SuperSonics, Seattle reach last-minute settlement SuperSonics, Seattle reach last-minute settlement comment SEATTLE -- Clay Bennett finally found a dollar amount that would sever his contentious relationship with the city of Seattle -- $75 million. As a result, the SuperSonics are headed to Oklahoma City with Bennett leading the way, leaving behind the team name, colors and 41 years of history. Oklahoma City will have an NBA franchise for the 2008-09 season after a settlement announced Wednesday between the team and the city of Seattle, severing the bond with the city that culminated in a six-day federal trial over terms of the team's KeyArena lease. The judge was scheduled to rule Wednesday afternoon. "We made it," Bennett said after stepping to an Oklahoma City podium featuring the NBA logo and the letters OKC. "The NBA will be in Oklahoma City next season." The settlement calls for Bennett and his Professional Basketball Club LLC to pay as much as $75 million to the city in exchange for the immediate termination of the lease. The team's name and colors will be staying in Seattle. Bennett said the move would start Thursday and the first focus would be on the SuperSonics' players.

"In a perfect world I would have liked to see Clay Bennett leave, without the team at all," said Steven Pyeatt, the co-founder of Save Our Sonics. It's a victory for Bennett, who purchased the Sonics in 2006 from Starbucks Corp. chairman Howard Schultz for $350 million, and will take the franchise to his hometown. Bennett faced harsh criticism in Seattle for his efforts in trying to build a new arena as a replacement for KeyArena, and the presumption he wanted to move the franchise all along. "It was a tough experience for all of us that were involved in it. There was just so much that happened on both sides, so much misinterpreted, miscommunicated and misunderstood that it was difficult," Bennett said. Bennett announced that the settlement calls for a payment of $45 million immediately, and would include another $30 million paid to Seattle in 2013 if the state legislature in Washington authorizes at least $75 million in public funding to renovate KeyArena by the end of 2009 and Seattle doesn't obtain an NBA franchise of its own within the next five years. The settlement could become a victory for Seattle as well.

In a statement, NBA commissioner David Stern reversed his previous stance and said that a renovated KeyArena could be a suitable venue for an NBA franchise in Seattle. But the time is short. "We understand that city, county, and state officials are currently discussing a plan to substantially rebuild KeyArena for the sum of $300 million," Stern said in a statement. "If this funding were authorized, we believe KeyArena could properly be renovated into a facility that meets NBA standards relating to revenue generation, fan amenities, team facilities, and the like." However, Stern added, "given the lead times associated with any franchise acquisition or relocation and with a construction project as complex as a KeyArena renovation, authorization of the public funding needs to occur by the end of 2009 in order for there to be any chance for the NBA to return to Seattle within the next five years." Bennett said he and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels signed a binding agreement Wednesday, which would be formalized later, that keeps the SuperSonics' name, logo and colors available if Seattle gets a replacement franchise. Bennett said his franchise would create duplicate championship banners and trophies, leaving one set in Seattle and using the second set for undetermined purposes in Oklahoma City.

Sonics owner Clay Bennett smiles in front of a backdrop with an Oklahoma City NBA logo. AP Photo/The Oklahoman, Bryan Terry "We have 30 million reasons why we have support for a future NBA team," Seattle city attorney Tom Carr said. In April, the NBA board of governors approved Bennett's application to move the team to Oklahoma City, pending the outcome of the trial between the team and the city. The settlement came six days after the trial concluded. "A really exciting day. We had been gearing up for the 2010 season, and to find out the team's coming two years early is a bonus," Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett said. The settlement doesn't cover a pending lawsuit filed by Schultz, who is seeking to regain control of the team. Schultz claims that Bennett didn't follow through on an agreement to negotiate in good faith for a new arena in Seattle for one full year before seeking relocation options. "We believe it's baseless, has no merit. We will fight it vigorously," Bennett said of that lawsuit. Schultz's attorney, Richard Yarmuth, said his client's lawsuit will move forward.

As part of the settlement, if the PBC is prevented from playing in Oklahoma City during the next two seasons because of Schultz's lawsuit, the city will be required to repay Bennett's group $22.5 million for each season. If the team is required to play in KeyArena for those two seasons, Bennett's group is released from the additional $30 million it would owe the city. "We're not a party to this settlement and in fact we chose not to participate in it," Yarmuth said. The trial between the team and city was centered on the lease agreement that called for the Sonics to play at KeyArena through the 2009-10 season. Sonics lead attorney Brad Keller contended that Bennett should simply be able to write a check to satisfy the final two years of the lease. Keller argued that the "specific performance" clause the city rested its case on should not apply in a garden-variety dispute between tenant and landlord. ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson reports that Schultz's case will be bolstered by the testimony and arguments of the federal trial and that there is still a chance that he could prevail.

