Sonics Rising - The Ten Greatest Players in Supersonics HistoryThe sane voice of the Sonics' return to Seattlehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51481/sonicsrising-fav.png2013-06-09T14:00:06-07:00http://www.sonicsrising.com/rss/stream/39460612013-06-09T14:00:06-07:002013-06-09T14:00:06-07:00Who is The #2 Greatest Sonic of All Time?
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<figcaption><a href="http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/kuow/files/201302/wheedle.jpg">NPR photo</a></figcaption>
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<p>Join us as we unveil the runner-up, the second greatest player in Sonics history. The most dominant player at his position in team history, and an essential part of the team's only championship run. </p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2720593/sonics_sikma_240.jpg"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2720593/sonics_sikma_240_medium.jpg" class="photo" alt="Sonics_sikma_240_medium"></a> <strong>Photo courtesy NBAE/Getty Images</strong></p>
<p>2. <span>Jack Sikma</span>.</p>
<p>As the pivot man for the NBA champion-era Sonics of the late 70s, Jack Sikma’s spectacular eight-year run with the Sonics has only ever been exceeded by a handful of players. Sikma made six consecutive All-Star teams and was one of the more offensively efficient forward/centers of his era.</p>
<p>Arguably the only truly dominant center in franchise history, Sikma had a very productive four year career at Illinois Wesleyan, averaging 27 PPG and 15 RPG in his senior season while shooting 53.8% from the field and over 80% from the line. The Sonics drafted Sikma with the 8th overall pick of the 1977 NBA Draft. Sikma made the All-Rookie team easily with a aterrific season where the team made the NBA Finals, and over the next nine seasons he became the heart of the Sonics offense, averaging 8.8 total win shares, including an incredible campaign in 1981-82 where he had 12.6 WS, a DRB% (percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while on the floor) of 28%, while averaging 19.6 PPG, 12.7 RPG, with 3.4 APG, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks. Sikma was also a deadly free throw shooter, posting a career percentage of 84.9%.</p>
<p>The team wasted no time contending for an NBA title immediately following Sikma’s acquisition. The Sonics enjoyed back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in his first two seasons, first losing to the Washington Bullets in seven games, then the following year winning it all. Though Sikma was third in scoring he led the team in total win shares, defensive win shares, and was second overall in offensive win shares behind Gus Williams. Sikma was also a masterful defensive rebounder and a very competent passer, all quite impressive feats for a second-year player.</p>
<p>The team would go on to make the playoffs for four more consecutive years with slowly declining results, but those were due more to the loss of core players around Sikma, such as Dennis Johnson, rather than a decline in Jack’s skills. Sikma was a steady double-double threat for the entirety of his career as a Sonic, and served as an offensive anchor and consistent frontcourt threat.</p>
<p>Around 1984-85 when the team lost guards Fred Brown, Gus Williams and coach Lenny Wilkens the championship era squad was all but gone as the teams began to morph into the Tom Chambers/ X-Man era of the late 80s/early 90s. Sikma was traded to the <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Milwaukee Bucks</a> before the 86-87 season for (hold your nose) Alton Lister and two first round draft picks that became Mark Jackson (pick traded to NY with <span>Gerald Henderson</span> for <span>Scottie Pippen</span>, who was traded for … Olden Polynice). The team would never again in its history find a player of Sikma’s caliber at the center position. Meanwhile, he remained an extremely capable and valuable big man for the Bucks until his retirement from the league in 1991 at age 35.</p>
<p>His number #43 was retired by the club, and he briefly returned as a big man’s coach in the mid to late 90s under head coach <span>Nate McMillan</span>.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ht4IUFvfkWI" height="315" width="420"></iframe> The video above is a little blurry but shows off Jack's ultra-sick fadeaway J and exceptional rebounding skills.</p>
https://www.sonicsrising.com/2013/6/9/4396488/the-ten-greatest-players-in-supersonics-history-2Steve Stearns2013-06-07T04:00:03-07:002013-06-07T04:00:03-07:00Who is the #3 Greatest Sonic of All Time?
