2000–01 Seattle SuperSonics season

The 2000–01 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 34th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association.^[1] The SuperSonics had the 17th overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, and selected small forward Desmond Mason out of Oklahoma State University.^[2][3][4] With the hopes of improving the team in the middle, the SuperSonics acquired All-Star center Patrick Ewing from the New York Knicks in a four-team trade,^[5][6][7] and signed free agent Pervis Ellison, but released him to free agency after nine games.^[8]

Despite the addition of Ewing and Mason, the SuperSonics struggled losing seven of their first ten games of the regular season. Head coach Paul Westphal was fired after a 6–9 start to the season, and was replaced with former SuperSonics guard Nate McMillan.^[9][10] Under McMillan, the SuperSonics played above .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, holding a 28–24 record at the All-Star break,^[11] and finishing in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record. However, the team failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs by finishing in tenth place in the Western Conference.^[12]

Gary Payton averaged 23.1 points, 8.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, contributed 102 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Rashard Lewis showed improvement becoming the team's starting small forward, averaging 14.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and also leading the SuperSonics with 123 three-point field goals, and Ruben Patterson averaged 13.0 points per game. In addition, Vin Baker provided the team with 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while Ewing provided with 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, Brent Barry contributed 8.8 points and 3.4 assists per game along with 109 three-point field goals, while shooting .476 in three-point percentage, Shammond Williams provided with 6.8 points and 2.8 assists per game, and Mason contributed 5.9 points per game off the bench, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.^[13]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Payton was selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team,^[14][15][16] while Lewis participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout,^[17][18] and Mason won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.^[19][20][18] The SuperSonics finished 17th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 640,847 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center during the regular season.^[13][21]

Following the season, Ewing signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic after only one season with the SuperSonics,^[22][23][24] and Patterson signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.^[25][26][27]