30-Year Anniversary of Seattle SuperSonics Championship

[Sonics4Life]

June 1, 2009 --- Thirty years ago today, the Seattle SuperSonics won the city

[Sonics4Life]

Photo gallery from the '79 Championship celebration:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/sports2009270590/9.html

[Killbot]

The 1990's era with Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Too bad they weren't able to get a championship in one of those years. :mad: :(

[Sonics4Life]

The 1990's era with Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Too bad they weren't able to get a championship in one of those years. :mad: :(

Totally agree Killbot. I was actually not born yet in '79, so i grew up in the Payton/Kemp era too. Just couldn't get past Jordan in '96. :hammerhead:

[stmartin]

Lets Celebrate The Oklahoma Thunderrrrr!

[Sonics4Life]

www.cursethethunder.com

[Sonics4Life]

Sonics fans pay tribute to their lost team:

PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOWrpbUWi_s

[drewdizzle]

I have lived in WA my entire life & I miss the Sonics. Thanks for posting this!

[emsteez forreal]

seattle who..?

[RainierBeachPoet]

thanks for the thread!:cheers:

i was a sophomore in hs when the sonics won it. drove around the rainier valley and west seattle with some buddies the night we won game 5; honked the horn and yelled "we're number 1" to total strangers and it was a city wide party

went to the parade downtown with the thousands of others-- we were like cattle moving as one huge crowd

we were in hoops heaven thirty years ago:banana::banana::banana:


Lets Celebrate The Oklahoma Thunderrrrr!

http://www.ihateclay.com/

[1987_Lakers]

People only remember Dennis Johnson to be a celtic, but he also played for the SuperSonics and won Finals MVP in '79. Put DJ in the HOF already.

[Interminator]

This thread is very deceiving for those who dont realize the Seattle Sonics dont exist.

Its the 30th Anniversary of Oklahoma City Thunder's Championship
http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/ballhype/story_large/2008/11/09/oklahoma_city_thunder_flag.jpg

[Sonics4Life]

your franchise is cursed Interminator. you will never win in OKC.

TV ratings showed more people watched the NBA in Seattle this year than in your pathetic city, despite the fact that our team was stolen and it was the inagural year for yours. :lol :oldlol: :roll:

No true basketball fan recognizes OKC. even star Kevin Durant recently said Seattle is a better NBA city.

Never forget.
http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu184/herkinger/banner.jpg

[Sonics4Life]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/sports/sonics/wallpaper/800x600.jpg

[RainierBeachPoet]

Post your favorite Sonics memories in this thread. David Stern, Clay Bennett and the Blunder may have stolen our franchise, but they will never be able to steal our memories.

Seattle SuperSonics: 1979 NBA Champions:rockon: :cheers: :banana:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/sports2009270590/9.html
i did an ode to the sonics a few years ago:

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16822

and here was a tribute from last year:

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94278


some great photos:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattle_history/nov13/sonics.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f161/dodgersrule18/mcmillan.jpg


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20010623/450history_sonics.jpg



http://www.stevemandich.com/uploaded_images/bloghaywood-723499.jpg



http://www.sportscardinfo.com/scnews/images/stories/Basketball/UpcomingProducts/SlickWatts.jpg

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2006/0720/nba_g_gpayton_195.jpg

[RainierBeachPoet]

Ignorant People only remember Dennis Johnson to be a celtic, but he also played for the SuperSonics and won Finals MVP in '79. Put DJ in the HOF already.

fixed:D

[RainierBeachPoet]

this was a good post in the times from a guy named goodycoug

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/reader_feedback/public/display.php?source_name=mbase&source_id=2009284407

Thirty years ago...WOW! It's a good thing Garfield Heard missed that buzzer-beater shot at the end of Game 6 in the Valley of the Sun in the Conference Finals in '79 or the SuperSonics would have never won it.

To lose 105-99 to the Bullets at home in the previous season's Game 7 finale made the '79 win extra-special. My family still has the JC Penney's Sonics championship record album with all the game highlights, the victory parade led by the late Bill Scott, the funny little musical interludes, and the classic commentary by Bob Blackburn.

