The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle that played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 41 seasons. After the 2007-08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder. The primary reason for their departure was a contentious ownership dispute and an inability to secure a new arena. The teams owner at the time, Clay Bennett, claimed that KeyArena, their home venue, was outdated and financially unsustainable. Efforts to secure public funding for a new arena in Seattle failed, leading to the teams relocation. The settlement terms of a lawsuit between the city of Seattle and Clay Bennetts ownership group stipulated that SuperSonics banners, trophies, and retired jerseys remain in Seattle, while the nickname, logo, and color scheme are available to any subsequent NBA team that plays at KeyArena subject to NBA approval. The loss of the franchise left Seattle without an NBA team, despite having been one of the league’s original cities. There have been ongoing efforts to bring an NBA team back to Seattle, and the city is considered a strong candidate for expansion when the NBA decides to expand in the future.