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<p>The third greatest player in Sonics history is a Seattle icon, and one of the most captivating players of his decade. </p> <p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2539471/Shawn_Kemp.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Shawn_kemp_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2539471/Shawn_Kemp_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>3. Shawn Kemp.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most iconic Sonic in franchise history along with Gary Payton, and the undisputed cornerstone of the 90s teams, Shawn Kemp’s career went from flashes of greatness to full-blown franchise and civic icon, to fallen icon bordering on punchline and back again.</p>
<p>The Sonics held two consecutive picks in the 1989 NBA Draft, #16 and 17. The team selected guard Dana Barros with the first, and an unknown skinny kid out of obscure Trinity Valley Community College in Texas with the other. My recollection of the time is that it was an unpopular pick. I remember hearing a mix of boos and "who the f*** is this guy?"</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for Kemp to make his mark, though. Though the 1990-91 team was relatively stacked with talent, featuring Xavier McDaniel, Ricky Pierce, Eddie Johnson, Derrick McKey and the perpetually frustrating conundrum that was Benoit Benjamin (along with <a href="http://www.sonicsrising.com/2013/2/6/4162060/the-all-mustache-sonics-team">Sonic All-Mustache Team</a> member Dave Corzine), it was the addition of firebrand point guard Gary Payton, and the following year new coach <span>George Karl</span> that gave the team its new identity. At age 21 Kemp averaged 15 PPG and 8.4 RPG along with shooting 50% from the field. He would continue to post increases in scoring and rebounding for the first seven seasons of his career, a truly remarkable feat that has rarely if ever been duplicated. Between 1993 and 1997 Kemp put up some truly staggering seasons, averaging 10.8 total win shares during that time. All the more remarkable in that a great deal of his post-up game would actually seem rather limited by today’s standards. He’d set up on the right block and use a hook move with his elbow to open space then either knock the short jumper down or slam it home. He and Payton were a truly deadly combination in transition. Payton had a great knack for throwing the lob pass and Kemp was especially good at getting into space with a step on a defender. On defense Kemp was an outstanding offensive rebounder (to date, the franchise career leader) but often suffered from a propensity to commit truly stupid reach-in fouls, a problem that plagued him during his entire career in Seattle. During the first eight seasons of Kemp’s career he was top 3 in personal fouls – a dubious achievement, and perhaps his only true Achilles heel in a brilliant run.</p>
<p>Kemp’s dunks were and are the stuff of legend. I’ve seen many of the great dunkers in my time. Dr. J, Jordan, <span>Vince Carter</span>, <span>Blake Griffin</span>, Kobe, Spud, I’ve seen ‘em all. Griffin comes close, but Kemp may have been a better dunker than any of them when it came to sheer, raw power. Defenders learned early on not to try to take a charge on Kemp because they might end up with footprints on the front of their jersey or even unconscious. Even today I can play a Kevin Calabro call of Kemp dunking and get chills up the back of my neck.</p>
<p>Off the court it is difficult to explain to people who did not live in Seattle, or were not old enough to remember what his cultural impact as an icon of the town was back then. Seattle sports was basically defined by two guys: Ken Griffey, Jr. and Shawn Kemp. Yet where Junior’s beaming smile made him a natural Wheaties box All-American role model, Kemp was more of a scowling mystery, a hoop-smashing, in-your-face-dunking <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Y24a0cyCE">Black Dynamite</a> badass, replete with pillbox hairdo. Everybody loved Junior, but wanted to be Shawn Kemp. He captivated the city in a way that subsequent Seattle sports icons including even Payton were never really able to, in my opinion.</p>
<p>During his tenure the Sonics were an immensely successful attraction. The Mariners were their usual mediocre bumbling loser selves and came within a hairsbreadth of leaving town, and the Seahawks were the definition of a mediocre football team who also had their problems with ownership. The Sonics made the playoffs every year of Kemp’s career. A pair of humiliating first round exits in 1994 and 95 ensued followed by a trip to the NBA Finals where the team lost to one of the great NBA teams of all time in the Jordan-led <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a>, 4-2.</p>