The thing about that team was, I think it was like a few years later that they had three Sonics make the All-Star team AT ONCE (Sikma, D.J., and Gus, I believe it was), but during that '79 season, there were no massive stars, and the NBA at 50 video totally skips over the two series between the Sonics and Bullets in '78 and '79.

They morph directly from Walton beating Dr. J. in '77 to the Magic/Bird era beginning in '80. All they have in between is a little segment a la "What's wrong with the NBA in '79" and they comment on the drug culture within the league and I think also the declining attendance and displeased fans.

So even in ultimate victory, the Sonics weren't given much league-wide respect, validation, or tribute, further accentuating the isolation and independence that makes Seattle SEATTLE (in SOME ways). That being said, that was such a special, selfless team, and I think nothing typified it more than the unique role that John Johnson played at forward with his passing and his understated but very real leadership role.

He was part of the glue that seemed to state without words but with actions that that team was all about one thing: the greater goal of winning a title that transcended any individualism. They were very Celtic-like in terms of how Red Auerbach's 60's Celtics dynasty approached things,

and I think it was no coincidence that former Celtic Paul Silas was on the team to provide his veteran leadership, perspective, and guidance. The 1979 Sonics were a team for all time in terms of the history of pro sports in Seattle, will always be appreciated, and will never be forgotten. "The OPERAAA IS OVERRR!!!"

[chitownsfinest]

This thread is very deceiving for those who dont realize the Seattle Sonics dont exist.

Its the 30th Anniversary of Oklahoma City Thunder's Championship
http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/ballhype/story_large/2008/11/09/oklahoma_city_thunder_flag.jpg

Actually you are wrong dude, Seattle still retains the history of the Supersonics and the Thunder are counted as a completely new franchise who just had their first season. The title and everything else the sonics accomplished still belongs to Seattle, technically.

Nice to the Sonics getting some love here. It's a damn shame GP (one of my most favorite players ever) might never see his number retired. Also, as someone pointed out, its a damn shame DJ has been dead for two years and still has not gotten a HOF bid.

[CarpeDiemKJ]

Hersey Hawkins and Detlef Schrempg. Those dudes were great. Vincent Askew Steve Scheffler.

[Killbot]

Totally agree Killbot. I was actually not born yet in '79, so i grew up in the Payton/Kemp era too. Just couldn't get past Jordan in '96. :hammerhead:

We had other chances too, which is why I was pissed off. Supersonics lost to the Nuggets in the first round and I think we made history become the first one to be the 1st seed to lose to an 8th seed. <This was unacceptable> :banghead:

And then we lost in the Conf. Finals to the Houston Rockets.

We also could have had a back to back championship in 1978 and 1979 season. If I remember reading an article correctly, Dennis Johnson had a bad night in Game 7 against the Washington Bullets, thus making us lose grasp of the championship.

Oh well. i shouldn't complain too much. At least, we have one. :pimp:

[Sonics4Life]

"FEED THE HAWK!!!!"

great pics RBpoet.

[chitownsfinest]

IMO, the Sonics would have possibly won one or two titles if they had fired the toolbag George Karl and had hired a proven winner like Pat Riley (who was available in the early and mid 90s). The team was built to have a tough defensive minded coach with guys like GP, Nate Macmillan, and Sam Perkins on the Sonics teams throughout the years. Pat Riley would also have an array of offensive weapons that he lacked while in NY. Sure George Karl got them to the finals once in 96, but that was mainly because of GP's incredible play against Stockton in the WCF. That finals appearance did not make up for George Karl having two 55 plus win teams lose in the first round in consecutive years to clearly inferior opponents.

[Sonics4Life]

We had other chances too, which is why I was pissed off. Supersonics lost to the Nuggets in the first round and I think we made history become the first one to be the 1st seed to lose to an 8th seed. <This was unacceptable> :banghead:


i know dude, and that was our real shot with Jordan out of the league. that 93-94 series was the most vivid and heartbreaking moment of my sports life...until we lost the team last year of course. :violin:

i was only 10 years old, but it was so embarrasing. i'm just glad the Knicks won as an 8-seed in '99 and the Warriors beat the Mavs as an 8-seed a couple years ago so we're not the only ones.

those 90s Sonics teams ruled the Seattle sports landscape and really dominated the whole league in the regular season for most of the decade.

