1996–97 Seattle SuperSonics season

1996–97 Seattle SuperSonics season
Division Champions
Shawn Kemp's final season with the Sonics
Head coach George Karl
General manager Wally Walker
Arena KeyArena at Seattle Center
Results
Record 57–25 (.695)
Place Division: 1st (Pacific)
Conference: 2nd (Western)
Playoff finish West Semifinals
(eliminated 3-4)

Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com

Local media
Television Fox Sports Northwest, KOMO-TV
Radio KOMO-AM and FM

The 1996–97 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 29th season of the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] In the offseason, the Sonics signed free agents Jim McIlvaine and Craig Ehlo, and later on signed free agent Terry Cummings during the season. Coming off their trip to the NBA Finals, the Sonics remained as one of the elite teams in the Western Conference as they won their third Division Title in four years with a 57–25 record, and entered the playoffs as the #2 seed in the Western Conference. Three members of the team, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Detlef Schrempf were all selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game.

In the first round of the playoffs, they defeated the 7th-seeded Phoenix Suns after trailing 2–1. In the semifinals, they faced the Houston Rockets, who had home court advantage in the series and defeated the Sonics in seven games. It was also Kemp's last season with the SuperSonics, as he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three team trade the following year. Also following the season, Cummings signed with the Philadelphia 76ers and Ehlo retired.

Draft picks

Main article: 1996 NBA Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
2 35 Joseph Blair C  United States Arizona
2 45 Joe Vogel C  United States Colorado State
2 47 Ron Riley SG/SF  United States Arizona State
2 57 Drew Barry PG  United States Georgia Tech

Roster

Seattle SuperSonics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY–MM–DD) From
PF 34 United States Cummings, Terry 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1961–03–15 DePaul
SG 3 United States Ehlo, Craig 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1961–08–11 Washington State
SG 21 United States Graham, Greg 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 1970–11–26 Indiana
SG 33 United States Hawkins, Hersey 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1966–09–29 Bradley
PF 40 United States Kemp, Shawn 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1969–11–26 Trinity Valley CC
C 22 United States McIlvaine, Jim 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1972–07–30 Marquette
SG 10 United States McMillan, Nate 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1964–08–03 North Carolina State
PG 20 United States Payton, Gary 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1968–07–23 Oregon State
PF 14 United States Perkins, Sam 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1961–06–14 North Carolina
C 55 United States Scheffler, Steve 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1967–09–03 Purdue
SF 11 Germany Schrempf, Detlef 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 214 lb (97 kg) 1963–01–21 Washington
PG 13 United States Snow, Eric 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1973–04–04 Michigan State
SF 23 United States Stewart, Larry 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1968–09–21 Coppin State
SF 25 United States Wingate, David 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1963–12–15 Georgetown
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Seattle SuperSonics 57 25 .695 – 31–10 26–15 16–8
x-Los Angeles Lakers 56 26 .683 1 31–10 25–16 18–6
x-Portland Trail Blazers 49 33 .598 8 29–12 20–21 15–9
x-Phoenix Suns 40 42 .488 17 25–16 15–26 13–11
x-Los Angeles Clippers 36 46 .439 21 21–20 15–26 10–14
Sacramento Kings 34 48 .415 23 22–19 12–29 8–16
Golden State Warriors 30 52 .366 27 18–23 12–29 4–20
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Utah Jazz 64 18 .780 –
2 y-Seattle SuperSonics 57 25 .695 7
3 x-Houston Rockets 57 25 .695 7
4 x-Los Angeles Lakers 56 26 .683 8
5 x-Portland Trail Blazers 49 33 .598 15
6 x-Minnesota Timberwolves 40 42 .488 24
7 x-Phoenix Suns 40 42 .488 24
8 x-Los Angeles Clippers 36 46 .439 28
9 Sacramento Kings 34 48 .415 30
10 Golden State Warriors 30 52 .366 34
11 Dallas Mavericks 24 58 .293 40
12 Denver Nuggets 21 61 .256 43
13 San Antonio Spurs 20 62 .244 44
14 Vancouver Grizzlies 14 68 .171 50

