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EEC Showcase;
Part of our 1979 SuperSonics Championship team collection.
This is mostly for appearance and collection sharing.
A portion of the proceedings will go toward charities and people in need. 70% will support American Heart Association.
Our Nostalgic Journey Begins In 1978 Seattle, Washington;
Led by the coaching of Wilkens along with guys like Jack Sikma, Dennis Johnson, and Gus Williams, the Sonics beat Kareem’s Lakers 2-1 in the first round, following that up with a 4-2 series rout of Bill Walton's Trail Blazers. With that win, the Sonics upset the number one seed and defending champs. Earning Seattle their first ever taste of the Western Conference finals.
They were outmatched on paper, though the Sonics' impressive run wouldn't end in the Western Conference finals. After taking down the Denver Nuggets in a six-game series, the Sonics were on their way to their first ever NBA Finals. Bill Russell couldn't lead them there, Bob Hopkins certainly couldn't, but Lenny Wilkens finally did, getting Seattle over the hump. Waiting for the Sonics in the finals were the Washington Bullets. The Bullets were coached by Dick Motta, who coached a very good roster, including future Hall of Famers Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes.
In game one of the finals series, in Seattle, Downtown Freddy Brown came off the bench to score 30 for the Sonics as they took a 1-0 series lead. Seattle scored 33 points in the fourth quarter, including 16 from Brown in the last 9 minutes, and won the game 106-102.
In game two, the Sonics weren't so lucky and they were unable to contain Hayes and Bob Dandridge, who combined for 59 points. The Bullets took game two to tie the series, winning 106-98. After the game, Coach Motta said to the media, "That's our game; Hayes and Dandridge going off tackle. People know where we're going. They're just going to have to stop us."
The Sonics did their best to stop the Bullets in game three but nearly blew it at the end after mental mistakes from Dennis Johnson and Paul Silas. The Bullets had the ball in the final seconds of the game, down by just a point, but a long-range shot from Dandridge rimmed out as the Sonics held on to win in Washington 93-92, taking a 2-1 series lead.
Back in Seattle for game four, despite packing a then-NBA finals record 39,457 fans into the Kingdome, the Sonics lost game four in overtime to the Bullets, 120-116. Game four was held in the Kingdome because the Seattle Coliseum, where the Sonics usually played during this time, was being used for a mobile-home show. Welcome to 1978.
In game five, the Sonics were back in the Coliseum and took a 3-2 lead after narrowly beating the Bullets 98-94. Once again, leading the way for the Sonics was Fred Brown, who led all scorers with 26 points.
In Washington for game six, the Bullets blew the Sonics out 117-82. No Sonic scored 20 or more points; for the Bullets, Dandridge, Hayes, and Mitch Kupchak each scored 19-plus. With the series tied at 3-3, the Sonics and Bullets were headed back to Seattle for a decisive game seven.
In game seven, Fred Brown once again tried to bring the Sonics back, scoring 21 points in the game, but it would not be enough. Late in the game, the Sonics trailed by just 2 points after a tip-in from Paul Silas. Silas then fouled Unseld, who was shooting just 55% from the line in the playoffs. Unfortunately for Seattle, Unseld hit two that mattered. After Unseld flushed the free throws, Dennis Johnson missed a shot and Dandridge threw down a dunk on the opposite end as the buzzer sounded. The Bullets would celebrate their first-ever NBA title! In Seattle!
The loss ended Seattle's 22-game winning streak in the Coliseum and ended the season for a team that appeared to be headed for the bottom of the division when the season began. The Sonics' day would come soon; Wilkens and the gang would have to wait just a bit longer before capturing their first title.
Our Second Part For Redemption Continues In 1979;
The Sonics, coming off a 47-35 record and finals loss to the Washington Bullets, made a few changes to their roster to help aid their next title run. Paul Silas, the 36-year-old 2x All-Star, joined the team for his veteran presence. Lonnie Shelton, the future All-Star in 1981, would join the team after a trade with the Knicks. Joe Hasset would also join the team in free agency. All while retaining their core players from the previous year, Dennis Johnson, Jack Sikma, Gus Williams, Fred Brown. With the new year starting under their new head coach promoted from his interim position last season, Lenny Wilkens. Wilkens became the coach after Bob Hopkins went 5-17 to start the season and was let go. With this improved roster, they hoped to rejuvenate their finals hopes from last season.
After going 20-6 in the first 26 games, the Sonics would start to slow down a bit, losing 6 straight with their Pre-All-Star break record finishing at 35-15. They would eventually finish 52-30 with a 1st place finish in the Western Conference. Johnson would get his first of five All-Star appearances, Jack Sikma would also get his first All-Star appearance and Gus Williams would lead the Sonics in scoring with 19 points per game.