[nbastatus]

Favorite
http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/sports/images/basketballsonics/soniclunchbox3.JPG
http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2266/html/021570.jpg
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2008/writers/steve_aschburner/07/03/sonics/t1-sonics.jpg
http://www.paplaci.hu/phpalbum/photos/Woky/Gary%20Payton/1997-98%20Fleer%20Gary%20Payton-Shawn%20Kemp%20Game%20Breakers.JPG
http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/multimedia/photo_gallery/0807/nba.teams.on.the.move/images/sonics-johnson-durant.jpg
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/090Ac2zcBveAf/340x.jpg

[nbastatus]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/sports/sonics/wallpaper/800x600.jpg
that has to be the best picture ever.

[RainierBeachPoet]

four things:

i can name everyone in this picture except for the guys standing next to walt hazzard in the back (i think it is tom meschery)
bob rule should have been on there before steve scheffler
i cant believe they put ewing in the front row!
wheedle > squatch

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/sports/sonics/wallpaper/800x600.jpg

[raptorfan_dr07]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/sports/sonics/wallpaper/800x600.jpg

I almost forgot for a moment that Patrick Ewing played for Seattle lol.

[nbastatus]

four things:

i can name everyone in this picture except for the guys standing next to walt hazzard in the back (i think it is tom meschery)
bob rule should have been on there before steve scheffler
i cant believe they put ewing in the front row!
wheedle > squatch
wow. true sonics fan.

[nbastatus]

This thread is very deceiving for those who dont realize the Seattle Sonics dont exist.

Its the 30th Anniversary of Oklahoma City Thunder's Championship
http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/ballhype/story_large/2008/11/09/oklahoma_city_thunder_flag.jpg
Sonics > your garbage team.

[InspiredLebowski]

Man, Vinny Baker, what a sad story that turned out to be. And I'm pretty sure Slick Watts is the coolest basketball player that ever lived, even moreso than Clyde Frazier. Also, don't knock Scheffler, he was one of the best scorers in blowout garbage minutes ever!

[Abraham Lincoln]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/sports/sonics/wallpaper/800x600.jpg
Beautiful.

[crisoner]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/sports/sonics/wallpaper/800x600.jpg


AMAZING picture!!!

Can't wait until the Sonics come back the NBA is not the same with out them!!!

[thejumpa]

Feels good to be from Seattle. Strong basketball history here....from the Sonics to Franklin,Rainier Beach, and Garfield grads.....good **** in here

oh yeah, **** the Thunder and whoever supports Clay Bennet

Soon we will have our team back and win another ring

[nbastatus]

Feels good to be from Seattle. Strong basketball history here....from the Sonics to Franklin,Rainier Beach, and Garfield grads.....good **** in here

oh yeah, **** the Thunder and whoever supports Clay Bennet

Soon we will have our team back and win another ring
i still have respect for the players.

[EllEffEll]

I didn't see them play live in 79, but did see them a few times vs. the Lakers the following year including a couple of playoff games. They were bada$$. Tough, physical and always exciting.:rockon:

[Durant35]

Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Hersey Hawkins, Detlef Schremf, and Sam Perkins.

My Favorite Sonics Starting 5.

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

[thejumpa]

Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Hersey Hawkins, Detlef Schremf, and Sam Perkins.

My Favorite Sonics Starting 5.

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Hell yeah.

I have respect for the Thunders players but.....I can't support them because that is supporting Clay Bennett.

Can't wait until we get our team back...

[Thunderstruck]

This pity party is pathetic. Seattle will have their team back sooner than later. I keep hearing you all complain about Clay Bennett, but none of you fools want to acknowledge that your own man, Howard Schultz, sold your Sonics loving asses out. Starbucks be damned, the guy should be run out of town for what he did to you. Clay Bennett saw an opportunity to bring something great to his home town and he took it. If you even believed for a second he was serious about keeping the Sonics in Seattle, you are just as naive as Schultz.

