Pete Nordstrom. The Sonics went in the tank, Nissalke was fired midway through the next year, and the Seattle crowd rooted thunderously for Wilkens â not the Sonics â when he came back to town with the Cavaliers. Much of the delay is attributed to the renovations of KeyArena, the former â and future â home of the SuperSonics. The Seattle SuperSonics â who will keep their original name â will return to the Western Conference in time for the 2021â22 season. Barry would hold on to the franchise for quite some time until he sold the franchise in 2001. Year by Year History of the Seattle Supersonics: Year: Draft: Record: Playoffs: Coach: General Manager: Owner: Arena: Play ⦠Seattle SuperSonics logo. Payton said former owner Barry Ackerly ran the Sonics "like a family," while Schultz "ran it like a business." Sam Schulman, the original owner of the Seattle SuperSonics, the basketball team that in 1979 gave the city its only world championship, has died. Ray Allen is interested in being part-owner of the Seattle SuperSonics. The Nordstrom family has had a long history of involvement in Seattle sports â Peter was previously a minority owner of the Sonics and the family was a majority owner of the Seahawks from 1976 to 1989. What Howard Schultz's Missteps As Seattle SuperSonics Owner Reveals About His Politics. Kemp, then a young star with the Seattle SuperSonics, got to know some of the musicians and the owner, who learned the 6-foot-10 power forward liked to smoke weed before and after games. Fast forwarding to 1983 and the Sonics were sold by original owner Sam Schulman to Barry Ackerley. Peter is President of Merchandising for Nordstrom. The league could work with potential owners to choose the most lucrative cities to place a new team. Firstly, the Basketball Club of Seattle purchased it, before it was finally sold to Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett ⦠SEATTLE â On July 2, 2008, a $75 million settlement was announced between the current owner of the Seattle Supersonics Clay Bennett, and the city of Seattle. With an $850 million renovation in the works that was once thought â¦