With a first-round bye, the Sonics would face the Los Angeles Lakers who were fresh off a win against the Denver Nuggets 2-1. The 4x time MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabarr was coming off a series averaging 28 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists with 5 blocks and 1 steal. Aided by Adrian Dantley, Norm Nixon and Jamaal Wilkes the Lakers were a serious threat. Despite Kareem, the Lakers would get gentlemen swept 5-1 due to Gus Williams scoring. The Sonic’s defeated the future dynasty, who eventually draft Magic Johnson 1st the next season. Somehow, getting the pick winning a coin flip after a trade with the Utah Jazz years prior, all for the Jazz to sign Gail Goodrich.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Sonics faced the Phoenix Suns, who defeated the Kansas City Kings 4-1 the prior series. The Suns, with no true superstar scorers, relied on the 4x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Second Team, Walter Davis and the All-NBA First Team and All-Star Paul Westphal. Gus Williams was again the team's leading scorer, just in front of Dennis Johnson. In a close 7-game series, in game 7, Jack Sikma would drop 33 points, setting a new career high and closing the series in a 4-point narrow victory.
The Sonics advanced to the finals, where they would face their opponent from last year's failure - the Washington Bullets. The Bullets would take the first game in the rematch with a 99-97 victory, behind the 4x All-Star Bob Dandridge and the help of 11x All-Star Elvin Hayes. The Bullets would come close to winning the series in the next four games but would ultimately fall short. The Finals MVP Dennis Johnson averaged an impeccable stat line with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in the series. Johnson notched a near triple-double in game 3, dropping 17 points with 9 rebounds and 9 assists. He also had a double-double in game 2 with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Jack Sikma also performed excellently. Averaging 16 points and 15 rebounds, Sikma came up big under the bright lights. Averaging a double-double for the series, Sikma made a strong case for the Finals MVP as well.
Our Third Part Continues By Comparing The '79 and '96 Sonic Teams;
The 1979 Seattle Supersonics ARE the best team in franchise history! The '78 team is essentially the same and the '96 squad isn't far behind, but until we get a team back and until that team wins the NBA championship, no other Sonics' roster can lay claim to being the best.
Most who disagree will point to the '96ers. They will say they were much more athletic. They will say that the only reason they didn't win is because they faced Michael Jordan's best team and that the 1979 team would've lost to the Bulls as well. They are likely correct on both statements.
As much as I loved that team, however, the same unit essentially should've won the previous two championships when Jordan was away. Those Sonics choked out of the first round on both occasions, unlike our '79 team.
My assertion isn't just about the rings, however. It's about which team would've beaten the other in a seven-game series. I think it would've been the previous generation.
The big matchup between the two teams would've been the guards. How would the tandem of Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson do against the duo of Gary Payton and Nate McMillan? From a defensive standpoint, Johnson was every bit as good as Payton and McMillan, but Williams probably wasn't in their class, so the '96 team would have a slight advantage.
From an offensive point of view, however, I would give the '79 team an edge because both DJ and Gus were very good offensive players. Gary developed a good offensive game, but McMillan was definitely more of a defender. Style of play would play a big factor here. Payton tended to struggle more defending the small and quick guards like Nick Van Exel. Williams was better and quicker than Nick the Quick, and I think he would've given Payton and McMillan some real headaches.
Also consider that the 1996 team was built around a pressure defense. Gus and DJ were both exceptional ball handlers and would've been able to beat that scheme, especially when you consider they also had Johnny Johnson, who truly invented the point forward concept. Sorry, Scotty Pippen. Once they beat the press defense, the half court offense would've been very effective. Jack Sikma would've posted up, Gus and Dennis would've penetrated the lane, and Freddy Brown would've torched the net from outside. Sikma was also a very effective passer, rebounder, and free throw shooter. Speaking of rebounding, Lonnie Shelton was effective, as was the team's enforcer, Paul Silas, coming off the bench.
The 1979 team was a well-rounded scoring unit and had seven players average double figures, compared to five for the 1996 squad. It would've been a great series to watch. I say the old farts would've won it in seven games.
Our Fourth Part Continues With Jack Sikma reflecting on 1979;
Inexplicably, the 23-year-old standout who was the No. 8 overall pick in the NBA draft in 1977, struggled in the previous games against Suns rookie Joel Kramer, who replaced injured Phoenix star Alvan Adams in Game 3.
Suddenly, Sikma, who averaged 15.6 points and 12.4 rebounds that season, couldn’t make a shot and his downturn coincided with the demise of the Sonics, who won the first two games of the series before losing three straight and faced elimination.
“I’ve never talked about that particular night with the guys, but I’m sure we all had tough times during that season when we’re struggling,” Sikma said. “Win-or-go-home type of situations magnify those thoughts and emotions.
“I was up all night until finally I came to the realization that all I’m doing is exhausting myself and you got to let this go. The reality was either you get it done or you go home. It was one of those periods of times that real growth happened in my life.”
The next night, the Sonics rallied in the fourth quarter and survived a potential buzzer-beater to claim a 106-105 victory that gave the Suns their first home loss in 10 weeks. Four days later, Seattle prevailed 114-110 in Game 7, which set up a rematch against the defending world champion Washington Bullets.