[chitownsfinest]

This pity party is pathetic. Seattle will have their team back sooner than later. I keep hearing you all complain about Clay Bennett, but none of you fools want to acknowledge that your own man, Howard Schultz, sold your pathetic Sonics loving asses out. The guy should be run out of town for what he did to you.

It is true that Howard sold the Sonics with the intention and knowledge of the buyers moving them out of Seattle. Clay, however, did the move and is as subject to blame as Howard is. I remember seeing an interview with a die-hard Sonics fan (can't remember his name but dude practically attends every Seattle sporting event) and he said he blames Howard the most for the actions due to Howard rejecting a deal from Seattle to remodel Key Arena in exchange for keeping them in Seattle and selling them to outside businessmen to make a profit with knowledge of them wanting to move the team to OKC. He did betray his own state.

I do respect and enjoy many of the players on the Thunder. Durant is one of my most favorite players in the league and I enjoy watching Russel play when I have the chance. The anger from most Seattle/NBA fans against the Thunder mainly comes from their distaste of their ownership and anger at the fact that they practically had their team stolen. You can't really blame them for the hate.

[thejumpa]

This pity party is pathetic. Seattle will have their team back sooner than later. I keep hearing you all complain about Clay Bennett, but none of you fools want to acknowledge that your own man, Howard Schultz, sold your Sonics loving asses out. Starbucks be damned, the guy should be run out of town for what he did to you. Clay Bennett saw an opportunity to bring something great to his home town and he took it. If you even believed for a second he was serious about keeping the Sonics in Seattle, you are just as naive as Schultz.

Clay Bennett is a jackass, that's a fact. Howard Schultz, is a jackass, that's also a fact. True Sonic fans who don't like Clay Bennett shouldn't like Schultz either. I've been in Seattle all my life and generally don't **** with Schultz. Problem is, he has done a lot in terms of the economy in Seattle so I can't treat him like Bennett. I knew he wasn't going to keep the Sonics in Seattle but most fans actually believed him...I know it's hard to understand but, people tend to believe what others in higher positions say....

Bennett, on the other hand, is a snake and proved that by his actions.....I don't **** with him or the Thunder. I just can't bring myself to support that movement...

Oh, and like chitownsfinest said, the anger started with the ownership and ended with the new ownership. I could go on and on and on...the situation is messed up but....trust me, Sonic fans have a reason to be pissed off.

It's Deeper than Basketball....:oldlol:

[momo]

Cheers :cheers: to the sonics ship and history as a whole!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/sports/sonics/wallpaper/800x600.jpg


This rules, I straight forgot about slick!
http://www.sportscardinfo.com/scnews/images/stories/Basketball/UpcomingProducts/SlickWatts.jpg

[Killbot]

Call me stupid or blind, but I don't see Gary Payton in the picture...:ohwell:
If he's on the very right, the face don't look much like Payton.

[InspiredLebowski]

Call me stupid or blind, but I don't see Gary Payton in the picture...:ohwell:
If he's on the very right, the face don't look much like Payton.

It's a really young Gary, looks 94ish

[RainierBeachPoet]

bob rule should have been on there before steve scheffler


my bad-- bob rule is next to lenny in the pic

[RainierBeachPoet]

This pity party is pathetic. Seattle will have their team back sooner than later. I keep hearing you all complain about Clay Bennett, but none of you fools want to acknowledge that your own man, Howard Schultz, sold your Sonics loving asses out. Starbucks be damned, the guy should be run out of town for what he did to you. Clay Bennett saw an opportunity to bring something great to his home town and he took it. If you even believed for a second he was serious about keeping the Sonics in Seattle, you are just as naive as Schultz.

bennett is just the current scapegoat and most visible face right now but the others carry culpability too

ever since the sale, i have railed against shultz and have boycotted starfu(ks. just go to the supersonic forum and you can see for yourself. i have been posting here at ish since 2006

mayor greg nichols is also on my sh!tlist for not going through with the lawsuit. as it turns out with the economy tanking and aubrey mclendon's portfolio taking huge hits, it might have been enough to force bennetts hand and a sale to locals

hindsight is always 20-20

[Thunderstruck]

I don't disagree with everyone's sentiment about Clay Bennett. My mother worked for him once upon a time and does not have many good things to say about him. I've never met him personally, but am happy that he brought the NBA to my city, even at the expense of Seattle. I wish it wouldn't have gone down the way it did, but I am very excited to have a team here as you all would be if you were in my shoes. I do hope that in the future Seattle fans would refrain from trashing OKC and making this a war between cities because it's not. Either way, I truly believe someone (maybe even Howard Schultz to save face) will buy up a team and move it back to Seattle in the near future.

