McClendon fined $250K by NBA

From staff reports

Sonics partner Aubrey McClendon has been fined $250,000 by the NBA for comments he made last week about moving the team to Oklahoma City, the Seattle Times reports.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed the fine to the newspaper.

Last week, McClendon told the Journal Record newspaper: "We didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle, we hoped to come here. We know it's a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it's great for the community and if we could break even we'd be thrilled."

McClendon is one of the partners in Professional Basketball Club, the ownership group headed by Clay Bennett.

"(Seattle has) 60 days to make some decisions they haven't been willing to make in the past year, and if they make them in a way that satisfies Clay, then the team will stay there," McClendon told the Journal. "If they don't meet the requirements he's laid out, the team will move and Clay has indicated they'll come to Oklahoma City."