Seattle SuperSonics
Tacoma Dome (1994-1995)
The Seattle SuperSonics ( or simplified Sonics ) were a professional basketball team from the North American basketball league NBA. The team was based in Seattle, Washington. In the summer of 2008, the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City and now play under the name of Oklahoma City Thunder.
History
The Seattle SuperSonics were founded in 1967 and was Seattle's first professional basketball team. They won their only NBA championship in 1979. The team was between 2001 and 2006 the founder and president of the Starbucks coffee shop chain, Howard Schultz.
On 17 July 2006 Schultz sold the SuperSonics for 350 million U.S. dollars to an investment group led by Clay Bennett, who relocated the team to Oklahoma City. On April 18, 2008, the NBA Board of Governors approved the move to Oklahoma for the 2008/ 09 season. On 2 July 2008, the city of Seattle and the Seattle Sonics agreed to the resolution of the existing lease for a payment of 45 million U.S. dollars. If Seattle can build any other team in the next five years, a look-up of 30 million U.S. dollars will be charged. Team name and colors remain for Seattle "reserved". The name of the new team was officially announced on 3 September 2008 with Oklahoma City Thunder, with even the name " Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls and Wind " were talking.
The German basketball player Detlef Schrempf played from 1993 to 1999 for the SuperSonics. From January 2006 he was an assistant coach with the SuperSonics for two years.
Major Players
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Lenny Wilkens ( Guard, 1968-1972, United States, United States)
- Gary Payton ( Guard, 1990-2003, United States, United States)
Retraction back numbers
Other famous former players
- Ray Allen ( United States United States)
- Vin Baker ( United States United States)
- Brent Barry (United States United States)
- Tom Chambers (United States United States)
- Dale Ellis (United States United States)
- Patrick Ewing ( United States United States)
- Spencer Haywood (United States United States)
- Shawn Kemp ( United States United States)
- Rashard Lewis ( United States United States)
- Desmond Mason (United States United States)
- Gary Payton (United States United States)
- Sam Perkins (United States United States)
- Detlef Schrempf ( Germany Germany )