Bennett and his ownership group previously offered to pay the city $26.5 million in February to buy out the final two years of the lease. They were rebuffed. Nickels noted that Wednesday's settlement would cover lost rent, tax revenue and pay off the remaining debt on KeyArena. "I believed all along enforcing our lease would allow us time to come to a better arrangement," Nickels said. "We now have that deal." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. SuperSonics return? Seattle-based group will buy NBA's Kings. - CSMonitor.com SuperSonics return? Seattle-based group will buy NBA's Kings. Latest News Who owns the moon? Competition heats up for Google's Lunar X Prize. The NBA has confirmed the sale of the Sacramento Kings to a Seattle-based ownership group, which could mean the return of the beloved Seattle SuperSonics. The move to a bigger city will be good for the franchise, and for the NBA in general. But is it good for Seattle? Save for later Saved In this June 2012 file photo, investor Chris Hansen smiles as he speaks to supporters of a proposal for a new NBA arena during a rally in Seattle.

The NBA confirmed Monday a much-rumored sale of the Sacramento Kings by their owners, the Maloof brothers, to a Seattle-based investor group. Elaine Thompson/AP/File of The dream of the '90s is alive in Seattle. No, Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and the other stars of the SuperSonics team that was the pride of Seattle two decades ago aren't coming back to the Emerald City. But the NBA is on track to return, and along with it, the city's beloved basketball franchise. The league confirmed Monday a much-rumored sale of the Sacramento Kings by their owners, the Maloof brothers, to a Seattle-based investor group led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen and Microsoft chairman Steve Ballmer. Various news outlets reported that Hansen and Ballmer's group will pay about $340 million for a 65 percent controlling stake in the struggling franchise, valued at $525 million. Recommended: Top 10 richest Americans It's a bit of redemption for Seattle sports fans who harbor resentment towards Clayton Bennett, the former SuperSonics owner who moved the team to Oklahoma City in 2008.

When he bought the team in 2006, Bennett publicly asserted his intention to keep the Sonics in Seattle. Later reports suggested he had long intended to move the team to his hometown. Various lawsuits were filed in an attempt to block the move, but to no avail. Photos of the Day Photos of the weekend Five years later, the team's contentious, litigious sale still leaves a bitter taste in many a Seattleite's mouth. The Sonics' comeback awaits approval by the NBA Board of Governors, but some are already celebrating the return of professional basketball, and the economic bump that may come with it. "Pinch me," wrote Seattle Times columnist Steve Kelley . "Go ahead. Smack me upside the head and remind me this is real." "What's the rule on number of exclamation points allowed in a column?" He later added. The boon is more than just cultural. Hansen has pledged to spend up to $15 million to improve KeyArena, the Sonics' old stadium, according to the Seattle Times . The team will return to play at the venue for at least two years while a new $490 million complex is constructed in Seattle's Sodo neighborhood.

Hansen has said the city's investment in the KeyArena upgrades will be "very little," but the Sonics' new home will be built with $200 million in public money to be repaid through revenue generated by the facility, according to the Seattle Times. Not everyone is thrilled with the plan, though. A group called Citizens for More Important Things has sued the city in an effort to block the stadium's construction, which it says could leave taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars. Seattle's dockworkers union has also opposed the construction of the stadium, saying it would drive away shipping business and create a traffic nightmare. Others question whether or not investing public funds in pro sports teams actually pays off. "Take whatever number the sports promoter says, take it and move the decimal one place to the left," Victor Matheson, an economist at College of the Holy Cross, told The Atlantic in a September 2012 article, "and that's a pretty good estimate of the actual economic impact." If approved, pro basketball's return to Seattle could be good for the NBA as a whole. The league's revenue-sharing model distributes finances from large-market, high-profit teams to small-market teams, which often struggle to sell tickets.

When a team moves upwards from a small market to a larger one – as is the case with the Sacramento-Seattle transfer – the rising tide presumably lifts all boats. "While fellow owners tend to rubber-stamp the transfer of franchises from one city to another," writes Ian Thomsen in Sports Illustrated , "they'll actually be happy in this case because the move to Seattle reverses a negative trend in which teams have failed to move on to appreciably larger markets -- from Charlotte to New Orleans, from Vancouver to Memphis and from Seattle to Oklahoma City." But it’s a tough blow for Sacramento, a small-market city that is unlikely to house an NBA team again. In an open letter to the Kings owners on SBNation.com , Tom Ziller vociferously expressed the emotional and financial attachment many cities have to their professional sports teams: "[N]ot content only to take our team, our money and our hearts with you out the door, you have actively prevented us from working to fix our downtown and guarantee our pro sports future." Next up Get the Monitor stories you care about delivered to your inbox.