[Tool]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ALdNck0f2o&feature=channel_page

The good ol' days

[Sonics4Life]

People I blame, in order:

1. Howard Schultz -- his poor ownership drove the team into mediocrity even after a surprising NW division championship in 05, and he sold the team to Clay without strong enough legal language to keep the team here. BOYCOTT STARBUCKS!!

2. Seattle/WA elected officials -- City council members Nick Licata and Chris Van Dyk rallied against arena funding, and the state legislature failed to capitalize even when Steve Ballmer offered to pay for 50% of the arena this year and last year. Mayor Nickels sold out the team last year, and hopefully he will pay the price at this November's election.

3. Clay Bennett and Aubrey McClendon -- for being evil, lying, manipulative bastards who plotted to steal our team.

4. David Stern -- for having a business model that extorts cities for new arenas even when we built one to his specifications in 1995. he lied and made backroom deals with his lover Clay in order to screw Seattle's fans, who supported the NBA for 41 loyal years.

Nowhere do I blame Seattle fans or OKC fans, except the Okies who come on message boards and rub it in our faces.

We are putting together a full length documentary film called "SonicsGate" that covers all the scandal surrounding the theft of our team... will premier this fall.

Until then, check out these videos from the Sonics Tribute Show I put on in Seattle earlier this year. :cheers: Great speeches and sexy performances by the Sonics Dance Team:

PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOWrpbUWi_s

[thejumpa]

I don't disagree with everyone's sentiment about Clay Bennett. My mother worked for him once upon a time and does not have many good things to say about him. I've never met him personally, but am happy that he brought the NBA to my city, even at the expense of Seattle. I wish it wouldn't have gone down the way it did, but I am very excited to have a team here as you all would be if you were in my shoes. I do hope that in the future Seattle fans would refrain from trashing OKC and making this a war between cities because it's not. Either way, I truly believe someone (maybe even Howard Schultz to save face) will buy up a team and move it back to Seattle in the near future.

Schultz won't do it....he is losing money left and right. For now, we gotta see what Steve Ballmer, Gary Payton, and their crew does....until then, I'm patiently waiting. Like I said earlier, I have respect for the Thunder players. A lot of them used to come to my work back in the day when they were Sonics (obviously). I just can't support Bennett or anything he is involved with....ie the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was just started to get good for the Sonics too....

[nbastatus]

Jerseys:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51D0pXBwEtL._AA280_.jpg
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/3/9/1/9/9/4/webimg/163956892_tp.jpg
http://i13.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/39/34/0ff2_1.JPG
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LtMBrUvtL._AA280_.jpg
http://ai.pricegrabber.com/pi/71/09/74/710974148_160.jpg
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/9/9/1/5/5/7/webimg/215173903_tp.jpg



http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2008/07/06/2008036653.jpg
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0eHye3WgZJ0Si/340x.jpg

[nbastatus]

http://www.hoopslibrary.com/seattlesupersonics/logo.gif
http://www.supersonicsoul.com/uploaded_images/comics4sonics_big-2-725271.jpg
http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2007/11/05/22/359-2S6SEATTLE.embedded.prod_affiliate.4.JPG
http://theace4.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/nba_sea_kid_sign_save_our_sonics_article.jpg
http://pictopia.com/perl/get_image?provider_id=202&size=550x550_mb&ptp_photo_id=580668
http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/3/P11334429.jpg
http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/sports/images/basketballsonics/pinback-sonics-weedle.JPG

[RainierBeachPoet]

just feeling nostalgic...

[Derka]

:cheers: to Sonics fans still hanging around.

SonicsGate was a great watch, btw.

[Alonzo Magic]

To the Sonics. :cheers: