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'{{Infobox person | name = Clay Bennett garbage | image = | image_size = | birth_name = Clayton Ike Bennett | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1959}} | birth_place = [[Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]] | nationality = American | occupation = Chairman, Douchester Capital<br />Chairman, [[Professional Basketball Club|Professional Basketball Club LLC]] | salary = <!-- [[United States dollar|US$]] --> | net_worth = sell out | spouse = Louise Gaylord Ennis (<abbr title="married">m.</abbr> 1981) | children = 9 abortions | website = | footnotes = horrible liar & tax evander }} '''Clayton Ike'''<ref name="unwanted">{{cite web|url=http://dwb.thenewstribune.com/sports/sonics/story/6134030p-5370924c.html |title=Unwanted attention: The man who will take over the SuperSonics franchise reluctantly puts himself in the spotlight |accessdate=2008-03-25 |work=[[The News Tribune]] |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802201130/http://dwb.thenewstribune.com/sports/sonics/story/6134030p-5370924c.html |archivedate=August 2, 2008 }}</ref>''' Bennett''' (born 1959)<ref name="unwanted"/> is an American businessman and [[chairman]] of the [[Professional Basketball Club|Professional Basketball Club LLC]], the ownership group of the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]], an [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] franchise formerly known as the [[Seattle SuperSonics]]. Bennett is the chairman of Oklahoma City-based Dorchester Capital Corporation, as well as the chairman [[emeritus]] of the [[board of directors]] of the Oklahoma Heritage Association and chairman of the Board of Regents of the [[University of Oklahoma]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ou.edu/regents/bennett.html | title=The University of Oklahoma – Board of Regents | date=June 18, 2013 | website=OU.edu | publisher=University of Oklahoma | accessdate=December 22, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://okcfriday.com/bennett-added-to-ou-board-p5844-92.htm | title=Bennett added to OU board | website=okcfriday.com | publisher=Nichols Hills Publishing | accessdate=December 22, 2013}}</ref> == Early business career highlights == Bennett was one of the owners of the [[San Antonio Spurs]] in the mid-1990s, where one of his primary duties was to represent the team on the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] [[Board of Governors]]. Immediately prior to the [[2005–06 NBA season]], Bennett, along with [[Aubrey McClendon]] of Oklahoma City-based [[Chesapeake Energy]] Corporation, [[Tom L. Ward]] of Oklahoma City-based [[SandRidge Energy]] Corporation, and G. Jeffrey Records Jr. of Oklahoma City-based MidFirst Bank, partnered with the city of [[Oklahoma City]] and the state of [[Oklahoma]] in providing a revenue guarantee for the NBA's [[New Orleans Hornets]]. This resulted in the relocation of the Hornets to Oklahoma City for two seasons. The [[Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Hornets|temporary relocation to Oklahoma City]] stemmed from damage to the [[New Orleans Arena|arena]] and infrastructure in New Orleans caused by [[Hurricane Katrina]]. == Ownership of the Oklahoma City Thunder == {{Main article|Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City}} Bennett is the chairman of the [[Oklahoma City]]-based Professional Basketball Club LLC (PBC), which owns the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s [[Oklahoma City Thunder]]. Formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics, the team was purchased from [[Howard Schultz]] in 2006 for approximately $350 million with Bennett promising a good-faith effort to keep the team in Seattle, provided there would be a public commitment to a new arena. After failing to get $500 million in public funding from local taxes to build a new suburban arena for the team,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.seattlepi.com/local/300387_sonics19.html | title = Sonics present plans for new arena | date = 2007-01-19 | accessdate = 2009-11-03 | publisher = seattlepi.com }}</ref> Bennett notified the NBA on November 2, 2007, of the ownership group's intent to move the team to Oklahoma City.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3091416|title=Sonics tell NBA of intent to move SuperSonics to Oklahoma City|accessdate=2008-03-25|publisher=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/article/3001175|title=Bennett: Seattle arena costs projected around $500 million|accessdate=2008-04-20|work=[[The Oklahoman]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2003714508_soni20.html|title=An interview with Clay Bennett, owner of Sonics|accessdate=2008-04-23|work=[[Seattle Times]] | first=Percy | last=Allen | date=2007-05-20}}</ref> On March 21, 2008, Bennett made known his plan to relocate the basketball franchise.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwcn.com/sports/stories/NW_032508SSB_bennett_to_leave_name_JG.24f184ad.html|title=Sonics owners willing to leave behind team name if franchise moves|accessdate=2008-03-25|work=[[The Seattle Times]] |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080712070826/http://www.nwcn.com/sports/stories/NW_032508SSB_bennett_to_leave_name_JG.24f184ad.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2008-07-12}}</ref> On April 18, 2008, NBA owners gave approval for moving the franchise from Seattle for the 2008–2009 season pending the outcome of the city's case to uphold the lease and the former ownership group's lawsuit to [[Rescission (contract law)|rescind]] the purchase.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3353270|title=NBA owners approve Sonics' move, pending litigation|accessdate=2008-04-19|publisher=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref> On July 2, 2008, Bennett's ownership group reached a settlement agreement in the lawsuit filed by the city of Seattle, thus allowing the franchise to move from Seattle to Oklahoma City.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008030229_sonitrial02.html |title=Sonics, city reach settlement |work=The Seattle Times |date=2008-07-02 |accessdate=2008-07-02 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/5hFHCsxCT?url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008030229_sonitrial02.html |archivedate=2009-06-03 |df= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3471503 | title = Howard Schultz plans to sue Clay Bennett to get Sonics back | date = 2008-04-15 | accessdate = 2012-02-11 | publisher = seattletimes.nwsource.com }}</ref> In April 2011, Bennett was named chairman of the NBA's relocation committee.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/4/15/2113841/nba-relocation-committee-sacramento-kings-anaheim | title=NBA Relocation Committee Considering Sacramento Kings' Anaheim Move Filled With Small Market Owners | author=Tom Ziller | date=2011-04-15 | publisher=SBNation.com | quote=During this week's owners meetings in New York City, the Board of Governors made Bennett the committee's chairman. | accessdate=2011-04-16}}</ref> On April 29, 2013, Bennett was a part of the relocation committee that unanimously voted against a proposed relocation of the [[Sacramento Kings]] to Seattle.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2013/basketball/nba/wires/04/30/2030.ap.bkn.kings.sale.6th.ld.writethru.1902/ |magazine=Sports Illustrated |title=NBA committee recommends rejecting Kings move |date=April 30, 2013 |publisher=Time Inc |accessdate=April 30, 2013 }}</ref> == Personal life == Bennett is married to Louise Gaylord Bennett, the daughter of Oklahoma City [[media mogul]] [[Edward L. Gaylord]]. Bennett and Louise Gaylord were high school sweethearts, meeting when he was a sophomore and she was a freshman. They have three children. Bennett's in-laws also have ties to professional sports ownership, as the Gaylords once owned a minority share of the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]—a share which was later sold to future [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] President [[George W. Bush]]. Bennett is a Republican.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cbs.sportsline.com/print/nba/story/9837392|title=Sonics' owner hopes to have arena plan by year's end|access-date=March 25, 2008|publisher=[[CBSSports.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080712104101/http://cbs.sportsline.com/print/nba/story/9837392|archive-date=July 12, 2008|dead-url=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Bennett is chairman of a task force identifying and seeking criminal justice reforms to alleviate jail overcrowding in Oklahoma City. <ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newsok.com/article/5530859|title=Jail task force calls addiction, mental health services crucial|last=Cosgrove|first=Jaclyn|date=December 14, 2016|work=NewsOK.com|access-date=December 7, 2017|language=en-US|quote=Business leader and Thunder Chairman Clay Bennett, who led the chamber's task force, said at Wednesday's press conference that Oklahoma leaders must address not only infrastructure and communication issues but also how to fund treatment for Oklahomans with mental illness and substance use disorders.}}</ref> == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.dorcap.com/ Dorchester Capital] * [http://www.nba.com/thunder/ownership The Professional Basketball Club, LLC], NBA.com/Thunder * [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/magazine/26NBA-t.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin Where the Thunder Comes Dribbling Down the Plain], ''New York Times'', October 25, 2008 * [http://www.oklahomatoday.com/documents/2008ClaytonBennett.pdf Clayton Bennett, 2008 Oklahoman of the Year], from ''[[Oklahoma Today]]'' {{Oklahoma City Thunder}} {{NBAOwners}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Clay}} [[Category:American chief executives of professional sports organizations]] [[Category:American financiers]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American investors]] [[Category:American money managers]] [[Category:American billionaires]] [[Category:Oklahoma City Thunder owners]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Oklahoma City]] [[Category:Women's National Basketball Association executives]] [[Category:1960 births]] [[Category:Oklahoma Republicans]] [[Category:Seattle SuperSonics owners]] [[Category:San Antonio Spurs owners]] [[Category:Gaylord family]]'