Who is Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett? All you need to know

Clay Bennett is the chairman of Professional Basketball Club LLC, which is the group that owns the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bennett is perhaps best known in the basketball world for his decision to move the team from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

Bennett, who hails from Oklahoma City, purchased the Seattle SuperSonics in 2006 with a promise that he would not move the franchise. After being unable to receive $500 million in public funds to build a new arena, Bennett announced his decision to move the franchise to his hometown.

While the move was approved by NBA owners, it was temporarily delayed, as the previous ownership group filed a lawsuit attempting to revoke the sale due to breach of contract. Bennett was also sued by the city of Seattle, but he was able to reach an agreement that allowed the move.

The city of Seattle was able to keep the SuperSonics name, championship banners, trophies, and retired jerseys. However, Bennett was forced to pay $45 million to break the lease at the KeyArena and another $30 million if the state approved funding for a new arena, but Seattle is unable to get a team. While the Thunder will be able to use the SuperSonics' statistical history, a new team in Seattle would also be able to do so.

Bennett was named the chairman of the NBA's relocation committee. Five years after moving the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City, he was one of 22 members of the board of governors that rejected the proposed relocation of the Sacramento Kings to Seattle.

Watch Seattle SuperSonics fans giving Clay Bennett a piece of their mind in the final home game in Seattle below:

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Clay Bennett's career outside of Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are not the first team Clay Bennett has had an ownership stake in.

During the 1990s, Bennett was a part of the ownership group of the San Antonio Spurs, where he represented the franchise on the NBA's board of governors. Bennett also played a role in helping Oklahoma City secure the then-New Orleans Hornets for two seasons after their arena was damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The two seasons in which the city had a professional sports franchise for the first time likely laid the groundwork for the Thunder's eventual relocation, as it became clear that local fans would support the franchise.

Outside of basketball, Clay Bennett serves as the chairman for Dorchester Capital Corporation and the chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the Oklahoma Heritage Association. He previously served as the chairman of the Board of Regents at the University of Oklahoma from 2011-2019 before stepping down due to health reasons. Bennett had brain surgery in 2017.