Seattle, WA

It was 40 years ago this week that the Seattle SuperSonics played their first regular season game on October 13th, 1967, in San Francisco. They lost that game as well as the next but eight days later, on October 21st, they had their first taste of victory winning 117-110 over the San Diego Rockets. That victory was short lived, however, as they proceeded to lose 11 of their next 12 games. Although it wasn’t the most auspicious start, Seattle fans weren’t bothered. They were just happy that the NBA had seen fit to award them with a franchise.

The SuperSonics got their name from the supersonic transport - a prototype super fast jet then under contract by Boeing. Happily, the Sonics, as they became known, had greater success than Boeing’s jet.

The Sonics first superstar player was Lenny Wilkens who played on the team from 68-72 when he was traded off the team. In 1973 the Sonics got a new coach in basketball legend, Bill Russell who took them all the way to their first playoffs. In 1977, Lenny Wilkens returned, this time as their coach. Lenny helped skyrocket the Sonics with an NBA Championship in 1979 garnering Seattle it’s first major pro sports trophy since 1917!

In 1983 the franchise was sold and for the next 20 years the team saw a series of up and downs which drove franchise owner, Barry Ackerly to threaten to move the team. The Seattle Coliseum, home of the Sonics, had grown dilapidated and in need of repair. In fact it was so bad that in 1993 the Coliseum’s leaky roof led to a “rain out”, the only game in NBA history to be called for rain! Somewhat appropriate for Seattle, don’t you think? The City ponied up and transformed the Coliseum into Key Arena. Most notable during that timeframe was the back to back trips to the NBA finals in 78 & 79.

In 1996 the Sonics made it to the Championships but eventually lost to Chicago. In 2001 the Sonics were sold again, this time to an investment group led by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. The new franchise owners demanded the City underwrite a costly expansion and renovation to Key Arena. The City resisted and the owners threatened to sell or move and sell they did, to an Oklahoma investment group led by billionaire Clay Bennett. With the City’s continued disinterest in upgrading Key Arena, the new owners began looking outside the City and decided on Renton as the site for the new King County Event Center. Mr. Bennett has stated that he plans to relocate the team to Oklahoma if a suitable arena is not provided by the City by the end of this month. The Sonics, however, have a lease agreement with the City of Seattle and Key Arena until 2010 and the City voted 8-0 to prevent an early termination of that lease.

The Sonics surprised many people in 2004/05 by winning 52 games and taking the organization’s sixth division title. In 2007 they were awarded the 2nd pick in the NBA Draft, their highest draft position to date.

Somehow I don’t think the team would be quite the same in Oklahoma! Calling them the Sonics in Oklahoma where Sonic drive-through restaurants are prevalent would be the first oddity.

While the SuperSonic’s celebrated their 40th anniversary last year, this year is the official anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Seattle SuperSonics!

For more sports (and someone who might actually know what they’re talking about, check out Kieran over at the All Sports Report!

Seattle, SuperSonics, Sonics, Basketball, 40th, Anniversary, Key Arena, Sports, Coliseum, Oklahoma, Starbucks