15 Facts About Seattle SuperSonics

1.

Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle.

FactSnippet No. 816,484
2.

The Seattle SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association as a member club of the league's Western Conference Pacific and Northwest divisions from 1967 until 2008.

FactSnippet No. 816,485
3.

Seattle SuperSonics played their home games at KeyArena for 33 of the franchise's 41 seasons in Seattle.

FactSnippet No. 816,486
4.

The next season, Seattle SuperSonics traded Haywood to New York Knicks, forcing the remaining players to pick up the offensive slack.

FactSnippet No. 816,487
5.

Center Marvin Webster went to New York but Seattle SuperSonics' roster stayed largely intact during the off-season, and they won their first division title in 1979.

FactSnippet No. 816,488
6.

Seattle SuperSonics made it to the Western Conference Finals for the third consecutive season but lost to Lakers in five games.

FactSnippet No. 816,489
7.

Seattle SuperSonics lost in six games to the established trio of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili of San Antonio Spurs, who subsequently defeated Detroit Pistons in the 2005 NBA Finals.

FactSnippet No. 816,490
8.

On June 28, Seattle SuperSonics traded Ray Allen and the 35th pick of the second-round Glen Davis in the 2007 NBA draft to Boston Celtics for rights to the fifth pick; Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West.

FactSnippet No. 816,491
9.

Seattle SuperSonics had received a franchise player with second-overall pick in the NBA draft with Durant.

FactSnippet No. 816,492
10.

The judge rejected the request and Seattle SuperSonics sued Bennett's group to enforce the lease that required the team to play at KeyArena until 2010.

FactSnippet No. 816,493
11.

In months prior to the settlement, Seattle SuperSonics publicly released email conversations that took place within Bennett's ownership group and alleged they indicated at least some members of the group wanted to move the team to Oklahoma City prior to the purchase in 2006.

FactSnippet No. 816,494
12.

Seattle SuperSonics used these incidents to argue the owners failed to negotiate in good faith, prompting Schultz to file a lawsuit seeking to rescind the sale of the team and transfer the ownership to a court-appointed receiver.

FactSnippet No. 816,495
13.

In 1995, Seattle SuperSonics changed their uniforms, adding red and orange, and removing yellow, to their new jerseys that would last six seasons.

FactSnippet No. 816,496
14.

Seattle SuperSonics were traditional rivals of Portland Trail Blazers because of the teams' proximity; the rivalry had been dubbed the I-5 Rivalry in reference to Interstate 5 that connects the two cities, which are 174 miles apart.

FactSnippet No. 816,497
15.

Seattle SuperSonics were rivals of Los Angeles Lakers due to the teams' longstanding pairing in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference.

FactSnippet No. 816,498