The NBA Championship ring that the Thunder (never) won

The return of the Seattle Supersonics keeps being discussed—over and over—but it’s still not quite there. The NBA’s eventual expansion to 32 teams feels inevitable, yet the momentum has cooled again after a stretch when it seemed almost ready. The buzz centered on two things: a team in Las Vegas—already the unofficial 31st NBA city thanks to Summer League and the NBA Cup Finals—and the long-awaited revival of the Seattle franchise: the beloved Sonics.

A global fan favorite since the league’s international rise, the Sonics gained followers from the Dale Ellis, Xavier McDaniel, and Tom Chambers era, through to the electric “Sonic Boom” years with Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf, and Hersey Hawkins—led by George Karl on the bench.

Those unforgettable 1990s teams piled up success (63- and 64-win seasons) but also heartbreak: first-round exits against the Nuggets and Lakers, and, most painfully, the 1996 Finals loss to Michael Jordan’s Bulls—the ultimate dream-crushers, as Karl Malone and John Stockton would later learn too.

Every NBA fan knows the Sonics’ legacy: from Lenny Wilkens and Spencer Haywood to Bill Russell, Paul Silas, Dennis Johnson, Jack Sikma, and Nate McMillan. For years, they held Seattle’s only major professional sports championship—1979—and were poised to reignite historic rivalries (especially with the nearby Trail Blazers) under the stewardship of a young executive prodigy: Sam Presti. He was already in place when the team drafted Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook—three top-five picks between 2007 and 2008.

Durant and Green played one season in Seattle. Westbrook? Just a photo with the Sonics cap on draft night. The next chapter was the move to Oklahoma City—the birth of the Thunder. It was a cultural shock for the NBA: a sudden loss of a classic franchise footprint in the Pacific Northwest, and a harsh blow for Seattle. The Sonics may have finished with just 20 wins in their final season, but the rebuild was underway. Two years later, the Thunder had 50 wins. By 2012, they were in the Finals with Durant, Westbrook, and James Harden.

Now, seventeen years after Seattle’s team became the Thunder, and thirteen after OKC’s first Finals appearance, the relevance of that move is back in the spotlight. The Sonics became a title-ready franchise without needing an expansion draft—no growing pains, just plug and play. But with a new identity: name, colors, logo… a far cry from most franchise relocations, which usually involve only a city change—like the Lakers, Jazz, Grizzlies, Rockets, and Hawks.

The Thunder were different. They didn’t just move a team—they reinvented it. And that’s why, now that OKC is back in the Finals, the same confusion lingers: What about the 1979 title? The records, the stats, the retired jerseys? Do they belong to the Thunder? Or not? Is this their first title shot… or their second?

Technically—on paper—it would be the Thunder’s second. But practically, socially, and emotionally? It would be their first.

When the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City, they brought the roster (Durant, Westbrook), the staff, the office chairs, the TVs, even the CDs (different times)... but left behind the legacy. The ’79 title banner, the stats, the retired numbers—they all stayed in Seattle. Clay Bennett, the much-maligned orchestrator of the move, shelved the Sonics brand: name, colors, logos. His intention was clear from the start—create something new. And when Seattle gets its team back (as part of NBA expansion), he’s expected to return everything without asking for a thing. The Sonics will be the Sonics again.

For now, the NBA still technically attributes the Sonics’ history to the Thunder—pending Seattle’s return. But OKC has never leaned into that history, and Seattle, where resentment toward the Thunder remains strong, wants no part of any blending.

Fittingly, much of the Sonics’ history never even left town. Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) holds over 5,000 Sonics-related items—organized on twenty shelves, though only three are publicly displayed: the 1979 Larry O’Brien trophy, a pair of game-worn shoes, and a team pennant.

MOHAI is just over a mile from Climate Pledge Arena—formerly KeyArena—the home the Sonics once shared and the battleground that ultimately led to their exit. The franchise’s downfall can be summed up with a short chain of events and a few key names. Under the passive, even complicit watch of NBA Commissioner David Stern, Clay Bennett took over in 2006. It quickly became clear that his real goal was to move the team to his native Oklahoma.

Bennett’s group, Professional Basketball Club LLC, paid $350 million to acquire the Sonics from Starbucks mogul Howard Schultz. Schultz, initially hailed as a local hero, became a villain after offloading the team like a kid bored with his toy.

The plan was already in motion. Oklahoma City had impressed Stern when it temporarily hosted the Hornets post-Katrina. Though there was talk of making that move permanent, New Orleans’ strong showing at the 2008 All-Star Weekend shut that door. So Stern and Bennett aligned around a new idea: move the Sonics.

Bennett asked Seattle to finance yet another renovation of KeyArena. The proposal included an inflated budget—perhaps intentionally so. State and city leaders declined. With a binding lease still in place, Bennett agreed to pay $45 million—and possibly $30 million more if Seattle didn’t land a new team by 2013. Effectively, Seattle lost not just the team, but the right to even host it for the final two seasons of the lease.

Bennett estimated that waiting would cost him $60 million. Instead, he paid to fast-track the move. Oklahoma City, better prepared and more enthusiastic, invested $121 million in its own arena, the Ford Center. Meanwhile, Seattle’s leadership cashed the checks and moved on—only fully appreciating what they had lost after four decades of connection.

So, amid the Starbucks-led financial missteps, the 2001 recession, Bennett’s ambition, and Stern’s blessing, a painful chapter in NBA history unfolded. But the Sonics weren’t killed off—they were simply put on pause.

As soon as expansion is approved, they’ll return with their name, their green-and-gold colors, their 1979 championship, and their honored legends (Sikma, McMillan, Gus Williams, Bill Russell…). At that point, it will be officially clear: The 1979 title belongs to the Supersonics. And if the Thunder win these 2025 Finals, it will be their first ring—not their second.

Related stories

NFL

Why Taylor Swift says this NFL season feels “completely different”

NFL

Antonio Brown wanted for attempted murder

Until that day comes, the NBA will keep referencing both franchises—pre- and post-move—in stats and records. But in reality, both sides have made their positions clear: Since 2008, the Sonics and Thunder have wanted nothing to do with each other.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.