believe the NBA made a mistake when our team got relocated to OKC back in 2008. Overnight one the most authentic sports cultures was uprooted, but still the supersonics remain iconic to the NBA even today. We deserve our team back and it’s been far too long. Beyond nostalgia however, the NBA might actually need more teams to dilute some of the talent in the NBA. An expansion draft can help to do that as well.
— SonicsShowYo (@SonicsShowY0 on X)
Seattle SuperSonics (Former Team and Potential Expansion Team)
The Seattle SuperSonics were founded in 1967 (as an expansion team). They joined the NBA in the 1967-68 season and played in Seattle until the end of the 2007-08 season, when the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder (unlike some teams that rebranded without moving, the SuperSonics name and history stayed tied to Seattle, with the Thunder continuing the franchise lineage but as a relocated team).
They have 1 Championship (1979), 3 Conference Titles (1978, 1979, 1996), 6 Division Titles (1979, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005), and 0 NBA Cup Titles (the in-season tournament began in 2023, long after the team’s time in Seattle ended).
The SuperSonics Best Roster (And College)
| Pos | No. | Player | Height | Weight | DOB | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 20 | Gary Payton | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1968-11-23 | Oregon State |
| F | 24 | Spencer Haywood | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 1949-04-22 | Detroit Mercy |
| C | 43 | Jack Sikma | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 230 lb (104 kg) | 1955-11-14 | Illinois Wesleyan |
| G | 19 | Lenny Wilkens | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1937-10-28 | Providence |
| G | 1 | Gus Williams | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1953-10-08 | USC |
| F | 40 | Shawn Kemp | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 230 lb (104 kg) | 1969-11-26 | Trinity Valley CC |
| G | 34 | Ray Allen | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1975-07-20 | UConn |
| F | 11 | Detlef Schrempf | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | 1963-01-21 | Washington |
| F | 8 | Xavier McDaniel | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1963-06-04 | Wichita State |
| G | — | Dennis Johnson | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1954-09-18 | Pepperdine |
| G | 32 | Fred Brown | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | 1948-08-07 | Iowa |
| F | 25 | Tom Chambers | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 1959-06-21 | Utah |
| F | 7 | Rashard Lewis | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 1979-08-06 | Alief Elsik HS |
| G | 3 | Dale Ellis | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1960-08-06 | Tennessee |
| G | — | Slick Watts | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1951-07-22 | Xavier (LA) |
Seattle SuperSonics All Time Leaders
| Player | Pos | GP | MPG | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Payton | G | 999 | 36.9 | 7.3 | 15.6 | .469 | 0.9 | 2.9 | .321 | 6.4 | 12.7 | .504 | .498 | 2.7 | 3.7 | .726 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 7.4 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 18.2 |
| Spencer Haywood | F | 326 | 40.4 | 9.7 | 21.0 | .463 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 9.7 | 21.0 | .463 | .463 | 5.5 | 6.8 | .813 | 3.6 | 7.8 | 12.1 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 1.5 | — | 2.7 | 24.9 |
| Jack Sikma | C | 715 | 34.6 | 6.3 | 13.3 | .471 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .077 | 6.3 | 13.2 | .477 | .471 | 4.3 | 5.1 | .836 | 2.5 | 8.3 | 10.8 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 16.8 |
| Lenny Wilkens | G | 308 | 38.6 | 6.6 | 15.2 | .436 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 6.6 | 15.2 | .436 | .436 | 6.3 | 8.0 | .783 | — | — | 5.0 | 9.0 | — | — | 3.0 | — | 19.5 |
| Gus Williams | G | 477 | 34.1 | 8.3 | 17.6 | .475 | 0.1 | 0.4 | .153 | 8.2 | 17.2 | .477 | .477 | 3.6 | 4.6 | .766 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 1.8 | 0.3 | — | — | 19.0 |
| Shawn Kemp | F | 625 | 29.8 | 5.9 | 11.3 | .521 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .276 | 5.9 | 11.2 | .523 | .522 | 4.4 | 6.1 | .730 | 3.4 | 6.1 | 9.6 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 16.2 |
| Ray Allen | G | 296 | 39.4 | 8.5 | 19.3 | .440 | 2.9 | 7.6 | .386 | 5.6 | 11.7 | .478 | .515 | 4.6 | 5.1 | .899 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 24.6 |
| Detlef Schrempf | F | 418 | 28.9 | 4.9 | 9.7 | .502 | 0.5 | 1.3 | .364 | 4.4 | 8.4 | .524 | .526 | 3.1 | 3.9 | .790 | 1.5 | 4.0 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 13.4 |
| Xavier McDaniel | F | 423 | 35.0 | 8.6 | 18.4 | .469 | 0.3 | 1.0 | .300 | 8.3 | 17.4 | .477 | .477 | 3.5 | 4.8 | .730 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 20.5 |
| Dennis Johnson | G | 323 | 29.5 | 5.3 | 12.1 | .436 | 0.0 | 0.2 | — | 5.3 | 11.9 | .445 | .436 | 3.6 | 4.9 | .739 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 14.2 |
| Fred Brown | G | 963 | 25.4 | 6.2 | 13.0 | .478 | 0.1 | 0.3 | .373 | 6.1 | 12.7 | .480 | .482 | 2.0 | 2.3 | .858 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 14.6 |
| Tom Chambers | F | 304 | 35.1 | 7.6 | 15.8 | .482 | 0.5 | 1.5 | .333 | 7.1 | 14.3 | .496 | .498 | 4.0 | 5.0 | .800 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 19.7 |
| Rashard Lewis | F | 598 | 34.0 | 6.0 | 13.0 | .462 | 1.6 | 4.2 | .381 | 4.4 | 8.8 | .500 | .524 | 3.5 | 4.3 | .800 | 1.7 | 4.3 | 6.0 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 17.1 |
| Dale Ellis | G | 316 | 35.3 | 7.0 | 14.5 | .482 | 1.5 | 3.5 | .429 | 5.5 | 11.0 | .500 | .534 | 2.5 | 3.0 | .830 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 18.0 |
| Slick Watts | G | 306 | 30.0 | 5.0 | 11.0 | .455 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 5.0 | 11.0 | .455 | .455 | 2.5 | 3.5 | .700 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 12.5 |