The Oklahoma City National Basketball Association team is a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The successor to the now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics franchise, the club is set to replace Seattle in the Western Conference's Northwest Division and begin play at Oklahoma City's Ford Center during the 2008–09 NBA season. No nickname, logo, or color scheme has been announced, but the NBA has set a deadline for doing so in late September and anticipates that some aspects of the new identity will be revealed as soon as August. Although a source deemed "close to the NBA ownership group" told a reporter that the team will be named the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA has filed for trademark rights to six potential names: Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls, Wind, and Thunder.
Established in 2008 from a dispute between owner Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle, Washington, the team moved to Oklahoma City immediately after reaching a settlement that required Bennett to pay $45 million to prematurely end the SuperSonics' lease with Seattle's Key Arena, which was set to expire in 2010. The team agreed to release the SuperSonics' name, logo, and colors to a possible future NBA club in Seattle, but retained rights to its franchise history. The records, awards, and accomplishments of the pre-2008 SuperSonics will be "shared" between Oklahoma City and any future Seattle team. Months earlier, the NBA board of owners approved the move to Oklahoma City.
The team is seeking to play an unspecified number of exhibition games at the BOK Center in Tulsa each season, with its preseason debut in Oklahoma set against the Houston Rockets in Tulsa. The club's NBA Development League affiliate is the Tulsa 66ers, which it has owned since July 31, 2008, when it became the third NBA team to purchase its NBDL affiliate.
The Seattle SuperSonics was formed in 1967 and was involved in two NBA Finals series in the '70s winning the 1979 NBA Finals. Seattle's victory remains the only championship in Major Seattle sports history. The team included renowned players such as Spencer Haywood, Fred Brown, Jack Sikma and Finals MVP Dennis Johnson and was coached by Lenny Wilkens, who is the all-time NBA leader in coach’s wins and losses. During the course of the next decade, Seattle had relative success until they drafted the duo of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. With this duo, along with Nate McMillan, Coach George Karl and other notable players, the Sonics would not miss the postseason for eight straight seasons and rose up among the rank of contenders.
In the 1995–96 NBA season, the Sonics set a franchise mark for most wins, 64–18 (.720) and earned their 3rd NBA Finals berth. Seattle met the record-setting 72–10 Chicago Bulls in the 1996 NBA Finals and lost in six games. The Sonic's fortunes slowly spiraled after that season; with most of the Sonic core retiring or being departing from Seattle. The next decade would not fare better as the Sonics, aside from the 2004–05 NBA season, disappointed with playoff futility.
Seattle drafted cornerstones Kevin Durant and Jeff Green in the 2007 NBA Draft. Despite their talent, the club endured their worst season in franchise history in 2007-08 NBA season in their last season in Seattle, finishing 20–62 (.244).
Through 41 years since 1967, the Seattle Sonics compiled a 1,745–1,585 (.524) win–loss record in the regular season and 109–109 (.500) in the playoffs, which includes three Western Conference championships and one NBA title.
In the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana, and surrounding area, the New Orleans Hornets relocated to Oklahoma City. Playing the majority of its home games at the Ford Center during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. In due time, Oklahoma supported the uprooted Hornets. Commissioner David Stern commented that Oklahoma City could support a franchise of their own.
In 2006, the SuperSonics franchise was sold to a group of Oklahoma City investors led by Clay Bennett for $350 million, a move approved by NBA owners the following October. Terms of the sale required the new ownership group to use a "Good faith best effort" for the term of 12 months in securing a new arena lease or venue in the Greater Seattle Area. Bennett then spent much of 2007 attempting to gain public funding for a new arena, or a major renovation of the Key Arena. Failing to do so, he announced that the franchise would move to Oklahoma City as soon as the lease with Key Arena expired.
In June 2008, a lawsuit between the City of Seattle and Bennett went to Federal Court and nearly a month later the two sides reached an agreement to settle. The terms would award the city of Seattle $45 million to get out of the remaining lease at Key Arena, and could provide an additional $30 million dollar payment to the City in 2013 if certain conditions are met. The owners agreed to leave the 'Seattle SuperSonics' name, logo, and colors in Seattle for a possible future NBA franchise; however the items would remain the property of the Oklahoma City team along with other "assets" including championship banners and trophies.
The new Oklahoma City franchise made its debut on July 7th with its entry in the Orlando Pro Summer League, featuring an assortment of second-string players, rookies and free agents. The players wore generic black-white jerseys reading "OKC-NBA" against an outline of a basketball.
The team will play its first NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 29, 2008 at the Ford Center.
In the Oklahoma franchise's existence (including the SuperSonics from 1967 to 2008), they have qualified for the NBA Playoffs 20 times, winning the Northwest Division once (2004) and the Pacific Division five times (1979, 1994 and a three peat between 1996 through 1998) The club has one championship trophy, won in the 1979 NBA Finals and two other championship round appearances; in 1979 and 1996. The best record posted by the team was 64-18, in 1996; the worst record was 20-62, in the last season in Seattle.
In the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana, and surrounding area, the New Orleans Hornets temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, playing the majority of its home games at the Ford Center during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. In due time, Oklahoma supported the uprooted Hornets. Commissioner David Stern commented that Oklahoma City could support a franchise of their own.
In 2006, the SuperSonics franchise was sold to a group of Oklahoma City investors led by Clay Bennett for $350 million, a move approved by NBA owners the following October. Terms of the sale required the new ownership group to use a "Good faith best effort" for the term of 12 months in securing a new arena lease or venue in the Greater Seattle Area. Bennett then spent much of 2007 attempting to gain public funding for a new arena, or a major renovation of the KeyArena. Failing to do so, he announced that the franchise would move to Oklahoma City as soon as the lease with KeyArena expired.
In June 2008, a lawsuit between the City of Seattle and Bennett went to Federal Court and nearly a month later the two sides reached an agreement to settle. The terms would award the city of Seattle $45 million to get out of the remaining lease at KeyArena, and could provide an additional $30 million payment to Seattle in 2013 if certain conditions are met. The owners agreed to leave the 'SuperSonics' name, logo, and colors in Seattle for a possible future NBA franchise; however the items would remain the property of the Oklahoma City team along with other "assets" including championship banners and trophies. On September 3, 2008, the team name along with logo and color were announced.
Oklahoma City’s new NBA team officially unveiled itself Wednesday September 3, 2008, revealing its nickname as the Thunder. At a large rally at the city’s Leadership Square, the club formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics announced its nickname, logo and colors. The team’s new colors are blue, red and orange, while the logo displays the club’s new nickname above a shield enclosed with a basketball emblazoned with OKC on the front.
“The bold, traditional lettering and shield of our logo have been purposefully designed with simplicity and dignity to let the power of the word ‘Thunder’ be most clearly presented,” Oklahoma City majority owner Clay Bennett said.
“This is an exciting day for the franchise,” Thunder general manager Sam Presti said. “The people of Oklahoma have supported us throughout this entire transition. This is their team and we feel fortunate to represent this community.”
Other nicknames considered were: Bison, Marshalls, Wind, Energy and Barons.
To finalize the move and allow Wednesday’s festivities to take place, the team reached a deal with the city of Seattle on July 2, which released the team from its lease at KeyArena and allowed Bennett to immediately move the franchise to his hometown of Oklahoma City.
Getting Inside
Fans in Oklahoma City will get the first glimpse of their new professional basketball team on Oct. 29.
The NBA announced its 2008-09 schedule this week, and Oklahoma City opens its inaugural season at home against the Milwaukee Bucks, then hits the road for a single game at Houston on Nov. 1 before returning home to face Minnesota the next day and the defending-champion Boston Celtics on Nov. 5.
Other highlights on the season schedule include a back-to-back series with the New Orleans Hornets, whom the city hosted for two seasons when Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. Oklahoma City will host the Hornets in the team’s only nationally televised game on Nov. 21, then travel to New Orleans to face the Hornets the next day.
Oklahoma City also plays New Orleans later in the season on Feb. 17 at home in the Ford Center.
Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, the top two picks in last year’s draft, will finally have their much-anticipated match-up on Feb. 6 in Oklahoma City. The two players will face off again five days later on Feb. 11 in Portland. Expect some folks from Seattle to make the two-hour drive south to see their former team play.
Durant and fellow Washington, D.C. native Jeff Green will play in their hometown on December 27.
