NBA | Report: Ex-Sonics will be "Thunder"

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City's team — formerly the Seattle SuperSonics — will be called the Thunder, according to a television report.

KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City cited a source close to the ownership group for its report that the team's name will be the Oklahoma City Thunder.

According to The Oklahoman newspaper's Web site, team spokesman Dan Mahoney said Saturday night no one with the basketball organization would comment on KOCO's report.

"We're not commenting on the name process until we have something ready to announce," Mahoney told the newspaper's Web site, adding no news conferences on the topic are scheduled.

The Oklahoman had a name-the-team contest, using a 64-name tournament-style bracket, and Thunder defeated Outlaws in the final.

The Sonics, who started playing in Seattle in 1967, were purchased by Clay Bennett and other Oklahoma businessmen in July 2006.

A week ago, the Seattle City Council terminated the KeyArena lease with the Sonics two seasons early, allowing the team to move to Oklahoma City in exchange for a $45 million payment to Seattle.

Terminating the lease was a condition of a settlement agreement between the Sonics and Seattle, which had filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the team from leaving before the lease expired.

Meanwhile, more than 16,000 people signed up for a season-ticket request list for the Oklahoma City team in a 16-day span.

Mahoney said team officials are pleased with the level of support for the NBA in Oklahoma City.

Notes

• Aaron Brooks, a graduate of Franklin High in Seattle, had 20 points to help the Houston Rockets beat Sacramento 98-91 in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Spencer Hawes, a Seattle Prep graduate, led the Kings with 22 points.

• Portland guard Jerryd Bayless, a college standout at Arizona who was the 11th player drafted last month, led the NBA Summer League with a 29.8 scoring average.

• Police arrested a passenger in a car driven by Shawne Williams of the Indiana Pacers on suspicion of marijuana possession, an incident team president Larry Bird said jeopardizes the forward's future.

Williams was not arrested but was written up for a window-tint and seat-belt violation after the police stop Friday in Carmel, Ind. The car does not belong to Williams. Passenger Darrell Smith Jr., 21, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge, police said. Bird, a Hall of Fame player, said he plans to meet with the 22-year-old Williams.

"While Shawne Williams was not involved in any arrest or any criminal wrongdoing, we are extremely upset and hugely disappointed he once again has put himself in a position that jeopardizes Shawne's future as a member of the Indiana Pacers," Bird said in a statement.