<p>However during the Finals itself, cracks began to show in the Reign Man’s once-impenetrable façade. New York Post writer (and it must be said, obnoxious loudmouth and <a href="http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960613&slug=2334292">ex-Toys R Us patron</a>) Peter Vecsey reported that Kemp had been seen out drinking in Chicago extremely late the night before the team was due to play. The story contained strong innuendoes that Kemp had problems with alcohol and perhaps more. Though the rumors did nothing to impede Kemp having a truly incredible Finals performance, where he was arguably the best player on either team, cracks had begun to form in his relationship with the team that had drafted him.</p>
<p>On the heels of the team’s Finals appearance, before the 96-97 season the Sonics signed center Jim McIlvaine to a contract that paid him far more than what Kemp was making. What is not often remembered about this signing is that the CBA at the time forbade teams from re-negotiating contracts. Kemp’s agent at the time, Tony Dutt, had pressed the team to give Kemp an extension in 1994 that paid him far more than he had been making at the time. Unfortunately for Kemp, the timing of his request for an extension came a year or two before the market for NBA salaries exploded, and a mere two years later mediocre backups such as McIlvaine were making far more money than superstars such as Kemp were making a few years before. In short, there was nothing the team could do about it and combined with a growing distrust of members of the team’s coaching staff and management, Kemp finally demanded a trade.</p>
<p>The means by which Kemp’s original exodus from Seattle came about were also similar to the story of Ken Griffey, Jr. Both were beloved franchise icons who forced their way out of town rather abruptly and without thought. In Kemp’s case he was traded in a complex 3-way deal to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> that netted the Sonics Vin Baker and Kemp the contract he had always wanted. It’s easy to look back at this as a terrible trade with hindsight, but at the time it was fantastic value to net a player of Baker’s statistical caliber given the situation with Kemp (teams KNEW the Sonics had to trade him, thus limiting the return of what the team could command).</p>
<p>I attended Kemp’s first game back in town as a member of the Cavs and his reception was brutal. The entire crowd booed its collective ass off at Kemp every time he touched the ball. It was similar to how Mariners crowds treated A-Rod (and still do) when he returns. It was a measure of just how much he was beloved by the city that the hurt from the perceived slight ran deep, and indeed not soon after the trade Kemp’s personal demons came to the fore and for all intents and purposes destroyed his career. He had three successful seasons in Cleveland before being traded as a cap casualty to the Portland Trailblazers where he served for three forgettable seasons as a bench player. He was quite overweight by that time and just a shadow of the high-flying hoop fu artist he had been earlier in the decade. He played one final season in Orlando before retiring in 2003 and suffered more struggles after his playing career with drugs and money problems.</p>
<p>Kemp still holds team records in many statistical categories and remains one of the most beloved and iconic players in franchise history. Happily, he has reconnected with the Seattle area in recent years and today runs a restaurant and bar in Lower Queen Anne, not far from where he once ruled the court and the town. Neither of us are the people we once were in the early to mid 90s, but I still feel connected to him in a way you can only ever feel a connection to an athlete you worshiped as a younger person. To me, Shawn will always be THE ultimate Sonic regardless of how it ended. Thanks for the memories, Shawn. I look forward to seeing your #40 hanging in the rafters along with #20 soon. Kemp had innumerable sick dunks, but here's a good compilation:</p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HQeMhYJe5JA" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br id="1370590587550"></p>
https://www.sonicsrising.com/2013/6/7/4271776/the-ten-greatest-players-in-supersonics-history-3Steve Stearns2013-06-03T11:14:53-07:002013-06-03T11:14:53-07:00The Ten Greatest Players In Supersonics History #4
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<figcaption><a href="http://www.nasljerseys.com/ABA/Images/Sonics/Sonics%2070-71%20Road%20Spencer%20Haywood%202.jpg">Photo from NASL Jerseys</a></figcaption>
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<p>Join us as we visit the ten greatest players in Supersonics history. Today we salute #4, a man who truly blazed the path for many superstars that followed, including a Sonic or two. </p> <p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2455095/Spencer_Haywood_getty_images.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Spencer_haywood_getty_images_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2455095/Spencer_Haywood_getty_images_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>4. Spencer Haywood</p>
