Favorite Sonics memories?

Since the move is a done deal. I would like to bring more positive vibe in this forum.

Please share some great memories of the Sonics.

Here is mine.

I met Steve Scheffler (the Sonics' cult famous 12th man). My brother and I were at the Seafirst Hoops camp. After our session was over, we headed to a pizza place to eat and wait for our dad to pick us up. It was a pretty hot day so we ate outside. And lo and behold, who walks by? Steve! He goes in a sub shop to buy a sandwich.

He saw our shirts and sat and down with us. We talked for 2 hours about basketball (of course) and other small stuff. He was down to earth and it was talking to a regular guy who happens to be a basketball player. He knew a lot of about it. He shares with us, the passion of Indiana basketball (his homestate), his experience as a player, and the fact he re-purchased his jersey for a high amount of money at an auction. I am guessing he prized his jersey and wanted to keep it to show it to his grandkids. At the same time he didn't mind giving away so much money since it was for charity.

He signed our Nate McMillan basketball cards. ("you want me to sign Nate's cards!" he said with a laugh). Too bad we didn't have Scheff cards :(

The one quote I still remember from him was, "you know I get paid a quarter of a million dollars to sit on the bench. That's a pretty good deal."

During the mid 1990s, I believe the NBA minimum wage was ~$247,000.

The day was June 23, 1995. I will never forget this day.

My second favorite memory was watching the 95-96 Sonics' run to the Finals. Even though, they lost, it put Seattle on the map. Some of my relatives and friends who were not from the US, knew where Seattle was.

Who can forget that squad?

Shawn, Gary, Det, Mac10, Big Smooth, Askew, Hawk, Brickowski, David Wingate, Pookie, Scheff, and ...am I missing some else? :)

I don't think I will appreciate the 79 championship as much. I was born in december later in 1979.

[URL="http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94278"]http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94278[/URL]

also:

check out this thread from nov 2006 regarding sonic tribute

[URL="http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16822"]http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16822[/URL]


on my 1000th post, i would like to present [U]some thoughts[/U] for your consideration

i discovered these ish forums this past july and have found them to be a [U]good diversion[/U] from work. many of you who post are very impressive in your knowledge of the nba.

i had described myself in one thread as a [U]"nba purist"[/U]. what i mean by that is i enjoy [U]the game for what it is[/U] and all that it offers:
the construction of teams for chemistry and how individual skills relate to the good of the club; the physical nature of the game and the incredible athleticism of the players; the simple beauty of a 3-2 or 2-1 fastbreak run well; the high-flying glide of a slamdunk; a well executed crossover, give and go or pick and roll; the mano a mano confrontations on the court; the related drama of good rivals-- especially in the playoffs; the last minutes of a closely fought game; the thrill of a last second shot; the emotions of the fans as well as the players; the glorious feeling when your team walks away a winner.

some [U]things that i dislike [/U]about the nba: selfish play and the eilitism of some players; how money has negatively affected some guys allegiance to their teams; the nba trying to "market" the game and improve its own reputation primarily for financial purposes; owners who disregard communities/cities for their own bottom line; off court distractions such as gun incidents, rape charges, other off court violence

as you can guess,[U] i am an old school fan[/U]. as one of the few here at ish over 40, i kind of enjoy sharing what i have seen from the 70s, 80s and 90s as a way of giving some[U] historical perspective to various topics.[/U] i enjoy reading the discussions comparing players/teams--- especially hall of famers. although i am not the smartest guy in the world, nor am i one-third the stats man that many of you are, i think i have a good handle on the nba and what it is about.

[U]i am an unabashed [B]homer for the seattle supersonics [/B][/U]

i grew up with them in seattle and hoops formed me as fan. i also follow the knicks because i thought clyde frazier was just the coolest player back in the day. i follow too and cheer for the clippers since 1985 when i moved to los angeles and couldnt get/afford laker tickets. [U] but i have always been and always will be a supersonics fan-- no matter where they play!![/U]

[CENTER][B][SIZE=3]Ode to the Sonics[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]

the sonics this year celebrate our 40th anniversary in the league. hopefully, ownership and management can work together to keep the sonics in the seattle area. why cant all those microsoft millionaires step in and work a deal in bellevue/redmond area? i know you are reading this mr gates!

this past sunday, the [U]sonics honored a number of men who played for the sonics in the past. [/U] here is [B]my take on some of them[/B] (in alphabetical order):