Daily 1000+ images about seattle supersonics on Pinterest | Logos, Gary payton and Basketball association Seattle Supersonics by the Numbers highlights the history of the Sonics including accomplishments, owners, and hall of famers. See More NBA approves Sonics’ move to Oklahoma City | The Seattle Times NBA approves Sonics’ move to Oklahoma City Originally published April 18, 2008 at 12:00 am Updated April 19, 2008 at 3:02 am The NBA Board of Governors voted overwhelmingly today to approve the Sonics' move from Seattle to Oklahoma City. Sonics owner Clay Bennett is trying to get out of the lease to play at KeyArena through 2010 and move the team before next season. The City of Seattle has filed a lawsuit to keep the Sonics... Share story Percy Allen Seattle Times staff reporter NEW YORK — NBA owners overwhelmingly approved the Sonics’ relocation bid to Oklahoma City today by a 28-2 vote of the league’s Board of Governors. “The support for the NBA demonstrated by the fans, government leaders and business community of Oklahoma City over the last three years has been extraordinary,” said NBA commissioner David Stern.

“The Board of Governors is confident that the level of local support will result in success for the Sonics franchise in Oklahoma.” Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks and Paul Allen of the Portland Trail Blazers were the only votes against the move. Allen was not in New York for the meeting, represented by team president Larry Miller. The City of Seattle has filed a lawsuit to keep the Sonics at KeyArena through a lease that ends in 2010. A trial is scheduled to begin June 16. Stern said the Sonics are prepared to play two more seasons in Seattle if the team loses in court. Most Read Stories Unlimited Digital Access. $1 for 4 weeks. The Sonics ownership group had offered a $26.5 million settlement to the City of Seattle to pay the remaining two years of the KeyArena lease rather than fulfill a “specific performance clause” that requires them to play games inside the building. That offer was rejected. Sonics chairman Clay Bennett expressed regret that the team would leave Seattle, either before next season or after the lease expires in 2010, but said, “I’m thrilled for Oklahoma.” The Sonics will have to pay a $30 million relocation fee.

Bennett was asked if he felt he had made a good-faith effort to keep the Sonics in Seattle. “No question about it,” Bennett said. “I think about it all the time. We could not engender the leadership of the marketplace to support a new building.” Metropolitan King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer said local officials should accept that the current Sonics team is destined to leave. He said officials should stop demonizing Bennett and focus on negotiating a deal with the NBA to keep the Sonics name and get a future franchise. “If our goal is to have an NBA franchise here, we’ve got to get the various groups together and create a common agenda and focus,” said von Reichbauer, R-Federal Way. “Right now there are so many people willing to throw hand grenades into the room that we’re losing.” Both Bennett and Stern made it clear the Sonics are moving to Oklahoma City, whether it’s now or after two more seasons. Bennett was asked about another NBA team replacing the Sonics eventually in Seattle.

“Seattle should be a future opportunity for the league,” Bennett said, “but a modern building must be built.” Stern and Bennett both restated their belief that KeyArena is not a venue that meets NBA standards. Stern, when asked about the NBA’s future in Seattle, was critical of recent comments made by former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton. “I’m trying hard on one hand to not close the door [on a future NBA franchise in Seattle] but I’m giving this press conference in the face of a scorched-earth policy [by Gorton] to inflict as much possible injury on our team as he can,” Stern said. Bennett was asked about leaving the Sonics nickname, colors and history in Seattle. “I believe the name should probably stay in Seattle,” he said. Both Bennett and Stern said that was a decision on that would probably have to wait until after the court case was settled. Earlier today, Bennett, who filed a relocation request on Nov. 2, presented the other 29 NBA owners with a relocation plan highlighted by the lucrative benefits that he’ll receive in Oklahoma City. “Oklahoma City gave a wonderful presentation,” Los Angeles Lakers co-owner Jeannie Buss said after the vote.

According to league sources, Bennett also detailed struggles to build an arena in the Seattle area during his presentation. He also downplayed filings from the city’s case last week that revealed e-mails between the Oklahoma City-based owners. In those e-mails, the owners discussed moving the team during the one-year period following the July 2006 sale in which they had pledged “good faith best efforts” to keep the franchise in Seattle. Bennett walked into the meeting with seven votes from the relocation committee comprised of New Jersey Nets owner Lewis Katz, Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon, Los Angeles Lakers vice president Jeanie Buss, San Antonio Spurs owner Peter Holt, Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Arison, Chris Cohan of the Golden State Warriors and Ed Snider of the Philadelphia 76ers. The committee’s recommendation outweighed the objections from U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Gov. Christine Gregoire and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who sent letters to Stern urging him to postpone the vote until the team resolves its legal affairs.