<p>To paraphrase legendary comics author Alan Moore: if Spencer Haywood did not exist, we would have to invent him. The game as we know it today, both in the pros and college, would not exist without him.</p>
<p>Many words have been written by better sportswriters than I about Spencer Haywood’s tortuous, trailblazing path to professional basketball. A path marked by litigation against a league that resented Haywood’s questioning of the reserve clause as stubbornly as Major League Baseball resented Curt Flood. A truly unfortunate situation of which we were all recently reminded a few days ago when Haywood received news that he had been accepted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, only to learn that he had been snubbed. It’s hard –not- to think that bad feelings lingering in the NBA front office from Haywood’s groundbreaking lawsuit <em>Haywood vs. National Basketball Association</em> didn’t play some part in that debacle, but much like the 64 free throw attempts given to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> in Game 7 of the 1992-93 Western Conference Finals, there are things we will never know for sure. What do you mean, of course I'm not bitter. I don't hold on to that anger any more than I hold on to being angry about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8ad3pDqFO4">Butch Johnson's TD "catch"</a> in Super Bowl XII. Now where were we? Oh yes.</p>
<p>Haywood’s unique journey to the NBA began both with his sole year in Division I basketball at the University of Detroit, where he merely averaged 32 points and 22 rebounds a game and a stint on the 1968 Olympic team where he set a record for field goal percentage that still stands today. Since NBA rules at that forbade players from entering the NBA Draft before their class graduated, Haywood began his pro career with a short but eye-popping stint with the Denver <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> of the ABA, where he was named both Rookie of the Year AND MVP for the 1969-70 season, and in terms of both counting stats, win shares, and pretty much any other metric you care to name was far and away the best player in the entire league that year. Haywood was originally drafted by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">76ers</a> as a 2nd round draft pick in 1970 and subsequently traded to the Buffalo Braves. Haywood signed as a free agent with the Supersonics that December. Sonics owner Sam Schulman decided he would help Haywood take the NBA to court, and the case stretched out all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court before the NBA finally settled.</p>
<p>Now comfortably ensconced as a Sonic, Haywood was the franchise’s first superstar. Over the next five seasons it’s safe to say that Haywood absolutely dominated the league, averaging 24.4 points and 12 rebounds a game while shooting 46% from the field and 80% from the line and chalking up average total win shares of 7.2 for that period. His peak era of 1972-74 is more or less equivalent in terms of win shares of Ray Allen’s best seasons (and Shawn Kemp’s 3rd and 4th best seasons, hint hint.) Put simply, the guy was a hell of a player. Despite his brilliant individual accomplishments, during Haywood’s tenure the team only made the playoffs once, in 1974-75 where they made it to the Western Conference semifinals only to fall to the Rick Barry-led <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a>.</p>
<p>Haywood was traded to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a> in 1975 for Gene Short and a future 1st round pick. He finished his Sonic career as a four-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA first teamer and two-time second teamer. Haywood stayed in the league another eight seasons, including one with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> in 79-80 where he would have won a championship, but was dismissed by Coach Paul Westhead for falling asleep during practice. By that time age and a fairly serious cocaine addiction had spirited away much of the player he was, but what a player that was. Much like Shawn Kemp after him, Seattle saw the best of his NBA career, and his lasting legacy in the form of early entry into the NBA is still felt today. Plus, he was married to Iman in the early 80s, long before David Bowie, which isn’t a bad achievement for anyone.</p>
<p>Here's a great piece on Spencer from NBA TV, where even known grump Peter Vecsey has good things to say:</p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mzXRBTpEJ7k" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.sonicsrising.com/2013/6/3/4210778/the-ten-greatest-players-in-supersonics-history-4Steve Stearns2013-04-13T20:24:05-07:002013-04-13T20:24:05-07:00Who Is #5 of the 10 Greatest Sonics Ever?