“When we beat Phoenix, the weight of the world was off and we could just go play,” Sikma said. “That carried us through.”
Washington, which had the NBA’s third-highest scoring offense with 114.9 points per game, compiled the best record in the league at 54-28 thanks to a veteran team led by future Hall of Famers Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld as well as All-Star Bob Dandridge.
But the Bullets were no match against the defensive-minded Sonics, who allowed a league-low 103.9 points and were second in the NBA with a 52-30 record.
“I don’t think people realize how good we were defensively,” said Lenny Wilkens, who spent three seasons 1969-72 in Seattle as a player-coach before returning full time as a coach in 1977. “That year we were No. 1 in defense. We were also near the top of the league in assists.
“Our bench was very strong. I felt like we could go deep into our bench and guys came in and produced.”
Unlike today’s NBA, where champions are built around megastars, the Sonics were a team devoid of marquee names in the game at that time.
Sikma and Dennis Johnson were All-Stars that season, but no Seattle player was voted to the first or second All-NBA teams. Seven Sonics averaged double-digit points, with guard Gus Williams leading the way with 19.2 points.
“We played together and we defended,” Wilkens said. “We understood about rotations and trapping. We knew where to go and when to go because we worked on stuff like that. And the guys were willing to play their roles. Every guy understood what his role was when he stepped on the floor.”
The Sonics were a collection of young players on the rise Sikma, Dennis Johnson and Williams and aging veterans in Paul Silas, John Johnson, Fred Brown and Dick Snyder, who accepted lesser roles.
“Fred was starting before I came in and he was very receptive when we talked about him moving to bench,” Wilkens said. “I told him that he could bring us a dimension that no team had, which was scoring.
“Paul responded very well because he knew me and we had played together. The fact that guys were willing to play their roles and do the things necessary for us to win made the difference.”
Williams, a speedy long-range marksman, paired in the backcourt with Johnson, a defensive stopper tasked with guarding greats such as George Gervin and David Thompson.
“There was nothing preordained or scripted, but because of everything we went through the previous season we kind of felt like we had seen it all,” Sikma said, referencing a 5-17 start in 1977-78 before Wilkens took over for Bob Hopkins. “That year was more like a roller coaster, with highs and lows, whereas 1978-79, we knew we had a good team capable of winning it all and it was just a matter of going out there and playing to our potential.”
Seattle received a first-round playoff bye before easily claiming a 4-1 victory in the Western Conference semifinals over a Los Angeles Lakers team led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won the MVP award in the 1975-76 and 1976-77 seasons.
After the Sonics got past Phoenix, the stage was set for the league’s two best teams to reprise the 1978 Finals that ended with a heartbreaking 105-99 defeat in Game 7 at Seattle Center Coliseum.
“We had that last game in our building and we couldn’t get it done,” Wilkens said. “Anytime you have the last game of the season in your place, you think you have a good chance.
“No question, that one hurt and gave us a little extra motivation to get it done the next year.”
In Game 1 of the 1979 Finals, the Sonics trailed by 18 points in the second half before tying the score at 97.
However, Larry Wright came off the bench for the Bullets and scored a team-high 26 points, including the winning free throws with 1 second left for a 99-97 win at the Capital Centre.
“You know when I thought we had them?” Wilkens would say later. “When we came back from 18 points down in the third quarter in Game 1 in Washington. I never really worried after that.”
The Sonics suffocated the Bullets and seized home-court advantage with a 92-82 road win in Game 2. In front of 35,928 at the Kingdome, Williams scored 31 points to lead Seattle to a 105-95 win in Game 3. Washington squandered its best chance to get back into the series in Game 4 when Seattle captured a 114-112 overtime victory at the Seattle Center Coliseum. Williams finished with 36 points and Dennis Johnson had 32, while Sikma tallied 20 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks.
“I think the knockout punch was delivered tonight,” said Dennis Johnson, who would go on to win the Finals MVP award.
Three nights later on June 1, the Sonics overcame a 30-19 deficit in the first quarter and, thanks to clutch shooting from Brown, pulled away in the fourth for a 97-93 victory. After the final buzzer, Williams, who averaged 28.6 points in the Finals, threw the ball high into the rafters before running into the locker room for a champagne celebration. A crowd estimated at 30,000 greeted the Sonics at the airport when they returned to Seattle. Three days later, on an overcast Monday afternoon, the city celebrated its first major professional sports championship since the 1917 Stanley Cup with a 16-block parade from Pioneer Square to University Square that drew an estimated 300,000 spectators.
“I remember there wasn’t a whole lot of police and security like you would see at those things now, but no one got hurt and nothing was damaged,” Wilkens said. “It was like a lovefest.”
So much has changed since that summer of 1979.
The Sonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, which has left Seattle without an NBA team for the foreseeable future.
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