After the vote, Murray and Cantwell each issued statements: “I’m disappointed that NBA leadership has ignored calls for good-faith efforts to keep the Sonics in Seattle and rewarded the bad-faith behavior of Clay Bennett and his ownership group,” said Murray. “Violating the public’s trust with empty promises is unacceptable, and the NBA’s decision today sets a poor precedent.” Cantwell said, “For decades the Sonics have been part of the Seattle community and its culture. As an avid sports fan, I’m dismayed to see the NBA rewarding such unsportsmanlike conduct. The Sonics ownership misrepresented their true intentions to the community and yet the NBA gives them a bonus for this bad-faith effort.” The Sonics will become the fourth franchise to relocate since 1985. The Kansas City Kings moved to Sacramento, the Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis and the Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans. Bennett’s attorneys filed a federal-court motion Wednesday accusing Nickels of a “Machiavellian plan” to force him to sell the Sonics back to Seattle investors led by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Bennett repeatedly has said the Sonics are not for sale and if he’s unable to negotiate a buyout then he’ll ride out the remaining two years of the lease if necessary. In anticipation of the team’s arrival, Oklahoma City voters last month approved a $121 million sales-tax package to renovate the city’s Ford Center arena and build an NBA practice facility. The Oklahoma Legislature sweetened the pot for the NBA on Thursday, approving a payroll-tax rebate for the Sonics worth an estimated $60 million over 15 years. The state House approved the measure 67-32 and sent it to Gov. Brad Henry, who swiftly signed it into law. Supporters of the rebate plan said the team’s relocation would have a $180 million economic impact on the state over 15 years and bring other intangible benefits to the state. Oklahoma City hosted the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons after the team was uprooted from its home arena following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Mark Rupp, director of the Washington, D.C., office for Gregoire, said the governor wants to begin dialogue with the NBA about replacing the Sonics if they leave.

“We definitely want to have conversations with the NBA about getting a franchise in Seattle,” Rupp said. “My general understanding is that they are looking to go international, but Seattle is one of the most international cities in the world.” Seattle Times staff reporter Jim Brunner and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com ; on Twitter: @percyallen . Seattle Times staff reporter Percy Allen provides a running commentary on the Huskies. Seahawks Fan Fix Seattle SuperSonics (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics (NBA) history The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington. They played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1967 until 2008. After the 2007–08 season ended, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and now plays as the Oklahoma City Thunder . Sam Schulman owned the team from its 1967 inception until 1983.

It was then owned by Barry Ackerley (1983–2001), and then Basketball Club of Seattle, headed by Starbucks chairman, president and CEO Howard Schultz (2001–2006). On July 18, 2006, the Basketball Club of Seattle sold the SuperSonics and its Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) sister franchise Seattle Storm to the Professional Basketball Club LLC, headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett. The sale was approved by the NBA Board of Governors on October 24, 2006, and finalized on October 31, 2006, at which point the new ownership group took control. After failing to find public funding to construct a new arena in the Seattle area, the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City before the 2008–09 season, following a $45 million settlement with the city of Seattle to pay off the team's existing lease at KeyArena at Seattle Center in advance of its 2010 expiration.

Home games were played at KeyArena, originally known as Seattle Center Coliseum, for 33 of the franchise's 41 seasons in Seattle.[6] In 1978, the team moved to the Kingdome, which was shared with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). They returned to the Coliseum full-time in 1985, moving temporarily to the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, for the 1994–95 season while the Coliseum was renovated and rebranded as KeyArena. The SuperSonics won the NBA championship in 1979. Overall, the franchise won three Western Conference titles: 1978, 1979, and 1996. The franchise also won six divisional titles, the most recent being in 2005, with five in the Pacific Division and one in the Northwest Division. Settlement terms of a lawsuit between the city of Seattle and Clay Bennett's ownership group stipulated the SuperSonics' banners, trophies, and retired jerseys remain in Seattle; the nickname, logo, and color scheme are available to any subsequent NBA team.

The SuperSonics' franchise history, however, would be shared with the Thunder. Add profiles to this project Add collaborators to this project Add Profiles Seattle SuperSonics | Basketball Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Franchise history Beginnings On December 20, 1966, Los Angeles businessmen Sam Schulman and Eugene V. Klein and a group of minority partners were awarded the NBA franchise for the city of Seattle. Schulman would serve as the active partner and head of team operations. Named the SuperSonics after Boeing's recently awarded contract for the SST project (later canceled), they were Seattle's first major league sports franchise. Beginning play in October 1967, the SuperSonics were coached by Al Bianchi and featured All-Star guard Walt Hazzard and NBA All-Rookie Team members Bob Rule and Al Tucker . The expansion team stumbled out of the gates with a 144–116 loss in their first game, and finished the season with a 23–59 record. [3] Hazzard was traded to the Atlanta Hawks before the start of the next season for Lenny Wilkens .

Wilkens brought a strong all-around game to the SuperSonics, averaging 22.4 points per game, 8.2 assists per game, and 6.2 rebounds per game for Seattle in the 1968–69 season . Rule, meanwhile, improved on his rookie statistics with 24.0 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game. The SuperSonics, however, only won 30 games and Bianchi was replaced by Wilkens as player/coach during the offseason. 1970s Wilkens and Rule both represented Seattle in the 1970 NBA All-Star Game , and Wilkens led the NBA in assists during the 1969–70 season .

