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Owner Bennett on stand in Sonics trial

A worker at the U.S. Courthouse in downtown Seattle begins to hand out passes for the city's trial against the team Tuesday, June 17, 2008. The six-day, no-jury trial in federal court will settle the final two years of the SuperSonics' lease at KeyArena. Sonics owner Clay Bennett has gained the NBA's approval to move the team to his hometown of Oklahoma City, but Seattle argues its lease forces the franchise to play two more seasons before departing.

SuperSonics owner Clayton Bennett testified Tuesday that he knew when he bought the team that it was losing money at KeyArena, but thought “perhaps we could turn that around.” Under questioning from city of Seattle lawyer Paul Lawrence, Bennett said he was a “reasonably sophisticated” investor and diligently researched the team’s finances before his Professional Basketball Club bought it for $350…

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