Head coach George Karl Record 64–18 (.780) | General manager Wally Walker | |
Arena KeyArena at Seattle Center Place Division: 1st (Pacific)
Conference: 1st (Western) Playoff finish NBA Finals
(Lost to Bulls 2–4) | ||
The 1995–96 NBA season was the 28th season of the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Sonics acquired Hersey Hawkins from the Charlotte Hornets. After two consecutive playoffs appearances losing in the first round, the Sonics played their best basketball posting a 14-game winning streak between February and March. The team won 30 of their 36 games after the All-Star break to finish the regular season with a franchise best 64–18 record, surpassing the record from the 1993–94 season, and earned their third number one seed in the Western Conference in franchise history. Shawn Kemp and Defensive Player of the Year, Gary Payton were both selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game.
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Led by Kemp and Payton, the SuperSonics defeated the Sacramento Kings three games to one in the first round, despite losing Game 2 on their home floor. In the semifinals, they swept the reigning champions Houston Rockets in four straight games to advance to the Western Conference Finals, where they defeated the Utah Jazz in seven games to reach their first NBA Finals since 1979, where they would face the Chicago Bulls. After an 0–3 start in the series, Seattle managed to win their next two home games, but eventually lost the series in game six in Chicago. Following the season, Ervin Johnson signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets, and Vincent Askew was traded to the New Jersey Nets.
For the season, the Sonics sported new uniforms, a new logo, and adding red to their color scheme. The logo and uniforms would remain until 2001.
The team's season roster is featured in the video games NBA 2K16 and NBA 2K17.
West First Round
(1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (8) Sacramento Kings Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the SuperSonics and Kings.
West Conference Semifinals
(1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (5) Houston Rockets Last Playoff Meeting: 1993 Western Conference Semifinals (Seattle won 4-3)
*Required overtime
West Conference Finals
(1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Utah Jazz Last Playoff Meeting: 1993 Western Conference First Round (Seattle won 3-2)
*Required overtime
NBA Finals
Chicago Bulls vs. Seattle SuperSonics