In June 1970 the NBA owners voted 13–4 to work toward a merger with the ABA ; [4] [5] SuperSonics owner Sam Schulman, a member of the ABA-NBA merger committee in 1970, was so ardently eager to merge the leagues that he publicly announced that if the NBA did not accept the merger agreement worked out with the ABA, he would move the SuperSonics from the NBA to the ABA. Schulman also threatened to move his soon-to-be ABA team to Los Angeles to compete directly with the Lakers. [6] The Oscar Robertson suit delayed the merger, and the SuperSonics remained in Seattle. Early in the 1970–71 season , however, Rule tore his Achilles tendon and was lost for the rest of the year. Wilkens was named the 1971 All-Star Game MVP , but the big news of the season came when owner Sam Schulman managed to land American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year and MVP Spencer Haywood following a lengthy court battle (see Haywood v. National Basketball Assn. ).

The following season, the SuperSonics went on to record their first winning season at 47–35. The team, led by player-coach Wilkens and First Team forward Haywood, held a 46–27 mark on March 3, but late season injuries to starters Haywood, Dick Snyder , and Don Smith contributed to the team losing eight of its final nine games — otherwise, the 1971–72 team might very well have become the franchise's first playoff team. The following season, Wilkens was dealt to Cleveland in a highly unpopular trade, and without his leadership the SuperSonics fell to a 26–56 record. One of the few bright spots of the season was Haywood's second consecutive All-NBA First Team selection, as he averaged a SuperSonics record 29.2 points per game and collected 12.9 rebounds per game. File:SeattleSuperSonicsOld.png The legendary Bill Russell was hired as the head coach in the following year, and in 1975 he coached the SuperSonics to the playoffs for the first time.

The team, which starred Haywood, guards Fred Brown and Slick Watts , and rookie center Tommy Burleson , defeated the Detroit Pistons in a three game mini-series before falling to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games. The next season, the SuperSonics traded Haywood to New York forcing the remaining players to pick up the offensive slack. Guard Fred Brown , now in his fifth season, was selected to the 1976 NBA All-Star Game and finished fifth in the league in scoring average and free throw percentage. Burleson's game continued to strengthen, while Watts led the NBA in both assists and steals and was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team . The SuperSonics again made the playoffs , but lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games in spite of strong performances from both Brown (28.5 ppg) and Burleson (20.8 ppg) during the series. Russell left the SuperSonics after the 1976–77 season , and under new coach Bob Hopkins the team started the season dismally at 5–17. Lenny Wilkens was brought back to replace Hopkins, and the team's fortunes immediately turned around.

The SuperSonics won 11 of their first 12 games under Wilkens, finished the season at 47–35, won the Western Conference title, and actually led the Washington Bullets three games to two before losing in seven games in the 1978 NBA Finals . Other than the loss of center Marvin Webster to New York, the SuperSonics roster stayed largely intact during the off-season, and in the 1978–79 season they went on to win their first division title. In the playoffs , the Supersonics defeated the Phoenix Suns in a tough seven game conference final series to set up a rematch with the Washington Bullets in the finals. This time, the Bullets lost to the SuperSonics in five games to give Seattle its first, and so far only, NBA title. The championship team roster included the powerful backcourt tandem of Gus Williams and Finals MVP Dennis Johnson , second year All-Star center Jack Sikma , forwards John Johnson and Lonnie Shelton , and key reserves Fred Brown and Paul Silas .

1980s The 1979–80 season saw the SuperSonics finish second in the Pacific Division to the Los Angeles Lakers with a strong 56–26 record. Fred Brown won the NBA's first three-point shooting percentage title, Jack Sikma played in the second of his seven career All-Star Games for Seattle, Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson were both named to the All-NBA Second Team, and Johnson was also named to the All-NBA First Defensive Team for the second consecutive year. The SuperSonics made it to the Western Conference Finals for the third straight season, but lost to the Lakers in five games. It was the last time that the backcourt of Williams and Johnson would play together in SuperSonics uniforms, as Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns before the start of the 1980–81 season and Williams sat out the year due to a contract dispute. As a result, the SuperSonics fell to last place in the Pacific Division with a 34–48 mark, so far the only time they have ever finished in last place.

