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Greatest of All-Time: The 1976 Seattle Supersonics

Over the next few weeks SonicsRising will be running reviews of the 22 Seattle Supersonics teams that made the playoffs. This second installment focuses on the 1976 Sonics.

By Joanna Nesgoda
USAToday

The 1976 Sonics team faced the departure of Spencer Haywood, who went to the Knicks that year. However, the team continued to benefit from the skills of Fred Brown and Slick Watts; Brown was selected to the All-Star Game in 1976 and Watts led the league in both steals and assists. The team also enjoyed the coaching skills of Bill Russell (though they would be the last Sonics team with that privilege). The '76 Sonics made the Western Conference Semi-finals, but ultimately lost in six games to a Phoenix Suns team featuring Paul Westphal and Alvan Adams.

Take a look at the 1976 Supersonics' Stats:

Record: 43-39, Finished 2nd in Pacific Division

Coach: Bill Russell

ROSTER

#

Player

Pos

Ht

Wt

Exp

College

40

Mike Bantom

PF

6-9

200

2

Saint Joseph's University

3

Herm Gilliam

SG

6-3

190

6

 Purdue University

32

Fred Brown

SG

6-3

182

4

University of Iowa

16

Tom Burleson

C

7-2

225

1

North Carolina State University

11

Leonard Gray

PF

6-8

240

1

Cal State-Long Beach

35

Al Carlson

C

6-11

235

R

University of Oregon

42

 John Hummer

PF

6-9

230

5

Princeton University

20

Gene Short

SF

6-6

200

R

Jackson State University

15

Willie Norwood

SF

6-7

220

4

Alcorn State University

44

Frank Oleynick

SG

6-2

185

R

Seattle University

45

Bruce Seals

SF

6-8

210

2

Xavier University of Louisiana

22

Tal Skinner

SF

6-5

195

1

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

13

Slick Watts

PG

6-1

175

2

Xavier University of Louisiana

25

Rod Derline

SG

6

175

1

Seattle University

35

 Zaid Abdul-Aziz

C

6-9

235

7

Iowa State University

Stats

Player

G

MP

FG%

FT%

TRB

AST

STL

PPG

Fred Brown

76

2516

.488

.869

317

207

143

23.1

Slick Watts

82

 2776

.427

.578

 365

661

261

13

Bruce Seals

81

2435

.436

.678

507

119

64

11.8

Tom Burleson

82

2647

.481

.750

742

180

70

15.6
Herm Gilliam

81

1644

.442

.776

220

202

82

8.5
Tal Skinner

72

1224

.463

.613

264

67

50

4.3
Rod Derline

49

339

.403

.804

27

26

 11

3.9

Willie Norwood

64

1004

.485

.749

229

59

42

6.9
Zaid Abdul-Aziz

27

223

.467

.552

 76

16

 8 3.2
Gene Short

7

37

.545

.500

 7

2

0

1.9

Mike Bantom

66

1503

.471

.675

368

102

26

8.4

Leonard Gray

66

2139

.474

.746

398

203

75

13.8

Frank Oleynick

52

 650

.402

.688

45

53

21

5.9
John Hummer

29

 364

.478

.415

77

25

6

2.8
Al Carlson

28

279

 .342

.621

73

13

7

2.6

I imagine this team was pretty amazing to watch. Do any of you have any memories of seeing them play that you would like to share?

Don't forget to vote in our poll and let us know where this team ranks among the top 22 Sonics teams!

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