1996–97 Seattle SuperSonics season


The 1996–97 NBA season was the 29th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. The SuperSonics entered the season as runner-ups in the 1996 NBA Finals, having lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games. During the offseason, the Sonics signed free agents Jim McIlvaine and Craig Ehlo, and later on signed Terry Cummings in January. Coming off their trip to the NBA Finals, the Sonics remained as one of the elite teams in the Western Conference posting an 11-game winning streak after losing two of their first three games. The team won their third Division title in four years with a 57–25 record, and entered the playoffs as the #2 seed in the Western Conference. Three members of the team, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Detlef Schrempf were all selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game.
In the first round of the playoffs, they defeated the 7th-seeded Phoenix Suns after trailing 2–1. In the semifinals, they faced the Houston Rockets, who had home court advantage in the series and defeated the Sonics in seven games. This season was Kemp's final season with the SuperSonics, as he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade the following year. Also following the season, Cummings signed with the Philadelphia 76ers and Ehlo retired.

Draft picks

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
235Joseph BlairCUnited StatesArizona
245Joe VogelCUnited StatesColorado State
247Ron RileySG/SFUnited StatesArizona State
257Drew BarryPGUnited StatesGeorgia Tech

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

Western Conference Quarterfinals

Seattle SuperSonics vs. Phoenix Suns
Last Playoff Meeting: 1993 Western Conference Finals

Western Conference Semifinals

Seattle SuperSonics vs. Houston Rockets
Last Playoff Meeting: 1996 Western Conference Semifinals

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards and records

Awards

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Subtractions