Williams returned for the 1981–82 season , and Seattle managed respectable 52–30 and 48–34 records during the next two years. In October 1983, original team owner Sam Schulman sold the SuperSonics to Barry Ackerley , initiating a period of decline and mediocrity for the franchise. 1984 saw Fred Brown retire after playing 13 productive seasons, all with Seattle. His career reflected much of the SuperSonics' history to that time, having been on the same team roster as Rule and Wilkens during his rookie season, playing a key role on Seattle's first playoff teams, and being the team's important sixth man during the championship series years. In recognition of his many contributions to the team, Brown's number was retired in 1986. Lenny Wilkens left the organization following the 1984–85 season , and when Jack Sikma was traded after the 1985–86 season, the last remaining tie to the SuperSonics' championship team (aside from trainer Frank Furtado ) had been severed.

Among the few SuperSonics highlights of second half of the 1980s were Tom Chambers ' All-Star Game MVP award in 1987, Seattle's surprise appearance in the 1987 Western Conference Finals, and the performance of the power trio of Chambers, Xavier McDaniel , and Dale Ellis . In 1987–88, the three players each averaged over 20 points per game with Ellis at 25.8 ppg, McDaniel at 21.4, and Chambers at 20.4. In the 1988–89 season , with Chambers having signed with Phoenix, Ellis improved his scoring average to 27.5 points per game and finished second in the league in three-point percentage. The SuperSonics finished with a 47–35 record, and made it to the second round of the 1989 playoffs .

1990s; Payton and Kemp File:SeattleSSonics5.png The SuperSonics began setting a new foundation with the drafting of forward Shawn Kemp in 1989 and guard Gary Payton in 1990, and the trading of Dale Ellis and Xavier McDaniel to other teams during the 1990–91 season . It was George Karl 's arrival as head coach in 1992, however, that marked a return to regular season and playoff competitiveness for the SuperSonics. With the continued improvement of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, the SuperSonics posted a 55–27 record in the 1992–93 season and took the Phoenix Suns to seven games in the Western Conference Finals. The next year, 1993–94 , the SuperSonics had the best record in the NBA at 63–19, but suffered a first round loss to the Denver Nuggets , becoming the first #1 seed to lose a playoff series to an 8th seed.

The Sonics moved to the Tacoma Dome for the 1994–95 season while the Coliseum underwent renovations and went on to earn a second place 57-25 record. Again, the Sonics were eliminated in the first round, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers in four games. The team returned to the rebuilt Coliseum, renamed KeyArena for the 1995–96 season . Perhaps the strongest roster the Supersonics ever had was the 1995–96 team, which had a franchise best 64–18 record. With a deep roster of All-NBA Second Team selections Kemp and Payton, forward Detlef Schrempf , center Sam Perkins , guard Hersey Hawkins , and guard Nate McMillan , the team reached the NBA Finals , but lost to the Michael Jordan -led Chicago Bulls in six games. Seattle continued to be a Western Conference powerhouse during the next two seasons, winning 57 games in 1996–97 and 61 games in 1997–98 for their second and third straight Pacific Division titles.

At the end of the 1997–98 season long-time Sonic and defensive specialist Nate McMillan retired, and disagreements with management led Karl to end his tenure as head coach. He was replaced by former Sonic Paul Westphal for the 1998–99 season. 1998 onward The 1998–99 season saw the SuperSonics again descend into an extended period of mediocrity. Westphal was fired during the 2000–01 season and replaced by then-assistant coach Nate McMillan on an interim basis, eventually losing the "interim" label the next year. The 2002–03 season saw All-Star Gary Payton traded to the Milwaukee Bucks , and it also marked the end to the SuperSonics 11-year streak of having a season with a winning percentage of at least .500, the second longest current streak in the NBA at the time. The 2004–05 team surprised many when it won the organization's sixth division title under the leadership of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis , winning 52 games.

It would be the last time that this incarnation of the SuperSonics would make the playoffs. During the off-season in 2005, head coach Nate McMillan left the Sonics to accept a high-paying position to coach the Portland Trail Blazers . After his departure, the team regressed the following season with a 35–47 record. On May 22, 2007, the Supersonics were awarded the 2nd pick in the 2007 NBA Draft , equaling the highest draft position the team has ever held. They selected Kevin Durant out of Texas. On June 28, 2007, the SuperSonics traded Ray Allen and the 35th pick of the 2nd round ( Glen Davis ) in the 2007 NBA Draft to the Boston Celtics for rights to the 5th pick Jeff Green , Wally Szczerbiak , and Delonte West . On July 11, 2007, the SuperSonics and the Orlando Magic agreed to a sign and trade for Rashard Lewis . The SuperSonics received a future second-round draft pick and a $9.5 million trade exception from the Magic.

