1994 Nuggets defeating the 1994 Sonics in the first round of the playoffs

[Lebron23]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU_mE7OpUQ0 Dikembe Mutombo leading the Nuggets to an upset against the No.1 seed Seattle Super Sonics in the 1994 NBA Playoffs. Those Sonics were mentally weak. They were defeated by the 48 wins Lakers the next year. Only when Hakeem declined they finally advanced in the Finals"

First time an 8th seed team beat the no.1 seed in the playoffs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH7eIWIT8F8

Full Game

[Reggie43]

They already beat Hakeem at his peak the year before although I do agree they were a mentally weak team before getting it together and making the Finals in 1996.

[JBSptfn]

The Nuggets seemed like the up and coming team at the time. In 1992, I said (after drafting Mutombo and LaPhonso Ellis and others) that they were a team of the future, and they seemed to be showing that promise with that upset. Unfortunately, that was the high water mark, and they had the worst record in the NBA by 1998.

[dankok8]

Stop making agenda threads.

[mehyaM24]

op is obsessed with jordan & the 90s lol. this is an obvious dig at the 96 team.

by your "logic" the kobe/pau lakers were weak because they got swept in 11. even though they had just won back to back. again.. every year is fluid.

[8Ball]

op is obsessed with jordan & the 90s lol. this is an obvious dig at the 96 team.

by your "logic" the kobe/pau lakers were weak because they got swept in 11. even though they had just won back to back. again.. every year is fluid.

Kobe Lakers made 3 finals in a row. They were burnt by 2011. I felt they were burnt out by game 5 of the finals. After they won the championship I knew that was it. They weren't winning another one. Everyone watching that run knew it too.

Sonics made 1 finals total.

[mehyaM24]

Kobe Lakers made 3 finals in a row. They were burnt by 2011. I felt they were burnt out by game 5 of the finals. After they won the championship I knew that was it. They weren't winning another one. Everyone watching that run knew it too.

Sonics made 1 finals total.

fair enough, but the point still stands. nobody calls the 12 thunder "weak" for making 1 finals. teams evolve every year.

[Lebron23]

fair enough, but the point still stands. nobody calls the 12 thunder "weak" for making 1 finals. teams evolve every year.

That Thunder Team had more potential than the 1996 Sonics. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden are all better players than Payton, and Kemp.

[NugzFan]

Greatest upset in nba playoff history :applause:

[Lebron23]

Greatest upset in nba playoff history :applause:

Along side the 1994 New York Knicks

[8Ball]

fair enough, but the point still stands. nobody calls the 12 thunder "weak" for making 1 finals. teams evolve every year.

All 3 of the Thunder top 3 eventually won MVP. That was how stacked that Thunder team was. Who on that Sonics team won MVP?

2012 OKC had more talent than any other dynasty ever. Too bad James Harden got sent off over $5M difference.

[NugzFan]

Along side the 1994 New York Knicks


That was nice but nowhere near as impressive as denver in 1994

[Lebron23]

That was nice but nowhere near as impressive as denver in 1994

I meant 1999 Knicks defeating the 1999 in the playoffs and advancing in the NBA Finals

[mehyaM24]

That Thunder Team had more potential than the 1996 Sonics. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden are all better players than Payton, and Kemp.

sure, but they still underachived. no different than seattle.


All 3 of the Thunder top 3 eventually won MVP. That was how stacked that Thunder team was. Who on that Sonics team won MVP?

2012 OKC had more talent than any other dynasty ever. Too bad James Harden got sent off over $5M difference.

thunder obviously had more talent, but the sonics went 64-18. had a great defense (102 DRTG) and an elite SRS (7.4). however you frame it, they were potent.

[SouBeachTalents]

What's crazy is the Nuggets fell behind 3-0 the next round and forced a Game 7, which iirc has only happened twice in NBA history

[dankok8]

All 3 of the Thunder top 3 eventually won MVP. That was how stacked that Thunder team was. Who on that Sonics team won MVP?

2012 OKC had more talent than any other dynasty ever. Too bad James Harden got sent off over $5M difference.

Harden winning an MVP eventually still doesn't change the fact that he was nowhere near MVP level in 2012. In fact he wasn't even an all-star neither in stature nor production.

OKC had more offensive talent than the Sonics but the Sonics had way more defensive talent. Historically speaking, the Sonics were a more dominant team over their respective 6-year runs.

1993-1998 Sonics: 59.5 wins, +7.32 SRS --- 1 finals appearance, 2 conference finals appearances
2011-2016 Thunder: 55.3 wins, +5.93 SRS --- 1 finals appearance, 4 conference finals appearances

Mind you despite losing Harden, OKC peaked as a team in 2013 (before Westbrook injury) and 2016.


That Thunder Team had more potential than the 1996 Sonics. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden are all better players than Payton, and Kemp.

Peak Harden yea sure. But 1996 Payton was clearly better than Westbrook in 2012 and way way better than Harden in 2012.

[NugzFan]

I meant 1999 Knicks defeating the 1999 in the playoffs and advancing in the NBA Finals


Still nice but a tier below

[8Ball]

2012 OKC had 1st team all-nba player Durant.
2nd team all-nba Westbrook.
6th man of the year.

More stacked than the Supersonics.

Harden wasn't there after 2012.