when did the okc thunder become a team
The team was originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967 -- 68 season. The SuperSonics moved in 2008 after a settlement was reached between the ownership group led by Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle, Washington following a lawsuit. In Seattle, the SuperSonics qualified for the NBA playoffs 22 times, won their division six times, and won the 1979 NBA Championship. In Oklahoma City, the Thunder qualified for their first playoff berth during the 2009 -- 10 season. They won their first division title as the Thunder in the 2010 -- 11 season and their first Western Conference championship as the Thunder in the 2011 -- 12 season, appearing in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in franchise history and first since 1996, when the club was based in Seattle.