On July 20 the SuperSonics used the trade exception and a second-round draft pick to acquire Kurt Thomas and two first-round draft picks from the Phoenix Suns . [7] Summer 2007 The season began with the Supersonics being a lame duck team, as talks with the City of Seattle for a new arena had broken down. The Sonics had gotten a franchise player with second overall pick in the NBA draft with Kevin Durant out of Texas. Later, Seattle Supersonics trade Kevin Durant to Oklahoma City Thunder. Relocation to Oklahoma City Further information: Oklahoma City Thunder However, with the Ray Allen trade the Sonics did not have much talent to surround their rookie forward, as they lost their first eight games under Coach P.J. Carlesimo on the way to a 3-14 record in the first month of the season. Durant would live up to expectations with Oklahoma City Thunder in 2007-08 season, as he led all rookies in scoring at 20.3 ppg and won the Rookie of the Year. However, the Seattle Supersonics posted a franchise worst record of 20-62.

It would end up being the final season in Seattle as Clay Bennett ended up getting the rights to move the team after settling all the legal issues with the city. [8] In 2006, after unsuccessful efforts to persuade Washington government officials to provide funding to update KeyArena , the SuperSonics' ownership group, led by Howard Schultz , sold the team to Professional Basketball LLC (PBC), an investment group headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clayton Bennett . The purchase, at 350 million dollars also included the Seattle Storm WNBA franchise. The former ownership group, Basketball Club of Seattle headed by Starbucks Corp. Chair Howard Schultz sold the franchise to Bennett's group because they thought that Bennett would not immediately move the franchise to Oklahoma City but instead try to keep it in Seattle. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett was quoted as saying "I think it's presumptuous to assume that Clay Bennett and his ownership group won't own that Seattle team for a long, long time in Seattle or somewhere else. It's presumptuous to assume they're going to move that franchise to Oklahoma City," Cornett said.

"I understand that people are going to say that seems to be a likely scenario, but that's just speculation." [9] After failing to persuade local governments to fund a $ 500 million arena complex, Bennett's group notified the NBA that it intended to move the team to Oklahoma City [10] and requested arbitration with the City of Seattle to be released from the Sonics' lease with KeyArena. [11] When the request was rejected by a judge, Seattle sued Bennett's group to enforce the lease that required the team to play in KeyArena through 2010. [12] On July 2, 2008, a settlement was reached that allowed the team to move under certain conditions, including the ownership group's payment of $45 million to Seattle and the possibility of an additional $30 million by 2013 if a new team had not been given to the city. It was agreed that the SuperSonics' name would not be used by Oklahoma City and that team's history could be shared between Oklahoma City and any future NBA team in Seattle.

[13] The team began play as the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2008–2009 basketball season after becoming the 3rd NBA franchise to relocate in the past decade. In months prior to the settlement, Seattle publicly released email conversations that took place within Bennett's ownership group and alleged that they indicated at least some members of the group had a desire to move the team to Oklahoma City prior to the purchase in 2006. Before that, Sonics co-owner Aubrey McClendon told an Oklahoma City newspaper "we didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here," although Bennett denied knowledge of this. [14] Seattle used these incidents to argue that the ownership failed to negotiate in good faith, prompting Schultz to file a lawsuit seeking to rescind the sale of the team and transfer the ownership to a court-appointed receiver. [15] The NBA claimed Schultz' lawsuit was void because Schultz signed a release forbidding himself to sue Bennett's group, but also argued that the proposal would have violated league ownership rules. Schultz dropped the case before the start of the 2008–09 NBA season.

[16] In 2009, Seattle-area filmmakers calling themselves the Seattle SuperSonics Historical Preservation Society produced a critically acclaimed documentary film titled Sonicsgate - Requiem For A Team that details the rise and demise of the Seattle SuperSonics franchise. The movie focuses on the more scandalous aspects of the team's departure from Seattle, and it won the 2010 Webby Award for 'Best Sports Film'. [17] Season-by-season records Tacoma Dome 1994–1995 (During KeyArena Remodel) Uniforms File:Squatch2005small.jpg The final SuperSonics uniforms, worn from the 2001–02 NBA season through the 2007–08 NBA season , were white with green and gold trim at home, displaying "SONICS" across the chest. Road uniforms were dark green with white and gold accents, with "SEATTLE" across the chest. The alternate uniform was gold with green and white trim, again with "SONICS" arched across the chest.

These uniforms were a nod to a similar style worn from the 1975–76 season through the 1994–95 season. [18] Rivalries The "I-5" Rivalry The SuperSonics were traditional rivals with the Portland Trail Blazers because of the teams' proximity; the rivalry had been dubbed the " I-5 " Rivalry in reference to the Interstate 5 freeway that connects the two cities, which are only 174 miles apart [1] . The rivalry was fairly equal in accomplishments, with both teams winning one championship each. The all-time record of this rivalry ended at 98–94 in favor of the SuperSonics.