[SIZE=3][CENTER][B]ray allen[/B][/CENTER]
[/SIZE]

even though its only been three years, i have enjoyed watching him put up the perfect jumper. next to spencer haywood, we havent had a guy put up points like jesus shuttlesworth and i wish he could put up 30 shots a game

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]freddy brown[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://www.nba.com/sonics/0001images/retired_jerseys_brown.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
when i was 11 years old, i remember going crazy in front of the tv as freddy scored 30 point by halftime against the warriors. i just kept pacing the living room saying, "i cant believe he has 30 already, i cant believe it" i am sure my folks thought i was nuts. he scored 58 that night and it is still our record. before the three point line existed in the nba, i could swear that there were times when freddy would jack up shots near the hash mark. that is why he i "downtown freddy brown" to us old schoolers

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]dale ellis[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]

was known as "3D" and was another long range favorite from the late 80s. still is 3rd overall in 3 pters in nba history. with "x-man" and chambers we had some fine clubs in the late 80s. all three put up 20+ ppg. unfortunately, the lakers ruled the west; swept us in the west. conf finals one year

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]spencer haywood[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/seattle/Haywoodsea.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
as a kid, we all wanted to imitate spencer's turnaround jumper from the baseline-- it was just money. he paved the way for players to jump to the nba early with the "hardship rule" from the courts. he was our first real superstar averaging 25/12 a game. i was so disappointed in 1974 when bob lanier got the all star game mvp when spencers numbers from the game were comparable.

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]dennis johnson[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://www.nba.com/media/sonics/dennis_johnson%28254%29.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
tough, tough defender as well as overall guard in some of our best years 1977-1979 and the mvp of the championship year 1979 and he redeemed himself after going 0-14 from the field in game 7 of the finals, in seattle, in 1978. oh the scars are deep from that game...

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]shawn kemp[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/2717/kemp.gif[/IMG][/CENTER]
many of you here remember well the "reign man". gave us some of the most vicious dunks recorded. if not for the popularity of mj, shawn was the mvp of the 1996 finals series (to me at least)


[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]rashard lewis[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]

stay in seattle shard--PLEASE-- we want you to retire in the emerald city. quiet, unassuming, gets the job done. like shawn, we have witnessed the maturation of him since he was a kid

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]xavier mcdaniel[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]

the original "X" (sorry dmx); 20+ scorer and intimidator with a capital I. no one messed with the x-man

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]nate mcmillan[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/nba/2000/1127/photo/s_mcmillan_i.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
nate set the rookie record for assists in a game-- 25 in 1987. "mr sonic" showed gp how the game is played in the nba. his leadership was extremely valuable for the sonics over his 12 year career. i still think that if he were fully healthy during the 1996 finals, it would have been a different outcome

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]gary payton[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]

my favorite all time sonic. gp brought a brashness and take no prisoner attitude to the club in the 90s. favorite moment: 1996 finals, gp picks mj's pocket, streaks down the court and JAMS it through the hoops with mj looking on. i still have that poster. gp is our sure thing hof-er

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]detlef schrempf[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://www.sportal.de/basketball/personal/interviews/images/schrempf_04.gif[/IMG][/CENTER]
i remember watching him play for centralia h.s. in the state playoffs as the beat odea. we knew he was going to be special. starred with the huskies and indiana. his versatility was an important part of his role as a sonic-- mr dependable

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]jack sikma[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://www.nba.com/sonics/0001images/retired_jerseys_sikma.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
seven year all star for us and his inside pivot was a great pet move (i dont know why more guys dont learn it). we couldnt have won the championship with him. set the league's toughest picks

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]slick watts[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://www.historylink.org/db_images/sonics004.JPG[/IMG][/CENTER]
my all time sentimental favorite!! as kids we used to hang outside the coliseum and wait for the players to sign autographs. slick would sign every single one of them and hang around and joke with the crowd. led the league in 1976 in steals and assists. the originator of the headband and bald head look in the nba. we all had headbands in the seattle youth leagues in the mid 70s. slick still lives in seattle and does community appearances

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]lenny wilkins[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/centennial/november/photo/LennyWilkins.gif[/IMG][/CENTER]
i dont remember him as a player (even i was too young!!), just as our championship year coach. calm, unassuming, confident and had the respect of all the players after he turned the team around in 1978 after a 2-17 start under bob hopkins to the nba finals against the bullets. hof-er as a player and a coach

[B][CENTER][SIZE=3]gus williams[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[/B]
[CENTER][IMG]http://users.ev1.net/%7Ehlsports/a061179.JPG[/IMG][/CENTER]
"the wizard" was awesome and was the leading scorer on the championship club. one of the scoring point guards from the 70s. we could rely on gus to score when we needed it; averaged 28.6 ppg in the finals

well my friends, there you have some of my nba and sonic thoughts. i hope you enjoyed this 1000th post thread of mine.

