The reigning 2025 NBA champions will give the SuperSonics' history back to Seattle once the NBA expansion officially covers the Emerald City.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are planning to surrender the SuperSonics' history to Seattle should the NBA's expansion materialize.
Oklahoma City Thunder / Schedule
"The Thunder, however, do not hang any banners for the SuperSonics in Oklahoma City, and in their media guide they don't highlight any Seattle stats -- listing, for example, Russell Westbrook as the team's all-time assists leader, rather than [Gary] Payton," per Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
"Sources said if a team was to return to Seattle, the Thunder would cede the Seattle history back to the SuperSonics -- just as the NBA's Charlotte Hornets reclaimed the Charlotte-era history of the New Orleans Pelicans when Charlotte regained the Hornets name in 2014."
It was recently reported that the league's board of governors will hold a meeting to vote on exploring adding Seattle and Las Vegas franchises beginning with the 2028-29 season.
Owner Clay Bennett and the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 following a failed multi-year effort to secure a $500 million in public funding for a new arena in Seattle. The franchise was officially rebranded as the Oklahoma City Thunder ahead of the 2008-09 season.
Despite technically owning the Sonics' history, the Thunder never owned or displayed any record and banners of the Seattle franchise, including the 1979 championship.
The Sonics boast a rich basketball history. From 1967 until their relocation to OKC, the franchise clinched an NBA title, three Conference Finals trophies and six division titles.
Gary Payton, Lenny Wilkens, Shawn Kemp, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Jack Sikma, Dennis Johnson, Nate McMillan and Kevin Durant are several NBA icons who have represented the SuperSonics in the past.
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