Hard work, luck make billions for Oklahoma executive

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Aug 13, 2007 by Jerry Shottenkirk

Ultimately, the ending wasn't as sad as first perceived.

"Opportunity came out of that in some ways," he said. "The city's probably never been in better shape to handle a Kerr-McGee going away, given the phenomenal success of Devon, the success of our company and Tom and SandRidge."

The Kerr-McGee Tower returned to local hands as Chesapeake made a deal with Anadarko and ultimately sold the downtown structure to Ward and SandRidge.

Owning Sonics gives McClendon a new passion, good seats

OKLAHOMA CITY - Clay Bennett is the leader of Professional Basketball Club LLC, the local outfit that bought the Seattle Sonics of the NBA.

Bennett is spokesman for the group, but Aubrey McClendon doesn't duck away from talking about the NBA club.

McClendon said he is "under a self-imposed gag order" regarding much of the business end of the basketball franchise, but he doesn't have a problem with showing enthusiasm regarding the team.

"Clay is my good friend and general partner in the club, so he speaks most accurately and eloquently for the club," McClendon said. "However, I'm very excited about Kevin Durant and the other draft picks we had."

Durant, a standout from the University of Texas, was the Sonics' lottery pick this year

"I think we have a team that probably has as much on the ball for the next five or ten years as any team in the league," McClendon said.

It's that kind of enthusiasm that makes McClendon a good business associate, Bennett said.

"One could not hope for a better business partner," Bennett said. "After exhaustive due diligence and endless questioning, Aubrey develops a very clear understanding of the business. After he makes a decision to invest he moves forward providing creative, positive, additive input and supports the company in any way he can. His personal connection to the company and its people is more important than the financial investment."

Bennett said the year since Professional Basketball Club bought the Sonics, along the WBNA's Seattle Storm, has not been all that easy.

"Our experience in Seattle with our investment in the SuperSonics and Storm has had many challenges," Bennett said. "That said, we are as committed as ever to a successful outcome. We have a diverse and extremely talented ownership group. Aubrey has helped define who we are and how we approach the remarkable demands of this dynamic and highly competitive business. His support of our process and of me personally is something I will always be grateful for.

""He inspires by example," Bennett continued. "He is constantly thinking ahead and aspires to do everything at the highest level. In his interactions with those around him be it business or personal, he always challenges to think bigger and better and for the long term."

McClendon said the future of the team is in the hands of the city leadership of Seattle.

"They've got 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," he said. "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."