[CENTER][SIZE=4][B][U]i would be interested in hearing your comments-- positive or negative about my own opinions about the nba or the sonics.[/U][/B][/SIZE][/CENTER]

i will add an addendum to this thread probably on saturday after a business trip to chicago

peace,

rainier beach = best hood in seattle
poet = believer in the power of words



ps-- do visit the sonic forum and give us a few posts, seems like glove20 and i are the only regulars there.

pss-- i had to remove many pics of some of the sonic players 'cause ish limited me to only ten pics here

My biggest memory of the Sonics was the back to back Finals run. In 1978 we lost in our first attempt, but we redeemed ourselves the next year. This was my introduction to the Sonics, and I was hooked in '78 as a fan of the Sonics.

As other previous posters have mentioned I too have fond memories of the Sonics 96' run to the NBA Finals. It was always lots of fun watching Gary Payton & Shawn Kemp play together. It was also fun watching the Sonics of 2005. They were a run/gun team that made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs and gave the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs a run for their money. :applause:

I remember staying inside instead of relaxing in the sun in 96 because I wanted to see the Sonics earn themselves a championship that year. Payton and Kemp were big favorites of mine.

I saw a good collage here:

[url]http://www.sirius-about-sports.net/2008/07/to-top-it-off-top-ten-moments-in.html[/url]

My fav, like many others here, is the finals run in 96. I'd only been into the game for 3 or 4 years and seeing the evolution of the Glove-Kemp double act was so exciting, especially as I was young at that time.

Have the bulls games saved and cherished. tis a sad day...

i hate to be a an a$$ but my favorite SONICS moment was when they loss to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, when an 8 seed finally beat a 1 seed, that was a great series and match up. i still remember it to this day.

other then that, just watching the Payton/Kemp years, they were entertaining to see for sure!

It may not be a favorite memory but a memory nonetheless.

Watching Deke clutching the ball was heart breaking.

[quote=$14.98]It may not be a favorite memory but a memory nonetheless.

Watching Deke clutching the ball was heart breaking.[/quote]

this image is my "least favorite sonic nightmare"

(although losing game 7 in 1978 to the bullets hurt MORE)

Watching Shawn Kemp's high-flying ways sticks out in my head more than anything.

(Speaking as a non-Sonics fan)

[quote=insidehoops]Watching Shawn Kemp's high-flying ways sticks out in my head more than anything.

(Speaking as a non-Sonics fan)[/quote]

he is playing 3BA ball these days and yesterday i watched a replay of the seattle game (which played a week ago friday)

he is doing a nice gervinesque fingerroll these days as he is 39 years old now
:violin:

I only started watching in the '90s but I loved reading RBP's posts about past Sonic players. Always good to hear from an oldschool fan.

Anyway, I was a huge fan of the Payton-Kemp-Schrempf trio. Also a fan of Sleepy Sam. Always considered him to be one of the greatest jumpshooting big men of all time. The trio was very exciting to watch. From the half-court alley oops from Payton to Kemp to GP workin' it in the low-post to their incredible run in the '96 playoffs. The team as a whole was very complete and great to watch. Great starting 5. Had GP, the Hawk, Detlef, Kemp and Perkins or was it Ervin? Can't remember. Very explosive team with a lotta firepower. I was ecstatic when my Nugz upset the Sonics in '94 but I always respected them as a team and enjoyed watching them play.

And I thought they got robbed in the '93 WCF against Phoenix. Too many calls against them sending Barkley and KJ to the line a gazillion times. My favorite memory was probably game 7 of the '96 WCF against Utah. Both teams went back and forth and showed the heart of a champion. Both Kemp and Payton came up huge and [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6oW2vmxFRU&feature=related"]the intro was fantabolous. [/URL]

I miss this franchise.

Sonics fans pay tribute to their lost team:

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