Former Sonics owner dies in car crash

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Ashli Blow

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Ashli Blow Jan 12, 2018

Jan 12, 2018

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                <h1>Former Sonics owner dies in car crash</h1>
                <h2><p>Aubrey McClendon, energy industry tycoon and part-owner of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle Supersonics), died today after crashing his car into a wall in Oklahoma City, The Seattle Times reports via AP.  His Oklahoma-based ownership group moved the Sonics.

He had been indicted the day</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/ashli-blow/">Ashli Blow</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jan 12, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>Aubrey McClendon, energy industry tycoon and part-owner of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle Supersonics), died today after crashing his car into a wall in Oklahoma City, <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/business/police-ex-chesapeake-ceo-aubrey-mcclendon-dies-in-crash/?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">The Seattle Times reports via AP.</a>  His Oklahoma-based ownership group moved the Sonics.</p><p>He had been indicted the day before on federal charges that he conspired to rig bidding for oil and natural gas leases. He vehemently denied the charges. McClendon was the co-founder of Chesapeake Energy and the founder and CEO of American Energy Partners.</p><p>Police said McClendon, alone in his car, was not wearing a seat belt and was driving well over the 50 mph speed limit, but that it is too early to say whether the crash was intentional or not.</p><p>The <a href="http://newsok.com/?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">news site </a>of the Oklahoma City newspaper has massive coverage and tributes to McClendon. The governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fallin, <a href="http://newsok.com/article/5482445?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">issued a statement</a> praising his civic generosity and influence in creating jobs in Oklahoma, concluding, "He was a visionary who raised the profile of Oklahoma."</p>
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Aubrey McClendon, energy industry tycoon and part-owner of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle Supersonics), died today after crashing his car into a wall in Oklahoma City, The Seattle Times reports via AP. His Oklahoma-based ownership group moved the Sonics.

He had been indicted the day before on federal charges that he conspired to rig bidding for oil and natural gas leases. He vehemently denied the charges. McClendon was the co-founder of Chesapeake Energy and the founder and CEO of American Energy Partners.

Police said McClendon, alone in his car, was not wearing a seat belt and was driving well over the 50 mph speed limit, but that it is too early to say whether the crash was intentional or not.

The news site of the Oklahoma City newspaper has massive coverage and tributes to McClendon. The governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fallin, issued a statement praising his civic generosity and influence in creating jobs in Oklahoma, concluding, "He was a visionary who raised the profile of Oklahoma."

Ashli Blow

By Ashli Blow

Ashli Blow is a Seattle-based freelance writer who talks with people — in places from urban watersheds to remote wildernesses — about the environment around them. She’s been working in journal

Ashli Blow is a Seattle-based freelance writer who talks with people — in places from urban watersheds to remote wildernesses — about the environment around them. She’s been working in journal