the seattle sonics moved to oklahoma city in 2008.
the seattle sonics moved to oklahoma city in 2008.
when did the seattle sonics move to oklahoma city?
2008
the seattle supersonics moved to oklahoma city after the 2007–08 nba season. after failed efforts to persuade washington state government officials to provide funding to update keyarena, the supersonics' ownership group, led by starbucks ceo howard schultz, sold the team to professional basketball club llc (pbc), an investment group headed by oklahoma city businessman clay bennett. after failing to persuade local governments to fund a us$500 million arena complex, bennett's group notified the nba that it intended to move the team to oklahoma city and requested arbitration with the city of seattle to be released from its lease with keyarena. 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. on july 2, 2008, a settlement was reached that allowed the team to move under certain conditions. details of the settlement revealed that pbc would pay the city of seattle $45 million immediately in exchange for breaking the keyarena lease and an additional $30 million if seattle was not given a replacement team in five years. also, according to the conditions of the settlement, the sonics' name and colors could not be used by the team in oklahoma city, but could be taken by a future team in seattle, although no promises for a replacement team were given. the oklahoma city team would retain the franchise history of the supersonics, which could be "shared" with any future nba team in seattle. the team moved to oklahoma city immediately and became the oklahoma city thunder, beginning play for the 2008–09 nba season.
national basketball association criticisms and controversies
two days after bennett's october 31, 2007 deadline passed for public financing of a new arena, he informed nba commissioner david stern that the ownership group intended to move the sonics to oklahoma city as soon as it was legally possible. the timing of the announcement, one day after the sonics' home opener, drew critical comments from tom carr, seattle's attorney, who said "mr. bennett's announcement today is a transparent attempt to alienate the seattle fan base and follow through on his plan to move the team to oklahoma city ... making this move now continues the current ownership's insulting behavior toward the sonics' dedicated fans and the citizens of the city." bennett also reiterated that the team was not for sale and dismissed attempts by local groups to repurchase the team.
seattle supersonics relocation to oklahoma city