Seattle Supersonics

About Seattle Supersonics

The Seattle SuperSonics (also called the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1967 until its final season in 2007–2008. Following this season, the team relocated to become an NBA franchise in Oklahoma City under a different name, leaving behind the SuperSonics colors and name for any future NBA team in Seattle for their prospective future use. According to the team's new owners, the Sonics' franchise history will be "shared" between the Oklahoma City team and any future Seattle team.

The Sonics won the NBA Championship in 1979 and were the only team of the three major men's professional sports teams in Seattle—the Seattle Mariners, the Seattle Seahawks, and the SuperSonics—to have won a championship.

Sam Schulman owned the team from its 1967 inception until 1983. It was also owned by Barry Ackerley (1983–2001) and the Basketball Club of Seattle, headed by Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz (2001–2006). In 2006, the SuperSonics were purchased by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett. After failing to reach agreement on a new arena in the Seattle area, the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City before the 2008–2009 season when they reached a settlement with the city of Seattle to pay off the team's lease with KeyArena early.