Bring Back The Seattle Supersonics

I am not from Seattle, Washington. Never lived there. Been there twice. Liked it the first time, loved it the second time. One of our great American cities in one of my favorite parts of the country and one of the most scenic—including breathtaking views of Mount Ranier—on a clear day (yeah, they get them) and great seafood. Like most cities large and small, it has its challenges. Some don’t like the climate, too pricey for others. Seattle has many things, but one thing it does not have is an NBA franchise of its own. It used to, as the SuperSonics called Seattle home from 1967 through 2008 before relocating to Oklahoma City. In that 40-year period, the Sonics created quite a few unforgettable moments, including the capture of an NBA championship in 1979. As I share some long-distance memories of a team from the other coast, I am among many hoping for return of NBA basketball to Seattle and that its owners will do the right thing and bring back the Seattle SuperSonics.

A SERIES OF BEDTIME STORIES TWICE A YEAR

My earliest recollection of the Seattle SuperSonics was as a child living in New York City during the late 1960’s, probably the 1969 season. I didn’t know where Seattle was, certainly didn’t know what a SuperSonic was. All I knew was that the Knicks would make a couple of West Coast trips every year because there were less than 20 NBA teams at the time, and Seattle was one of the stops. Presumably the Sonics were wearing green uniforms the black-and-white televisions had no use for. When I first saw them play they were an expansion team, maybe in their second or third season in the league. Those televised late night games from the Pacific Time Zone, especially the ones on Friday and Saturday evenings, were like extra holidays.

OH YEAH, THAT GUY

The first time I saw the Sonics play, I didn’t recognize too many of their players. I’d heard of Lenny Wilkens because he was a Brooklynite, but I walked away knowing who Bob Rule was. He was another of those so-called “undersized centers” from that era, along with Willis Reed, Wes Unseld and others. But he was a load to handle in the paint and he went to work on the Knicks (who were really good back then) that night. Unfortunately, his certain Hall of Fame career was cut short by a torn Achilles tendon.

Later, my Sonics education was enhanced after purchasing my first few packs of basketball cards. I remember an Art Harris card as well as Tom Meschery with his bushy mustache. Also had a Dorey Murray card. Later the Sonics would add an accurate distance shooter named Dick Snyder. He would have been a three-point threat, but, thankfully, the NBA hadn’t incorporated that line yet.

THE TALENT BEGINS TO ROLL IN

Spencer Haywood, Don Kojis, Don Smith, Garfield Heard. The fundamentally-sound Barry Clemens. These guys could ball. By then I was old enough to research these guys and realize the Knicks would no longer be facing an expansion team when they played the Sonics. They even drafted Jim McDaniels, who I remembered from watching college ball as he and his outside shooting led Western Kentucky to the NCAA Final Four in the early 1970s. That didn’t quite work out as planned, but the Sonics were still on the move.

Lenny Wilkens leaves and the late John Brisker, known for his roughhouse style, comes in from the ABA. By the way, he could play a little, especially on the offensive end. Ditto Fred Brown. When Jim Fox came to the New York Nets, I remembered him from the Sonics. Unfortunately, he was one of the holdovers with the Nets after Julius Erving left for Philadelphia, and the locals in the mostly empty Nassau Coliseum were kind of rough on him and the other Nets’ big, Kim Hughes.

Fun times.

TIME TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP

My all-time favorite Sonic was Slick Watts. Ahead of his time, and he always gave full effort with that headband wrapped around his light bulb of a head. Leonard Gray was a space-eater under the basket, and I remember Tom Burleson from those great North Carolina State teams with David Thompson and Monte Towe. Burleson was NOT an undersized center. All-time great Bill Russell was the Coach and General Manager by then. In these parts he was getting mixed reviews in some of the local publications, but I wasn’t having it.

Not Russ.

Later the Sonics would draft Bobby Wilkerson, whom I remembered from the 1976 Indiana University championship squad with Quinn Buckner, Scott May and Kent Benson. They also selected Dennis Johnson from Pepperdine, whom I’d never heard of. I know who he is now. I’m just glad he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, because he was a true two-way player. Played the whole game. A winner. (Bill Russell made that pick, right?)

