Head coach George Karl Record 57–25 (.695) | General manager Wally Walker | |
Arena KeyArena at Seattle Center Place Division: 1st (Pacific)
Conference: 2nd (Western) Playoff finish West Semifinals
(eliminated 3-4) | ||
The 1996–97 NBA season was the 29th season of the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Sonics signed free agents Jim McIlvaine and Craig Ehlo, and later on signed free agent Terry Cummings during the season. 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.
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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. It was also Kemp's last 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.
Western Conference Quarterfinals
(2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (7) Phoenix Suns Last Playoff Meeting: 1993 Western Conference Finals (Phoenix won 4–3)
Western Conference Semifinals
(2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Houston Rockets Last Playoff Meeting: 1996 Western Conference Semifinals (Seattle won 4-0)