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<p>In this installment of our ongoing series of the ten greatest Sonics: we celebrate a 70s Sonic legend, learn that the past can be a foreign country, and wonder why televised HORSE went the way of the handlebar mustache. </p> <p> 5. "Downtown" Fred Brown.</p>
<p>Freddie Brown was drafted with the 6th overall pick in the 1971 NBA Draft out of the University of Iowa, where his senior year he averaged 27.6 PPG and 4.6 RPG while shooting 50% from the floor and 80% from the line.</p>
<p>Brown played his entire 13-year career with the Supersonics, making the playoffs eight times in that span, including two Finals appearances and one NBA Championship. After Spencer Haywood he was probably the franchise’s second most valuable player in its history at that time. Brown was a highly effective and durable shooting guard during his tenure in the league. He was an invaluable part of the Supersonics championship-era squad along with <span>Jack Sikma</span>, and was a team captain for much of his Sonic career. He scored the second-most points in franchise history behind Gary Payton, and his number 32 was rightfully retired by the team in 1986.</p>
<p>Qualifier: I can barely remember seeing Brown play (heck, I can barely remember Dr. J who was the hands down marquee superstar of the league in those days) but his range was well-known. It was once said of Brown that he could "hit it from the locker room in. " The NBA did not adopt the three-point shot until the 1979-80 season. I’ve often heard the claim that had there been a 3-point earlier in his career, he would have scored much more. Examining the numbers, the first season of its adoption Brown posted career highs in percentage, attempts and makes, however the volume of his numbers didn’t put him in the category of a stone cold gunner like Rick Barry, or even Larry Bird… and his attempts went down from there in the last few years of his career. Interesting.</p>
<p>I do remember that in the late 70s teams didn’t use the 3-pointer the way they do today partially because it was still regarded as a bit of a gimmick, but mostly because the way the game was called back then, it was a far more high-percentage play to attack the basket and draw an easy and-1 foul called on continuation (which the Showtime <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lakers</a> took FULL advantage of I assure you.) I’m not at all doubting Brown was a good, even great shooter, just saying the game was quite different in the late 70s and it’s not a given that Brown would have been a high-volume 3-point marksman.</p>
<p>Following his NBA career Brown worked at SeaFirst/Bank of America, where he retired as a senior vice president after 15 years. Brown was the subject of some notoriety a couple years ago when he sold his NBA Championship ring at auction for $115,242.</p>
<p>Here’s Fred Brown playing HORSE against Brian Winters (whose mustache must be seen to be believed) in 1978. How come they never show stuff like THIS on TV anymore, David Stern? Groove-a-licious. <iframe frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RLucsRGVqn8" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p>
https://www.sonicsrising.com/2013/4/13/4202456/the-ten-greatest-players-in-supersonics-history-5Steve Stearns2013-04-09T08:27:43-07:002013-04-09T08:27:43-07:00Who is #6 Of The Ten Greatest Sonic Players?
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<p>Join us in our ongoing look at the ten greatest players in Sonics history. This week, we examine Rashard Lewis. </p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2441927/rashard-seattle.jpg"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2441927/rashard-seattle_medium.jpg" class="photo" alt="Rashard-seattle_medium"></a> 6. <span>Rashard Lewis</span>.</p>
<p>When Rashard Lewis declared for the 1998 NBA Draft straight from Alief Elsik HS in Texas, the consensus was that the 6-10 forward was a likely lottery pick. Considering high school standouts such as <span>Kevin Garnett</span>, <span>Tracy McGrady</span>, <span>Kobe Bryant</span> and Jermaine O’Neal had all been selected in the first round in the previous three years, this seemed a sensible prediction. Instead Lewis was not only NOT the first high schooler selected in the 1998 Draft (Say hello, <span>Al Harrington</span>), he slid all the way out of the first round to #32 and was the last player left standing in the green room, in tears. Selected by Seattle after mediocre big man Vladimir Stepania, Lewis joined fellow draftee <span>Jelani McCoy</span> on a Sonics roster in transition.</p>
<p>The 1998 Seattle Supersonics were a team past their prime championship years. Shawn Kemp had forced his way out of town before the previous season and had been traded in a 3-way swap netting Vin Baker in return. Baker had a terrific 1997 campaign but a disappointing season in 1998 (and several more thereafter). Many other players such as Schrempf, Hersey Hawkins and Dale Ellis were beginning to show their age. An NBA lockout that year wiped out almost half the season, and the 50 games that were played were an up and down affair. The team finished an abysmal 26th out of 29 teams in defensive rating. Lewis barely played his first year, but over the next four seasons solidified his place as an offensive weapon and credible second option behind Gary Payton.</p>
