The 1996-97 Seattle SuperSonics had a commendable NBA season, building on the momentum of their Western Conference Championship the previous year. Under head coach George Karl, the Sonics finished with an impressive 57-25 record, securing the second seed in the Western Conference. This season was notable for the team’s strong defensive play and efficient offense, powered by star players Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp.
Gary Payton, known for his defensive prowess, was a key contributor to the Sonics’ success, averaging 21.8 points, 7.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, earning him a spot on the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Shawn Kemp provided a robust inside presence, averaging 18.7 points and 10 rebounds per game. Supporting them was Detlef Schrempf, who added versatility with his scoring and playmaking abilities, contributing 17.1 points per game.
Despite a strong regular season, the SuperSonics faced challenges in the playoffs. They advanced past the first round by defeating the Phoenix Suns in a five-game series. However, their journey was cut short in the Conference Semifinals, where they were eliminated by the Houston Rockets in a seven-game battle. While the season ended in disappointment, the Sonics’ performance solidified their reputation as a formidable team in the late 1990s NBA landscape.
- Regular Season Record: 57-25
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 3-2, Western Conference Semifinals: 3-4
Seattle SuperSonics Roster and Stats for 1996-97 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Gary Payton | 82 | 21.8 | 4.6 | 7.1 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 31.3 | 12 | 23.8 | 5.4 | 8.7 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 33.3 |
| Shawn Kemp | 81 | 18.7 | 10.0 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 36.4 | 12 | 21.6 | 12.3 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 20.0 |
| Detlef Schrempf | 61 | 16.8 | 6.5 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 35.4 | 12 | 16.9 | 5.8 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 55.2 |
| Hersey Hawkins | 82 | 13.9 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 40.3 | 12 | 15.3 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 45.8 |
| Sam Perkins | 81 | 11.0 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 39.5 | 12 | 8.4 | 4.4 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 31.1 |
| Terry Cummings | 45 | 8.2 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 60.0 | 12 | 8.8 | 6.0 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Nate McMillan | 37 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 33.3 | 3 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Larry Stewart | 70 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 24.3 | 4 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 50.0 |
| Jim McIlvaine | 82 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 14.3 | 5 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| David Wingate | 65 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 35.2 | 12 | 6.4 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 38.7 |
| Craig Ehlo | 62 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 28.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Greg Graham | 28 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 29.0 | 6 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 25.0 |
| Eric Snow | 67 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 26.7 | 8 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 50.0 |
| Antonio Harvey | 6 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Steve Scheffler | 7 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Elmore Spencer | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Seattle SuperSonics in the 1997 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Seattle SuperSonics
In the first round of the 1997 NBA Playoffs, the Seattle SuperSonics, led by stars Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, faced the Phoenix Suns. The SuperSonics, who entered as the second seed in the Western Conference, faced a challenging five-game series. Ultimately, Seattle triumphed, overcoming Phoenix 3-2 to advance, showcasing their resilience and depth in a tightly contested matchup.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 106-101 | |
| Apr 27, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 122-78 | |
| Apr 29, 1997 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 110-103 | |
| May 01, 1997 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 122-115 | |
| May 03, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 116-92 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. Houston Rockets
In the 1997 NBA Playoffs, the Seattle SuperSonics faced the Houston Rockets in the second round. Despite a strong regular season, the Sonics, led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, struggled against the Rockets' formidable trio of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Clyde Drexler, ultimately falling in a hard-fought seven-game series. Seattle's inability to contain Houston's experienced stars underscored the challenges of maintaining playoff momentum against seasoned opponents.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 05, 1997 | @ Houston Rockets | L 112-102 | |
| May 07, 1997 | @ Houston Rockets | W 106-101 | |
| May 09, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 97-93 | |
| May 11, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 110-106 | |
| May 13, 1997 | @ Houston Rockets | W 100-94 | |
| May 15, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 99-96 | |
| May 17, 1997 | @ Houston Rockets | L 96-91 |
Seattle SuperSonics 1996-97 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1996-97 season for the Seattle SuperSonics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 01, 1996 | @ Utah Jazz | L 99-91 | |
