1995–96 Seattle SuperSonics season

Off-season

During the off-season, the SuperSonics acquired Hersey Hawkins and David Wingate from the Charlotte Hornets,^[2][3][4] and re-acquired Frank Brickowski from the Sacramento Kings.^[5][6] The team returned to what had now become the KeyArena at Seattle Center, after spending the previous season in the Tacoma Dome, while the KeyArena was being renovated.^[7][8] This team is widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history.

For the season, the SuperSonics redesigned their primary logo, replacing the color green with dark green, dark red and brown to their color scheme of golden yellow and white. The team's primary logo featured a dark green oval with the Space Needle, forming the letter "I" in the team name "Sonics" in brown letters with a golden yellow outline and dark red shadows, below the city name "Seattle" in white letters, along with a brown basketball with dark green seams in front of the Space Needle; the logo is surrounded by a dark green outline.^[9] The team also redesigned their home and road uniforms, which featured side panels on the right side of their jerseys and shorts; the white home uniforms featured a dark green, golden yellow and dark red trim, and dark green side panels with golden yellow and dark red outlines, while the road uniforms were changed from green to dark green, and featured a dark red and golden yellow trim, and dark red side panels with a golden yellow inline.^[10][11]

The team's new primary logo, and new uniforms would both remain in use until 2001.

Regular season

With the addition of Hawkins, and after two consecutive NBA playoff appearances losing in the first round, the SuperSonics got off to a 9–6 start to the regular season in November, but posted a seven-game winning streak between December and January, and later on held a 34–12 record at the All-Star break.^[12] The team posted a 14-game winning streak between February and March, and then posted a nine-game winning streak between March and April. The SuperSonics won 30 of their final 36 games of the season, winning the Pacific Division title with a franchise-best 64–18 record, surpassing the record from the 1993–94 season, and earning the first seed in the Western Conference.^[13] The team also posted a 38–3 record at home, which was the second-best in the league, and qualified for the NBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.^[1]

Shawn Kemp averaged 19.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, while Gary Payton averaged 19.3 points, 7.5 assists and 2.9 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first and only point guard ever to win the award;^[14][15][16] Kemp and Payton were both named to the All-NBA Second Team. In addition, Detlef Schrempf provided the team with 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, but only played 63 games due to a knee injury,^[17][18][19] while Hawkins contributed 15.6 points and 1.8 steals per game, and led the SuperSonics with 146 three-point field goals, sixth man Sam Perkins provided with 11.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, along with 129 three-point field goals off the bench, and starting center Ervin Johnson contributed 5.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Off the bench, Vincent Askew averaged 8.4 points per game, while Brickowski contributed 5.4 points per game, and defensive guard Nate McMillan provided with 5.0 points, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game.^[20]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Kemp and Payton were both selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team, while head coach George Karl was selected to coach the Western Conference.^[21][22][23] Payton also finished in sixth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Kemp finished in eighth place.^[24][25] This Sonics team is regarded as one of the best defensive teams in the late 1990s; led by Kemp and Payton, the two formed "Sonic Boom", one of the most electrifying tandems in NBA history.

The SuperSonics finished 14th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 697,301 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center during the regular season.^[20][26]

NBA playoffs

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1996 NBA playoffs, the SuperSonics faced off against the 8th–seeded Sacramento Kings, a team that featured All-Star guard Mitch Richmond, Brian Grant and Olden Polynice. The SuperSonics won Game 1 over the Kings at home, 97–85 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center,^[27] but then lost Game 2 at home, 90–81 as the Kings evened the series.^[28][29][30] The SuperSonics won the next two games on the road, which included a Game 4 win over the Kings at the ARCO Arena II, 101–87 to win the series in four games, and advance to the second round for the first time in three years.^[31][32][33]

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 5th–seeded, and 2-time defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, a team that featured All-Star center Hakeem Olajuwon, All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, and Robert Horry. The SuperSonics won the first two games over the Rockets at the KeyArena at Seattle Center, and then won the next two games on the road, including a Game 4 win over the Rockets at The Summit in overtime, 114–107 to win the series in a four-game sweep, and advance to the Conference Finals.^[34][35][36]

In the Western Conference Finals, the SuperSonics then faced off against the 3rd–seeded Utah Jazz, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Karl Malone, All-Star guard John Stockton, and Jeff Hornacek. The SuperSonics took a 2–0 series lead, but then lost Game 3 to the Jazz on the road, 96–76 at the Delta Center, before winning Game 4 on the road, 88–86 to take a 3–1 series lead.^[37][38] However, the Jazz managed to win the next two games to even the series; the SuperSonics won Game 7 over the Jazz at the KeyArena at Seattle Center, 90–86 to win in a hard-fought seven-game series, and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1979.^[39][40][41]

In the 1996 NBA Finals, the SuperSonics faced off against the top–seeded Chicago Bulls, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Michael Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and rebound-specialist Dennis Rodman, and also finished with a league-best 72–10 record. The SuperSonics lost the first two games to the Bulls on the road at the United Center, and then lost Game 3 at home, 108–86 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center, as the Bulls took a 3–0 series lead.^[42][43][44] However, the SuperSonics managed to win their next two home games,^[45][46] but then lost Game 6 to the Bulls at the United Center, 87–75, thus losing the series in six games, as the Bulls won their fourth NBA championship.^[47][48][49]

Aftermath

Following the season, Johnson signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets,^[50][51][52] while Askew was traded to the New Jersey Nets,^[53][54] and Brickowski signed with the Boston Celtics.^[55]

This Sonics team has been featured in the video game series NBA 2K.

Season standings

Game log

Season Synopsis

Season

Playoffs

Player statistics citation:^[20]

Awards

• Gary Payton was named the Defensive Player of the Year and led the league in total steals and steals per game.

All-NBA Teams

• Shawn Kemp – All-NBA Second Team
• Gary Payton – All-NBA Second Team

NBA All-Defensive Teams

• Gary Payton – All-Defensive First Team

1996 NBA All-Star Game

• Shawn Kemp (fourth appearance, second start)
• Gary Payton (third appearance)

Records

Trades

Free agents

Player transactions citation:^[57]