<p>Lewis began his career as more of a post option than he subsequently became. Despite his 6-10 height he was rather thin, and after a couple of shoulder subluxations from repeated contact in the post he developed more of a shooter’s game, using his long arms and accurate jumper to shoot over opponents. Beginning around 2004-05 Lewis had a three year streak of averaging over 20 PPG and being among the league leaders in 3 point field goals made and attempted. To date he is 8th in NBA history in both statistical categories.</p>
<p>When Gary Payton was traded for <span>Ray Allen</span> at the trade deadline of the 2002-03 season, I was particularly interested in seeing how a team with two perimeter players, albeit highly successful ones, would be able to compete against many of the more balanced teams in the Western Conference. The Allen/Lewis duo was a highly successful scoring combination in the regular season but the lack of solid complementary pieces at the power forward and center positions, along with an inexperienced roster and head coach produced poor results their first two seasons together. It all came together in the 2004-05 season where the team won 52 games, Allen’s 23.9 PPG led the way but Lewis was perhaps the most complete player on the roster, averaging 20.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG and shooting 46% from the field and 40% from 3 point range.</p>
<p>The team never repeated the success of 2004-05, and what was an already shaky defensive roster got even worse. Additionally, an impending franchise sale and move made Lewis' situation even more unstable. NBA economics at that time virtually demanded that a player with Lewis’ statistical achievements get a max contract. Not taking anything away from his achievements, but in my opinion Lewis was not a max contract player. He was a great complementary shooter to a team with a post presence and a good distributor, but not a true #1 option. The Sonics ended up doing a sign and trade deal to the <a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Orlando Magic</a> for a 2009 second round draft pick and a trade exception, setting the stage for what would eventually become the current roster of the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>. Lewis played with the Magic for three seasons, tallying one Finals appearance. He then was eventually traded straight up for <span>Gilbert Arenas</span> in 2010. He is currently a member of the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Heat</a>.</p>
<p>Here's a nice recap of Rashard's career-high 50 point effort against the LA <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> in Tokyo, Halloween night 2003:</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SI2ncPI-YlQ" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p>
https://www.sonicsrising.com/2013/4/9/4201896/the-ten-greatest-players-in-supersonics-history-6Steve Stearns2013-04-06T21:08:51-07:002013-04-06T21:08:51-07:00Who's #7 on the list of The 10 Best Sonics Ever?
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<p>#7 in our continuing countdown of the ten greatest players in Sonics history is a familiar face to those who watched the team in the 90s. </p> <p>7. Detlef Schrempf.</p>
<p>Born in Leverkusen Germany, and schooled in Washington State, Schrempf was a highly versatile, durable player who was a three-time All-Star. His 6-10 frame made him a steady rebounder and his signature rainbow jumper had nearly unlimited range, as witnessed by his 38.4% career 3-point percentage.</p>
<p>After a distinguished college career at the University of Washington, Schrempf was drafted #8 overall by the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dallas Mavericks</a> in the 1985 NBA Draft, respectively five and four spots behind future Sonics Xavier McDaniel and Benoit Benjamin (shudder). Schrempf spent the first four seasons of his career as a Mav before being traded to the <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indiana Pacers</a>, where he won the Sixth Man of the Year Award two consecutive times. On November 1, 1993 he was traded to the Sonics in exchange for fan favorite and clubhouse leader Derrick McKey and Gerald Paddio – a trade that worked out fairly well for both teams in retrospect. Schrempf’s arrival, along with former Laker Sam Perkins, put a solid veteran core around young stars Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, and rocketed the Sonics to the upper echelon of the Western Conference for the next five years.</p>
<p>1994-95 was probably Schrempf’s best individual performance. He averaged 19.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 3.8 APG while shooting 52.3% from the field, a staggering 51.4% from 3 range, and 83.9% from the line. Unfortunately another golden opportunity for the Sonics to win a championship while Michael Jordan was playing minor league baseball was squandered as the Sonics lost in the first round to the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lakers</a>, 3 games to 1.</p>
<p>By the time of the NBA lockout in 1998-99 Schrempf was 36 years old and beginning to slow. Miffed at not being tendered a contract, Schrempf signed as a free agent with the Portland Trailblazers and closed out his career playing a couple of years in a limited role. However, he is best remembered for his years with the Sonics in the early to mid-90’s, where "The Mercedes" was a matchup nightmare and perfect complementary player to the Kemp/Payton duo.</p>
<p>Here's a somewhat blurry but definitely all-inclusive video of the man, the legend, the flat top, Detlef Schrempf: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1LjuWEZJnis" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.sonicsrising.com/2013/4/6/4172114/10-greatest-sonics-7Steve Stearns2013-04-04T06:00:07-07:002013-04-04T06:00:07-07:00Who's #8 on the 10 Best Sonics of All Time?