Not only were the Sonics developing talent, they had a personality about them as well. Maybe even a little swag with Watts, Nick Weatherspoon (the fans loved that guy). They brought in winners like Paul Silas and John Johnson (always moving on both ends, must have been a pain to play against). They brought in a defensive anchor in Marvin Webster and yet another strong draft netted them Jack Sikma and perimeter scorer Joe Hassett from Providence (I remember him from those Saturday afternoon ECAC games). Cool Lenny Wilkens comes back to coach the team.

Once they brought in Gus Williams, who evidently just needed minutes he wasn’t getting at Golden State and Lonnie Shelton from the Knicks, who gave up on him after just two seasons. Some things never change. Meanwhile, after those moves, the Sonics were ready to win a title, which they did in 1979 after losing in the finals the year before.

THE FAN BASE

I’ll never forget how raucous the Sonics’ fans were during that championship run. I’m not sure how their attendance was during the early years, but many NBA teams were struggling in that department back then. I could never have imagined that community without a team less than 20 years later. In fact, their crowds at the Seattle Center Coliseum were rather boisterous during those regular season games with the Knicks back then.

OTHER PLAYERS OF NOTE

As a teen-aged bandwagoner from the 1976 Rutgers’ Final Four squad, I was intrigued when the Sonics selected Jammin’ James Bailey in the 1979 draft. I thought that was quite a haul for a squad just coming off a title. Then Vinnie Johnson, whom I’d seen play in high school, shows up as well for a short visit before being traded to Detroit for Greg Kelser. Folks were kind of beating up on Kelser back then because the expectations were high coming from Michigan State. The Sonics were still formidable by then with Brown, Williams, Shelton and Sikma plus guys like the tough, defensive-minded Bill Hanzlik and Wally Walker, who somehow kept finding championship teams to play on after winning in Portland in 1977.

The Sonics also brought in guys like ABA great Willie Wise, Bob Love and David Thompson at various points in the twilight of their careers but they were still productive. But when they brought in guys like Tom Chambers and Xavier McDaniel, it ushered in a new era of Sonics basketball, it seems. Toss in a Nate McMillan to lock up the other team’s best guard and Dale Ellis scoring from all areas of the floor, and it was time for another period of excellence. Bring in Olden Polynice (remembered him from high school as well) and draft a versatile Derrick McKey…hey, the Sonics may not have hit on all their draft selections, but they drafted well overall. This is before even mentioning Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, who would become centerpieces in the Sonics trip to the NBA Finals in 1996.

There were other contibutors, of course. Eddie Johnson, Benoit Benjamin, Michael Cage, Dana Barros, Ricky Pierce, Hersey Hawkins, Vin Baker, Rashard Lewis, Brent Barry, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis out of high school, Sam Perkins, Chris Wilcox, Luke Ridnour and even Flip Murray, while Detlef Schrempf came over after his 30th birthday and still gave the Sonics at least six productive seasons.

And there were many others.

THE ULTIMATE GUT PUNCH

There’s something diabolical about snatching a franchise away from a basketball-crazed city like Seattle one year after drafting Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant and right before selecting Russell Westbrook. They were set for yet another period of deep playoff runs. Unfortunately, if Seattle does return to the NBA, they’re looking at several years of expansion teams before making a run.

That’s tough.

CITY PRODUCES NBA TALENT, CAN’T WATCH THEM PLAY IN PERSON

Seattle has been outdistancing several larger well-known basketball factories where producing NBA talent — past and present — is concerned. Zach Lavine, Avery Bradley, Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas, Marvin Williams, Brandon Roy, Dejounte Murray, Jason Terry, Doug Christie, Nate Robinson and others. Cleveland Cavaliers’ first-round pick Kevin Porter, Jr. is from Seattle as well. A city contributing so much to the league surely should have it’s own team, especially since it has already proven it can support one.

THE PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS NEED A NEIGHBOR

As it stands now, the Portland Trailblazers are the lone entry in the upper-left corner of the United States. They could use a neighbor in that area, as Seattle and Portland are just a three-hour drive apart by car. The Blazers’ closest road opponent is about 600 miles away in Sacramento, California.