Record vs. opponents

1996-97 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA VAN WAS
Atlanta — 3–1 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–0 1–1 1–3 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 1–2 4–0 2–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–1
Boston 1–3 — 0–4 0–4 1–2 1–1 1–1 0–4 1–1 0–2 1–2 0–2 1–1 0–4 1–3 0–2 0–4 0–4 0–4 1–3 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 3–1 0–2 0–2 0–4
Charlotte 3–1 4–0 — 0–4 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 2–0 2–0 2–2 1–1 1–1 1–2 2–2 2–0 4–0 3–1 1–2 4–0 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–2 0–2 2–0 3–1
Chicago 3–1 4–0 4–0 — 3–1 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 4–0 2–0 1–1 2–2 4–0 2–0 3–1 2–2 3–0 4–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–1
Cleveland 1–3 2–1 1–3 1–3 — 2–0 1–1 2–2 1–1 0–2 3–1 2–0 1–1 0–4 2–2 2–0 4–0 1–3 2–2 3–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 3–1 1–1 2–0 1–3
Dallas 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 — 3–1 0–2 0–4 0–4 1–1 2–2 0–4 0–2 0–2 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 1–3 3–1 0–2
Denver 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–3 — 0–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 1–3 0–4 0–2 1–1 0–4 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–2 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–4 1–1 0–4 3–1 1–1
Detroit 3–1 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–0 2–0 — 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 0–4 3–1 2–0 4–0 1–2 2–2 2–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 2–0 4–0
Golden State 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 4–0 3–1 0–2 — 0–4 1–1 1–3 0–4 0–2 1–1 1–3 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–4 2–2 1–3 4–0 0–4 2–0 0–4 3–1 0–2
Houston 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 4–0 3–1 1–1 4–0 — 1–1 3–1 3–1 0–2 1–1 4–0 2–0 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–2 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 1–1 2–2 3–1 2–0
Indiana 1–3 2–1 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–1 2–0 1–3 1–1 1–1 — 2–0 1–1 1–3 2–2 2–0 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0 0–2 2–0 1–3
L.A. Clippers 0–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–2 3–1 0–2 3–1 1–3 0–2 — 2–2 0–2 2–0 1–3 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–2 0–4 2–2 4–0 1–3 2–0 1–3 4–0 0–2
L.A. Lakers 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0 4–0 1–1 4–0 1–3 1–1 2–2 — 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 4–0 1–3 4–0 2–2 3–1 1–1 1–3 4–0 2–0
Miami 2–1 4–0 2–1 2–2 4–0 2–0 2–0 4–0 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 — 4–0 1–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 3–1 0–2 2–0 3–1
Milwaukee 0–4 3–1 2–2 0–4 2–2 2–0 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–1 2–2 0–2 0–2 0–4 — 0–2 2–1 1–2 2–2 3–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–1 1–1 2–0 1–3
Minnesota 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 3–1 4–0 0–2 3–1 0–4 0–2 3–1 1–3 1–1 2–0 — 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–1 2–2 0–4 4–0 0–4 1–1 1–3 4–0 1–1
New Jersey 1–3 4–0 0–4 1–3 0–4 1–1 1–1 0–4 0–2 0–2 2–2 1–1 0–2 1–3 1–2 0–2 — 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–3 0–2 2–0 1–3
New York 3–1 4–0 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–1 1–1 2–2 — 3–1 3–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 3–0 1–1 2–0 4–0
Orlando 1–3 4–0 2–1 0–3 2–2 1–1 2–0 2–2 1–1 2–0 3–1 1–1 1–1 2–2 2–2 1–1 3–1 1–3 — 2–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0 0–2 1–1 1–3
Philadelphia 0–4 3–1 0–4 0–4 0–3 0–2 1–1 1–2 0–2 0–2 0–3 1–1 0–2 1–3 1–3 1–1 2–2 2–3 2–2 — 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–3 0–2 2–0 1–3
Phoenix 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–1 2–2 2–0 4–0 2–2 1–1 2–2 0–4 0–2 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 — 1–3 4–0 3–1 2–2 0–2 1–3 2–2 1–1
Portland 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 3–1 4–0 1–1 2–2 2–2 1–1 4–0 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–1 — 2–2 4–0 1–3 0–2 2–2 4–0 0–2
Sacramento 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 2–2 2–2 1–1 3–1 0–4 1–1 2–2 0–4 0–2 2–0 4–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–4 2–2 — 3–1 1–3 1–1 0–4 4–0 0–2
San Antonio 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–0 3–1 2–2 0–2 0–4 1–3 1–1 0–4 2–2 0–2 1–1 0–4 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–3 0–4 1–3 — 0–4 1–1 1–3 1–3 0–2
Seattle 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 2–0 3–1 4–0 1–1 4–0 1–3 1–1 3–1 1–3 2–0 1–1 4–0 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 4–0 — 2–0 1–3 4–0 2–0
Toronto 0–4 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–0 1–1 1–3 0–2 1–1 0–4 0–2 1–1 1–3 1–3 1–1 3–0 0–3 0–4 3–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 0–2 — 1–1 1–1 2–2
Utah 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 3–1 4–0 1–1 4–0 2–2 2–0 3–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 1–1 — 4–0 2–0
Vancouver 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 0–4 0–4 0–2 0–2 0–4 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 2–2 0–4 0–4 3–1 0–4 1–1 0–4 — 1–1
Washington 1–2 4–0 1–3 1–2 3–1 2–0 1–1 0–4 2–0 0–2 3–1 2–0 0–2 1–3 3–1 1–1 3–1 0–4 3–1 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 0–2 2–2 0–2 1–1 —