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<p>Join us as we celebrate the careers of the 10 most legendary players to wear the Sonics uniform. Today we examine #8. </p> <p>8. Gus "The Wizard" Williams. A prolific scorer, hard-as-nails defender, and capable ballhandler, Williams was an integral part of the late 70s Sonics championship teams. Drafted by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a> in the second round of the 1975 NBA Draft, Williams signed as a veteran free agent with the Supersonics in 1977.</p>
<p>His signing immediately paid dividends as he increased his statistical averages in scoring and assists for the next four consecutive seasons, which included two Finals appearances and one NBA championship for the Supersonics. During his first four years with the club Williams averaged 20.7 PPG, 4.9 APG and shot 47.9% from the field. He also finished in the top 10 in steals for seven consecutive seasons, from 1977-85.</p>
<p>Towards the end of his career Williams was traded to the Washington Bullets for Tim McCormick and Ricky Sobers, a sobering end indeed to a great Sonics career. Williams holds top 10 places in nearly every significant statistical category for the Sonics despite playing nearly 35 years ago. Williams’ number #1 was retired by the team.</p>
<p>Enjoy this Gus Williams highlight mix<br><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/94z1IPXb1_k" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.sonicsrising.com/2013/4/4/4172090/10-greatest-sonics-8Steve Stearns2013-04-02T23:07:41-07:002013-04-02T23:07:41-07:00Who's The 9th Greatest Sonic of All Time?
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<p>Join us as we count down the ten greatest players in Supersonics history. </p> <p>9. <strong><span>Nate McMillan</span>.</strong> Mac-10 may not have the offensive numbers of some of his fellow Sonic greats, but perhaps no player is more fondly remembered by fans than he, having spent his entire 12-year career with the team. Originally drafted in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft as a point guard from North Carolina State, from his rookie season McMillan showed extraordinary defensive tenacity. He was able to play and guard three positions on the floor with equal aplomb, while also running the offense. His career 44.3% field goal percentage was serviceable, and he blossomed into a prolific and credible 3-point threat later in his career. However, since McMillan wasn’t really a star-level player, he was displaced at the point guard spot when the team drafted Gary Payton #2 overall in 1990.</p>
<p>Some players would view this as insulting or a chance to be traded to pursue other opportunities, but McMillan loved the team and city he played in, and soon found that his versatility made him a natural 6th man and bench player, excellence which was soon coveted by many teams. For those who didn’t see him play at his best, he could perhaps be described as the <span>Scottie Pippen</span> of the 90s Supersonic teams. Able to run the offense as a point forward and guard opponent’s best swing players, McMillan terrorized offenses, leading the league in steals in 1993-94 averaging 3 steals a game – an unbelievable feat. McMillan finished in the top 10 in steals per game four times in his career and is currently 13th in NBA history in steals per game and 3rd in NBA history at steal percentage.</p>
<p>As his career wore on, in his early 30s McMillan’s body began to wear down, which was also a product of the high-octane, give 110% style that he played on the court. Diving for loose balls, taking charges, and not shying away from physical contact were hallmarks of his style but also contributed to his relatively early retirement at age 33. Some say that had McMillan been healthy during the 1996 NBA Finals series against the Michael Jordan-led <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> that the outcome might have been different – who knows, but the facts remain that McMillan was a beloved player and valuable piece of those 1990s Sonic teams, and the team rewarded his devotion to the franchise and fans of Seattle by retiring his number. McMillan was later named coach of the team and served in that capacity from 2000-05.</p>
<p>Enjoy this sweet Nate highlight video:<br><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b21uQ31QVAg" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.sonicsrising.com/2013/4/2/4171806/10-greatest-sonics-9Steve Stearns