| Nov 02, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 104-93 | |
| Nov 05, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 117-95 | |
| Nov 07, 1996 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 103-98 | |
| Nov 08, 1996 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 87-75 | |
| Nov 11, 1996 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 110-94 | |
| Nov 12, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 121-102 | |
| Nov 14, 1996 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 94-78 | |
| Nov 16, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 108-96 | |
| Nov 17, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 91-81 | |
| Nov 19, 1996 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 106-98 | |
| Nov 20, 1996 | @ Washington Bullets | W 115-110 | |
| Nov 22, 1996 | @ Boston Celtics | W 118-91 | |
| Nov 24, 1996 | @ New York Knicks | W 102-92 | |
| Nov 26, 1996 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 97-89 | |
| Nov 27, 1996 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 106-98 | |
| Nov 29, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 105-92 | |
| Dec 01, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 96-90 | |
| Dec 03, 1996 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 110-106 | |
| Dec 05, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 117-86 | |
| Dec 07, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 94-92 | |
| Dec 09, 1996 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 118-94 | |
| Dec 11, 1996 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 110-101 | |
| Dec 12, 1996 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 100-97 | |
| Dec 14, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 109-100 | |
| Dec 17, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 123-83 | |
| Dec 18, 1996 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 106-102 | |
| Dec 20, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 102-86 | |
| Dec 22, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 93-79 | |
| Dec 26, 1996 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 94-86 | |
| Dec 28, 1996 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 95-90 | |
| Dec 30, 1996 | @ Houston Rockets | L 99-91 | |
| Jan 02, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 96-82 | |
| Jan 03, 1997 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 108-94 | |
| Jan 07, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 94-85 | |
| Jan 08, 1997 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 109-99 | |
| Jan 11, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 92-82 | |
| Jan 15, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 122-78 | |
| Jan 17, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 96-84 | |
| Jan 20, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 112-96 | |
| Jan 22, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 98-97 | |
| Jan 23, 1997 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 102-100 | |
| Jan 26, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 104-103 | |
| Jan 29, 1997 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 111-86 | |
| Jan 31, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 97-95 | |
| Feb 02, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 91-84 | |
| Feb 05, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 99-95 | |
| Feb 11, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 108-81 | |
| Feb 14, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 105-85 | |
| Feb 16, 1997 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 102-91 | |
| Feb 17, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 113-108 | |
| Feb 21, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 84-64 | |
| Feb 23, 1997 | @ Utah Jazz | W 89-87 | |
| Feb 25, 1997 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 72-66 | |
| Feb 26, 1997 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 92-78 | |
| Feb 28, 1997 | @ Miami Heat | W 96-95 | |
| Mar 02, 1997 | @ Orlando Magic | W 109-101 | |
| Mar 04, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 101-89 | |
| Mar 07, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 109-90 | |
| Mar 09, 1997 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 103-93 | |
| Mar 11, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 93-80 | |
| Mar 13, 1997 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 108-92 | |
| Mar 14, 1997 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 97-91 | |
| Mar 16, 1997 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 86-83 | |
| Mar 18, 1997 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 89-87 | |
| Mar 20, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 123-97 | |
| Mar 22, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 113-99 | |
| Mar 23, 1997 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 106-92 | |
| Mar 25, 1997 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 126-89 | |
| Mar 26, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 109-107 | |
| Mar 28, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 92-81 | |
| Mar 30, 1997 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 107-106 | |
| Apr 01, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 99-97 | |
| Apr 03, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 103-80 | |
| Apr 05, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 103-84 | |
| Apr 06, 1997 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 113-101 | |
| Apr 10, 1997 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 90-82 | |
| Apr 12, 1997 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 96-91 | |
| Apr 13, 1997 | @ Houston Rockets | L 113-73 | |
| Apr 15, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 108-88 | |
| Apr 17, 1997 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 108-104 | |
| Apr 19, 1997 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 125-100 |