SuperSonics owner to seek move to Oklahoma

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The owner of the Seattle SuperSonics said on Friday he had asked the NBA for permission to relocate the team to Oklahoma City.

"Today we notified commissioner (David) Stern we intend to relocate to Oklahoma City if we succeed in the pending litigation with the City (of Seattle), or are able to negotiate an early lease termination, or at the end of the lease term," Clay Bennett said in a statement.

Bennett, who is from Oklahoma City, said the lack of support for a new arena and continuing financial losses gave him no other option.

He has been in a protracted legal battle with Seattle for an early end to the Sonics's lease at KeyArena. The lease does not end until 2010.

Bennett was active in bringing the New Orleans Hornets to Oklahoma City for home games during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005.

He purchased the SuperSonics in 2006.

A Seattle group said on Friday it wanted to buy the team from Bennett and keep it in the area.

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina)