

But at his core, Johnsen is a fan, a Seattle native who still feels the loss of the NBA’s SuperSonics 13 years ago.

He’s an expert when it comes to the construction of sports venues. More than two decades ago, Johnsen was heavily involved in the building of the stadium now named T-Mobile Park that kept the Mariners from relocating and taking Major League Baseball away from Seattle.įor the past three years, Johnsen has overseen the construction of Climate Pledge Arena, which helped lure the NHL and could maybe bring the NBA back to Seattle someday. SEATTLE – In the hierarchy of influential figures in Seattle’s sports history, Ken Johnsen’s name isn’t likely to be found even if his fingerprints are all over the landscape.
