Seattle SuperSonics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seattle SuperSonics
Conference	Western
Division	Western (1967–1970) Pacific (1970–2004) Northwest (2004–2008)
Founded	1967
History	Seattle SuperSonics 1967–2008 Oklahoma City Thunder 2008–present
Arena	Seattle Center Coliseum/KeyArena at Seattle Center (1967–1978, 1985–1994, 1995–2008) Kingdome (1978–1985) Tacoma Dome (1994–1995)
Location	Seattle, Washington
Team colors	Green, gold, white
Team manager	Full list
Head coach	Full list
Ownership	Sam Schulman (1967–1983) Barry Ackerley (1983–2001) Basketball Club of Seattle (Howard Schultz, Chairman) (2001–2006) Professional Basketball Club LLC (Clay Bennett, Chairman) (2006–2008)
Championships	1 (1979)
Conference titles	3 (1978, 1979, 1996)
Division titles	6 (1979, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005)
Retired numbers	6 (1, 10, 19, 24, 32, 43)
Home Road Alternate

The Seattle SuperSonics, often called the Seattle Sonics, were a professional basketball team. They played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1967 to 2008. The team was based in Seattle, Washington.

After the 2007–08 season, the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City. They are now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The team played most of its home games at KeyArena. This arena was first called the Seattle Center Coliseum. In 1979, the SuperSonics won their only NBA championship. They also won three Western Conference titles and six division titles.

When the team moved, it was agreed that the SuperSonics' history, trophies, and retired jerseys would stay in Seattle. The name, logo, and colors could also be used by a future NBA team in Seattle. However, the team's history is shared with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Team History

How the Team Started

On December 20, 1966, a group of businessmen from Los Angeles got permission to start an NBA team in Seattle. This was the first major sports team for the city. They named the team SuperSonics because of Boeing's new SST project, which was a supersonic airplane.

The Seattle SuperSonics played their first game on October 13, 1967. They lost to the Golden State Warriors. Their first win came on October 21 against the San Diego Rockets. The team finished its first season with 23 wins and 59 losses.

Tom Meschery and Bob Rule from the SuperSonics playing in 1967.

The Lenny Wilkens Years

Before the next season, the SuperSonics traded for Lenny Wilkens. He was a great all-around player. Wilkens later became the team's player-coach. He also played in the 1970 NBA All-Star Game.

In 1971, Wilkens was named the All-Star Game MVP. The team also got Spencer Haywood, a very talented player. The next season, the SuperSonics had their first winning record with 47 wins and 35 losses.

In 1972, Wilkens was traded away, which many fans did not like. Without him, the team struggled. Haywood, however, continued to play very well.

Lenny Wilkens in 1968.

Winning a Championship

In 1974, Bill Russell became the head coach. He led the SuperSonics to the playoffs for the first time. The team had players like Haywood, Fred Brown, and Slick Watts.

Russell left after the 1976–77 season. Lenny Wilkens came back as coach. The team improved a lot and reached the 1978 NBA Finals. They lost to the Washington Bullets in seven games.

The next year, the SuperSonics won their first division title in 1979. They faced the Washington Bullets again in the 1979 NBA Finals. This time, the SuperSonics won the championship in five games! Key players on this team included Gus Williams, Finals MVP Dennis Johnson, Jack Sikma, John Johnson, Lonnie Shelton, and Fred Brown.

Jack Sikma in 1978.

The 1979–80 season was also strong. The SuperSonics had a great record and set an NBA record for attendance. They reached the Western Conference Finals again but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

A Time of Change

After 1980, some key players left the team. This led to a period where the SuperSonics did not perform as well. In 1983, the team's first owner, Sam Schulman, sold the SuperSonics to Barry Ackerley.

Fred Brown, a long-time SuperSonics player, retired in 1984. His jersey number was retired in 1986 to honor his contributions. Lenny Wilkens also left the team in 1985.

Some bright spots in the late 1980s included Tom Chambers winning the All-Star Game MVP award in 1987. The team also made it to the Western Conference Finals in 1987. Players like Chambers, Xavier McDaniel, and Dale Ellis were scoring a lot of points.

The Payton–Kemp Era

The team started to rebuild by drafting Shawn Kemp in 1989 and Gary Payton in 1990. When George Karl became head coach in 1992, the team became very competitive again.

George Karl was Seattle's head coach from 1992 to 1998.

In the 1993–94 season, the SuperSonics had the best record in the NBA. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs, which was a big surprise.

The 1995–96 team was one of the strongest ever. They had a fantastic record of 64 wins and 18 losses. With stars like Kemp, Payton, Detlef Schrempf, and Nate McMillan, the team reached the 1996 NBA Finals. They played against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, but lost in six games.

Seattle continued to be a top team for the next two seasons. After the 1998 season, Nate McMillan retired, and Coach Karl left.

Later Years and Relocation

The SuperSonics faced challenges in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Nate McMillan later returned as head coach in 2001. In 2003, All-Star player Gary Payton was traded.

The 2004–05 team won a division title. They were led by Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. They made it to the Western Conference Semifinals but lost to the San Antonio Spurs. This was the last time the SuperSonics made the playoffs.

Vin Baker was an All-Star for the SuperSonics.

In 2007, the SuperSonics got the second pick in the NBA draft and chose Kevin Durant. He was a very talented young player. However, the team traded Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. This left the team with less talent around Durant.

The 2007–08 season was the team's last in Seattle. There were many talks about building a new arena, but they failed. Kevin Durant won the Rookie of the Year award, but the team had a very tough season.

The SuperSonics played their last home game on April 13, 2008, winning against the Dallas Mavericks. Fans chanted "Save our Sonics" throughout the game.

Moving to Oklahoma City

From 2001 to 2006, Howard Schultz, who founded Starbucks, owned the team. He tried to get money from the state government to update KeyArena, but it did not work.

On July 18, 2006, Schultz sold the SuperSonics to a group of investors led by Clay Bennett from Oklahoma City. Schultz believed Bennett would keep the team in Seattle. However, after failing to get public money for a new arena in Seattle, Bennett's group decided to move the team.

Kevin Durant was drafted by the SuperSonics in 2007.

The city of Seattle sued Bennett's group to keep the team until their lease at KeyArena ended in 2010. On April 18, 2008, NBA owners approved the move to Oklahoma City.

On July 2, 2008, a deal was made. The team could move if Bennett's group paid Seattle $45 million. It was also agreed that the Oklahoma City team would not use the "SuperSonics" name. The team's history would be shared between Oklahoma City and any future NBA team in Seattle. The team became the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2008–09 season.

In 2009, a film called Sonicsgate – Requiem For A Team was made. It tells the story of the SuperSonics and their move from Seattle.

Hopes for a New Team

After the SuperSonics left, there were many efforts to bring an NBA team back to Seattle.

Trying to Get Other Teams

A group of investors, including Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, tried to buy the Sacramento Kings in 2013. They wanted to move the Kings to Seattle. However, the NBA owners voted against moving the Kings.

There were also talks about buying the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. But the owners of those teams wanted them to stay in their current cities.

Arena Plans

For a while, there were plans to build a new arena in Seattle. However, these plans faced challenges. In 2016, investor Chris Hansen announced he would fund the arena without public money.

Over most of the franchise's history, Seattle played its home games at KeyArena.

Later, another group wanted to renovate KeyArena, the SuperSonics' old home. In 2017, the Seattle City Council approved the renovation of KeyArena. The renovated arena, now called Climate Pledge Arena, was completed in 2021. It is now home to the National Hockey League (NHL) team, the Seattle Kraken. There is still hope that an NBA team could play there in the future.

Home Arenas

• KeyArena (formerly Seattle Center Coliseum) 1967–1978, 1985–1994, 1995–2008
• Kingdome 1978–1985
• Tacoma Dome 1994–1995 (during KeyArena remodel)

Team Uniforms

The first SuperSonics uniforms had "Sonics" written in a special font. The road jerseys were green with yellow letters, and the home jerseys were white with green letters.

In 1995, the SuperSonics changed their uniforms. They added red and orange colors and removed yellow. These new jerseys featured the team's new logo.

Squatch wearing the Sonics' home uniform in 2005.

The final SuperSonics uniforms were used from 2001 to 2008. The home jerseys were white with green and gold trim. They had "SONICS" across the chest. The road uniforms were dark green with white and gold accents, saying "SEATTLE" across the chest. There was also a gold alternate uniform. These designs were a nod to older uniforms from the 1970s and 80s.

Team Rivalries

The Seattle SuperSonics had a big rivalry with the Portland Trail Blazers. This was called the I-5 Rivalry because the two cities are connected by Interstate 5. Both teams won one championship.

The SuperSonics also had a rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers. This was because both teams were in the same division for a long time. They often played important games against each other, especially in the playoffs.

Achievements and Honors

Retired Numbers

Seattle SuperSonics retired numbers
No.	Player	Position	Tenure	Date
1	Gus Williams	G	1977–1984	March 26, 2004
10	Nate McMillan	G	1986–1998 1	March 24, 1999
19	Lenny Wilkens	G	1968–1972 2	October 19, 1979
24	Spencer Haywood	F	1971–1975	February 26, 2007
32	Fred Brown	G	1971–1984	November 6, 1986
43	Jack Sikma	C	1977–1986	November 21, 1992
	Bob Blackburn	Broadcaster	1967–1992	April 17, 1993

Notes:

• ¹ Also head coach from 2000 to 2005.
• ² Head coach during 1969–1972 and 1977–1985.

Basketball Hall of Famers

Notes:

• ¹ In total, Wilkens was inducted into the Hall of Fame three times – as player, as coach and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
• ² In total, Ewing was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
• ³ Inducted posthumously.
• ⁴ Also served as assistant coach (2003–2007).
• ⁵ Also served as head coach (1998–2000).
• ⁶ In total, Russell was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as a player and as coach.

FIBA Hall of Famers

State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame

Individual Awards

All-Star Game

Staff

Records and Leaders

Franchise Leaders

Points scored (regular season) (as of the end of the 2007–08 season)

Other Statistics (regular season) (as of the end of the 2007–08 season)

Single-Season and Career Leaders

See also

In Spanish: Seattle SuperSonics para niños

• List of Seattle SuperSonics seasons
• Bob Blackburn (announcer)
• Kevin Calabro
• Wheedle
• Squatch
• Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City
• Sonicsgate
• Sonics Arena
• List of relocated National Basketball Association teams