- 1967
- 1979
- 1983
- 2005
- 2006
-
Seattle Supersonics Team Formation
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. He named the SuperSonics after Boeing’s recently awarded contract for the SST project, which was later canceled. The SuperSonics ... -
NBA Finals Winner 1979
NBA Finals – 1979 The 1979 NBA World Championship Series at the conclusion of the 1978 – 1979 season were won by the Seattle SuperSonics defeating the Washington Bullets 4 games to 1. The series was a rematch of the 1978 NBA Finals which the Washington Bullets had won 4-3. Due to a better regular-season record, the Bullets had a ... -
Barry Ackerley Purchases Sonics
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 ... -
Schultz Cannot Get a New Arena
Schultz is the former owner of the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics. During his tenure as team owner, he was criticized for his naïveté and propensity to run the franchise as a business rather than a sports team. Schultz feuded with player Gary Payton, feeling that Payton disrespected him and the team by not showing up to the first day of training ... -
Relocating to Oklahoma City
From 2001 to 2006, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz was the majority owner of the team, along with 58 partners or minor owners, as part of the Basketball Club of Seattle LLP. On July 18, 2006, Schultz sold the SuperSonics and its sister team, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)’s Seattle Storm, to the Professional Basketball Club LLC (PBC), a group ...
History of the Supersonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference Pacific and Northwest divisions from 1967 until 2008. After the 2007–08 season ended, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, where they now play as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sam Schulman owned the team from its 1967 inception until 1983. It was then owned by Barry Ackerley until 2001 when it came under the ownership of the Basketball Club of Seattle, headed by Starbucks chairman emeritus, former president, and CEO Howard Schultz. 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 seven days later, 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 their existing lease at the KeyArena at Seattle Center in advance of its 2010 expiration.
Established
1967
City
Seattle – Oklahoma City
League History
1967 – Present / National Basketball Association
Team History
2008 – Present / Oklahoma City Thunder
1967 – 2008 / Seattle SuperSonics
Nickname
SuperSonics – The SuperSonics had been named for an airplane called the (SST) SuperSonic Transport project. The plane was to be built by Boeing, which had a large plant in the Seattle area. However, the project was later canceled.
Championship
NBA Championships 1
1979
Arena
2012 – Present / Chesapeake Energy Arena
2010 – 2011 / Oklahoma City Arena
2008 – 2010 / Ford Center
*Seattle*
1995 – 2008 / KeyArena at Seattle Center
1985 – 1994 / Seattle Center Coliseum
1978 – 1985 / Kingdome
1967 – 1978 / Seattle Center Coliseum
Owner
2006 – Present / Professional Basketball Club, LLC
2001 – 2006 / Howard Schultz
1983 – 2001 / Barry Ackerley
1967 – 1983 / Sam Schulman
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
1 / Gus Williams
4 / Nick Collison
10 / Nate McMillian
19 / Lenny Wilkens
24 / Spencer Haywood
32 / Fred Brown
43 / Jack Sikma
– / Bob Blackburn
*Blue is this team’s history