Playoffs

Western Conference Quarterfinals

(2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (7) Phoenix Suns Last Playoff Meeting: 1993 Western Conference Finals (Phoenix won 4–3)

Game Date Home Score Visitor Score Record

(SEA-PHO)

 Venue Recap Television
1 April 25 Seattle 101 Phoenix 106 0-1 KeyArena, Seattle 1
2 April 27 Seattle 122 Phoenix 78 1-1 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 2
3 April 29 Phoenix 110 Seattle 103 1-2 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona 3
4 May 1 Phoenix 115 Seattle 122 2-2 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona 4 TNT
5 May 3 Seattle 116 Phoenix 92 3-2 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 5 NBC
Seattle wins series 3–2

Western Conference Semifinals

(2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Houston Rockets Last Playoff Meeting: 1996 Western Conference Semifinals (Seattle won 4-0)

Game Date Home Score Visitor Score Record

(HOU-SEA)

 Venue Recap Television
1 May 5 Houston 112 Seattle 102 1-0 The Summit, Houston 1
2 May 7 Houston 101 Seattle 106 1-1 The Summit, Houston, Texas 2
3 May 9 Seattle 93 Houston 97 2-1 KeyArena, Seattle 3
4 May 11 Seattle 106 Houston 110 3-1 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 4 NBC
5 May 13 Houston 94 Seattle 100 3-2 The Summit, Houston, Texas 5
6 May 15 Seattle 99 Houston 96 3-3 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 6 TNT
7 May 17 Houston 96 Seattle 91 4-3 The Summit, Houston, Texas 7 NBC
Houston wins series 4–3

Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Terry Cummings
Craig Ehlo
Greg Graham
Antonio Harvey
Hersey Hawkins
Shawn Kemp
Jim McIlvaine
Nate McMillan
Gary Payton
Sam Perkins
Steve Scheffler
Detlef Schrempf
Eric Snow
Elmore Spencer
Larry Stewart
David Wingate

Playoffs

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Terry Cummings
Greg Graham
Hersey Hawkins
Shawn Kemp
Jim McIlvaine
Nate McMillan
Gary Payton
Sam Perkins
Detlef Schrempf
Eric Snow
Larry Stewart
David Wingate

Awards and records

Awards

Transactions

Free agents

Additions

Player Signed Former team

Subtractions

Player Left New team

References

See also

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