchise on the last day of the regular season.

So long Seattle.

So long Sonics.