Owner Clay Bennett takes stand in Sonics trial

By GREGG BELL and GENE JOHNSON

SEATTLE (AP) — SuperSonics owner Clayton Bennett testified Tuesday that he remained committed to finding a new arena in the Seattle area before last season — even as e-mails circulated among team co-owners portraying how eager they were to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City.

City of Seattle lawyer Paul Lawrence repeatedly questioned Bennett about an e-mail Sonics co-owner and fellow Oklahoma City business leader Tom Ward sent to Bennett on April 17, 2007. That was just after the Washington Legislature rejected Bennett's plan for a publicly financed, $500 million arena in the Seattle suburbs.

"Is there any way to move here for next season, or are we doomed to have another lame duck season in Seattle?" Ward wrote.

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