Rookie Russell Westbrook will return home to play in his native Los Angeles for the first time during the season on Jan. 23 at the Staples Center against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Last season, the team had eight nationally televised games with Durant playing in his rookie campaign. However, after finishing a franchise-low 20-62 last season, it’s no surprise Oklahoma City isn’t playing many games in prime time this season.
However, even-keeled general manager Sam Presti remains focused on his rebuilding project, and plans on returning the franchise to a winner.
“Clearly, we have a vision for the team,” Presti told the Tulsa World. “We have to make good decisions every day. Every day in the NBA, (teams make decisions that) can affect the future of your franchise.
“We have to be consistent with how we make our decisions. I wouldn’t necessarily put a timeline on it, in ‘x’ amount of years, we are going to be here. Our focus is just getting better every day and finding a way to improve every day.”
Notes, Quotes
• Guard Kyle Weaver, the 38th pick in this year’s draft, was obtained by the team in a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats. In exchange, the Bobcats will receive the Nets’ second-round pick in the 2009 draft, a pick originally obtained in the Mikki Moore trade in 2006.
• Serge Ibaka, the team’s No. 24 over pick in this year’s draft, signed a three-year deal with Ricoh Manresa, a professional basketball team in Spain, where Ibaka played last season.
Ibaka’s contract has a buyout clause at the end of each season, allowing him to join Oklahoma City before the deal expires. Financial terms of the contract are undisclosed, but under NBA rules teams can pay up to $500,000 to buy out a player from a team overseas.
Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti said he’s aware of the signing but declined to comment on the deal. However, Presti said during a press conference introducing Ibaka that the team will be closely involved in Ibaka’s development, with Oklahoma City officials making trips to Spain to check on Ibaka’s progress.
Ibaka spent the past two seasons playing for CB L’Hospitalet in the Spanish LEB Gold league. He averaged 11.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and led the league in blocked shots at 3.1 per game.
• In an effort to create more buzz statewide for Oklahoma’s new professional basketball team, Clay Bennett, chairman of Oklahoma City’s yet-to-be-named franchise, announced the ownership group purchased Tulsa’s NBA Development League team, the Tulsa 66ers.
Bennett said the group purchased the minor-league team for $2.25 million. Bennett said the group hopes to use the D-League team to establish a similar philosophy used with the Oklahoma City basketball franchise, along with a significant basketball presence in Tulsa.
Oklahoma City now has exclusive access to assign players to Tulsa.
Quote To Note: “Robert has had a solid summer of rehabilitation, and we’re looking forward to having him back on the floor. We’re excited to have him with us, and we think that he’s going to be someone who’s going to be able to contribute for us this year.”—Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti, on Robert Swift. The team signed the oft-injured center to a one-year qualifying offer worth about $3.5 million for next season, giving Oklahoma City the right to match any offer sheet Swift signs from another team.
Roster Report
Draft Picks:
Russell Westbrook, G, 6-3, UCLA—Defensive-minded combo guard who the Sonics hope will develop into a defensive stopper.
Serge Ibaka, F, 6-10, Republic of Congo—Talented but unpolished front-court player who the team will keep in Europe and continue to develop. Pick acquired from Phoenix.
D.J. White, F, 6-9, Indiana—A good rebounder who can shoot and play with his back to the basket. Gives the Sonics another scoring option inside. Acquired from Detroit by the Sonics trading their 32nd and 46th picks.
Devon Hardin, C, 6-11, California—A long, athletic player who can block shots and potentially develop into a defensive presence inside for the Sonics.
Free Agent Focus: The Sonics were in the market for another big man to help fill the void in the middle and used point guard Luke Ridnour to help broker a deal that brought the team Joe Smith.
Player Notes:
• G Earl Watson had successful surgery in Los Angeles to repair a fracture in his right thumb. Watson suffered the injury while playing basketball in preparation for the 2008-09 season. Watson is expected to make a full recovery and should be healthy for the start of the team’s 2008-09 season.
• Kevin Durant and Jeff Green were scheduled to head to Las Vegas after the Orlando Summer League concluded. Both players have been selected to compete on the USA Select team against the USA Olympic team to help them get ready for the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
