The 1976-77 NBA season marked the Seattle SuperSonics’ 10th season in the league. The team played its home games at the Seattle Center Coliseum, with a roster led by star player Fred Brown, who was known for his sharpshooting abilities. Lenny Wilkens, a former player for the team, returned to Seattle as the head coach, taking over from Bill Russell. This change in leadership aimed to breathe new life into a franchise seeking greater success.
Throughout the season, the SuperSonics displayed inconsistent performance, finishing with a record of 40 wins and 42 losses. This result placed them in fourth position in the Pacific Division, missing the playoffs by a narrow margin. Despite not making the postseason, the team showed potential, especially with the emergence of rookie Jack Sikma, who would later become a key player for the franchise. The Sonics’ inability to maintain a winning streak hindered their playoff aspirations, but there were glimpses of improvement compared to previous seasons.
Individually, Fred Brown was a standout performer, earning a spot on the NBA All-Star team and finishing among the league’s top scorers. The 1976-77 season was pivotal for setting the foundation for future success, as the SuperSonics would go on to become a formidable team in the late 1970s. Despite falling short of their goals that season, the groundwork was laid for their eventual NBA Finals appearance in 1978 and the championship win in 1979.
- Regular Season Record: 40-42
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Seattle SuperSonics Roster and Stats for 1976-77 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Fred Brown | 72 | 17.2 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Slick Watts | 79 | 13.0 | 3.9 | 8.0 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Nick Weatherspoon | 51 | 12.8 | 7.9 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Leonard Gray | 25 | 11.5 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Bruce Seals | 81 | 11.0 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Mike Green | 76 | 9.8 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Tom Burleson | 82 | 9.7 | 6.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Dennis Johnson | 81 | 9.2 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Willie Norwood | 76 | 7.7 | 3.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Mike Bantom | 44 | 7.5 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Bob Wilkerson | 78 | 6.7 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Dean Tolson | 60 | 6.0 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Bob Love | 32 | 4.1 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Frank Oleynick | 50 | 4.0 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Norton Barnhill | 4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Seattle SuperSonics 1976-77 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1976-77 season for the Seattle SuperSonics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 104-93 | |
| Oct 26, 1976 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 120-90 | |
| Oct 27, 1976 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 106-92 | |
| Oct 29, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 106-103 | |
| Oct 31, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 126-112 | |
| Nov 02, 1976 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 125-113 | |
| Nov 03, 1976 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 126-106 | |
| Nov 05, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 88-84 | |
| Nov 07, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 98-91 | |
| Nov 09, 1976 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 138-114 | |
| Nov 10, 1976 | @ Houston Rockets | L 99-97 | |
| Nov 12, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 102-97 | |
| Nov 14, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 121-118 | |
| Nov 16, 1976 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 110-102 | |
| Nov 17, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 92-78 | |
| Nov 19, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 130-101 | |
| Nov 21, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 115-106 | |
| Nov 26, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 101-97 | |
| Nov 27, 1976 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 119-107 | |
| Nov 28, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 117-116 | |
| Nov 30, 1976 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 119-114 | |
| Dec 01, 1976 | @ Boston Celtics | L 107-103 | |
| Dec 03, 1976 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 121-112 | |
| Dec 04, 1976 | @ New York Knicks | L 103-96 | |
| Dec 07, 1976 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 110-98 | |
| Dec 08, 1976 | @ Washington Bullets | W 109-99 | |
| Dec 10, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 99-93 | |
| Dec 12, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 96-92 | |
| Dec 15, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 117-103 | |
| Dec 19, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 99-98 | |
| Dec 21, 1976 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 103-101 | |
| Dec 23, 1976 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 123-95 | |
| Dec 25, 1976 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 110-95 | |
| Dec 26, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 89-87 | |
| Dec 28, 1976 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 120-119 | |
| Dec 29, 1976 | @ New York Nets | W 102-96 | |
| Dec 30, 1976 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 105-100 | |
| Jan 02, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 83-79 | |
| Jan 05, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 94-93 | |
| Jan 07, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 131-124 | |
| Jan 09, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 92-76 | |
| Jan 12, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 121-99 | |
| Jan 14, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 127-107 | |
| Jan 16, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 109-101 | |
| Jan 19, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 109-102 | |
| Jan 21, 1977 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 120-106 | |
| Jan 23, 1977 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 98-88 | |
| Jan 25, 1977 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 120-109 | |
| Jan 26, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 118-103 | |
| Jan 30, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 126-118 | |
| Feb 02, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 120-95 | |
| Feb 04, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 109-106 | |
| Feb 06, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 107-99 | |
| Feb 09, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 99-98 | |
| Feb 11, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 114-107 | |
| Feb 15, 1977 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 109-106 | |
| Feb 16, 1977 | @ Houston Rockets | L 124-95 | |
| Feb 18, 1977 | @ New York Nets | W 93-88 | |
| Feb 19, 1977 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 103-100 | |
| Feb 20, 1977 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 135-115 | |
| Feb 23, 1977 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 94-93 | |
| Feb 25, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 102-92 | |
| Feb 27, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 93-85 | |
| Mar 02, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 105-85 | |
| Mar 05, 1977 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 134-104 | |
| Mar 08, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 96-91 | |
| Mar 09, 1977 | @ Boston Celtics | W 114-86 | |
| Mar 11, 1977 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 126-122 | |
| Mar 12, 1977 | @ New York Knicks | W 91-88 | |
| Mar 16, 1977 | @ Washington Bullets | W 100-96 | |
| Mar 18, 1977 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 105-104 | |
| Mar 19, 1977 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 104-92 | |
| Mar 20, 1977 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 110-107 | |
| Mar 22, 1977 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 108-104 | |
| Mar 27, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 121-100 | |
| Mar 29, 1977 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 100-97 | |
| Mar 30, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 111-105 | |
| Apr 02, 1977 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 109-102 | |
| Apr 03, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 119-104 | |
| Apr 05, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 88-86 | |
| Apr 08, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 112-105 | |
| Apr 10, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 113-104 |