Players Basketball Hall of Famers Lenny Wilkens (player and head coach for the SuperSonics; inducted as both, coached the 1979 Championship Team) Patrick Ewing (played in 2000–2001 season) Dennis Johnson (player for the Sonics from 1976–80, 1979 Finals MVP) Retired numbers The NBA's all-time starting five: Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder The NBA's all-time starting five: Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder Kelly Dwyer Pin it Share You’re in your second semester of AP Basketball History, you love really good teams, and you love lists. With precious little drama left in the NBA’s 2015 offseason, why don’t we hit the barroom and/or barbershop, pour ourselves a frosty mug of Barbicide, and get to arguin’ over each franchise’s most formidable starting five-man lineup. [ Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball] Because we don’t like making tough decisions, the lineups will reflect the All-NBA line of thinking.

There will be no differentiation between separate forward and guard positions, and the squads will be chosen after careful consideration of individual merits only – we don’t really care if your team’s top shooting guard and point guard don’t get along. These rankings will roll out based on when each franchise began its NBA life. We continue with The Oklahoma City Thunder , who for 41 years were better known as the late and much-missed Seattle SuperSonics. C: Jack Sikma. Kankakee’s finest was an immediate hit after Seattle took him eighth overall in the 1977 draft, averaging double-figure points as a rookie on the franchise’s 1978 Finals participant and making seven All-Star teams in the years that followed (including the team’s 1979 championship winner). A deft rebounder and pinpoint passer from the high post, Sikma was best known for an accurate perimeter shot that he launched from behind his head, seemingly impossible to alter. The 7-footer averaged 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his SuperSonic career. F: Shawn Kemp.

Kemp’s Seattle career (as was the case with each of his other NBA stops) should have ended better. Either unaware or unwilling to accept the fact that he couldn’t re-negotiate his contract within the confines of the new collective bargaining agreement, he sulked and forced a trade to Cleveland in 1997. Prior to that, though, Kemp helped lead the SuperSonics to the best record in the West twice and the NBA Finals in 1996. He averaged 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds in just 29.8 minutes per game, becoming the first preps-to-pros NBA draft selection to make the All-Star team. F: Kevin Durant . A SuperSonic for one, sad, season and a member of the Thunder since 2008. Not yet 27, Durant has led the NBA in total points scored in a single season five times, and his too-wily-for-his-years ways have already forced the NBA to enforce a rule change that would prevent Durant from baiting his way into free throws on the perimeter.

KD just shrugged and responded with a trip to the Finals in 2012 and the NBA’s MVP in 2013-14. G: Gary Payton. The lead dog – and if you could ever call an NBA point guard “a lead dog” it would be this cat – on several championship contenders in Seattle, GP set the tone for his franchise during its 1990s heyday. Unless some rule changes shift, he will probably be the last Defensive Player of the Year at the point guard position that we’ll see for ages. Made nine All-Star teams with the club before being traded away in 2003. Averaged 18.2 points, 7.4 assists, just 2.5 turnovers and 2.1 steals. Routinely averaged over 40 minutes per game in his prime because, well, you go ask that guy to come out of the game. G: Russell Westbrook . Had the team stayed in Seattle, the comparisons between Gary Payton and Russell Westbrook would have already resulted in several Sports Illustrated covers touting the two’s similarities.

It may seem like a bit of a jump to place Westbrook on a list that features a roster of players that dates back to 1967, but it’s just impossible to ignore what he’s done so far. On a team with Kevin Durant taking up much of the scoring load, Westbrook has averaged 21.1 points, 7.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds in only 34 minutes a night, including a 28.1-8.6-7.3 turn in a mostly Durant-less 2014-15. Read More Westbrook’s induction into the starting lineup after just seven seasons with the Thunder might surprise a few, but what also might surprise is this: Gary Payton isn’t even the franchise’s all-time steals per game leader. Slick Watts, too often known for his use of a headband accoutrement and never enough known for his nasty defense and wily offense, paces the record books in that category. Nate McMillan was the opposite when it came to flash, but he was also a fiendish pickpocket and ran a great offense.

Meanwhile, Lenny Wilkens averaged 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists in four seasons with the fledgling SuperSonics. Three other scorers, Fred Brown, Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen also merited consideration. Allen only played 296 games in Seattle, so that takes him down a peg, and Brown and Lewis unleashed for years with the franchise. Dale Ellis and Xavier McDaniel also set the tone on both ends for several very good SuperSonics teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Spencer Hayword, as was always the case with his career, flamed out too quickly in a SuperSonics uniform even after several good years. Gus Williams (who sat out an entire season due to a contract dispute) and Dennis Johnson (who clashed with teammates and coaches, in stark contrast to his time spent with Boston) weren’t always beloved in Seattle, but they did help lead the team to its 1978 title. No other Thunder player has played long enough with the franchise to truly make a strong bid for inclusion. That’s our five. Who would you take? Previous entries: Golden State . Boston . New York . Detroit . Sacramento .

Los Angeles Lakers . Atlanta . Philadelphia . Washington . Chicago . Houston . - - - - - - - Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops Reblog

Question: The NBA team the Supersonics is based in which US city?
Answer: Seattle