1967–68 Seattle SuperSonics season
Encyclopedia
The 1967–68 Seattle SuperSonics season was the inaugural season for the expansion
Seattle SuperSonics
franchise in the National Basketball Association
. The team's official arena was the Seattle Center Coliseum
.
With a team built in its majority from the 1967 expansion draft
featuring Walt Hazzard
and six-year veteran Tom Meschery
, and with Al Bianchi
at the head coach position, the Sonics finished the season with a 23–59 record and a fifth place in the Western Division, six games behind the Chicago Bulls
, and couldn't make it to the playoffs.
from the St. Louis Hawks
came as a surprise to most, since Guerin had already announced his retirement, and thus did not play for the Sonics. He would return for the 1968–69 season to play for the relocated Atlanta Hawks after Seattle traded him in the offseason.
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #005F30; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | Seattle SuperSonics 1967–68 roster
|- style="background-color: #FFD321; color: #005F30; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-
|
|| 36 || – || 7.2 || .336 || – || .645 || 1.6 || .4 || – || – || 3.1
|-
|
|| 79 || – || 33.7 || .441 || – || .774 || 4.2 || 6.2 || – || – || 24.0
|-
|
|| 76 || – || 23.6 || .396 || – || .790 || 4.7 || 3.7 || – || – || 9.7
|-
|
|| 44 || – || 10.9 || .311 || – || .613 || 2.1 || .8 || – || – || 2.5
|-
|
|| 82 || – || 34.8 || .469 || – || .707 || 10.2 || 2.4 || – || – || 14.5
|-
|
|| 81 || – || 18.4 || .436 || – || .689 || 7.4 || .8 || – || – || 7.3
|-
|
|| 73 || – || 12.3 || .456 || – || .274 || 2.8 || 1.0 || – || – || 3.8
|-
|
|| 73 || – || 12.3 || .456 || – || .274 || 2.8 || 1.0 || – || – || 3.8
|-
|
|| 82 || – || 29.6 || .489 || – || .658 || 9.5 || 1.2 || – || – || 18.1
|-
|
|| 66 || – || 25.3 || .451 || – || .737 || 4.0 || 3.5 || – || – || 15.2
|-
|
|| 81 || – || 29.2 || .442 || – || .707 || 7.5 || 1.4 || – || – || 13.1
|-
|
|| 82 || – || 19.7 || .430 || – || .839 || 1.8 || 4.2 || – || – || 9.8
|-
|
|| 77 || – || 16.1 || .359 || – || .703 || 6.1 || .7 || – || – || 6.1
|}
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
franchise in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. The team's official arena was the Seattle Center Coliseum
KeyArena
KeyArena at Seattle Center , is a multipurpose arena, in Seattle, Washington. It is located north of downtown in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, the Century 21 Exposition...
.
With a team built in its majority from the 1967 expansion draft
1967 NBA Expansion Draft
The 1967 NBA Expansion Draft was the third expansion draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on May 1, 1967, so that the newly founded San Diego Rockets and Seattle SuperSonics could acquire players for the upcoming 1967–68 season. Seattle and San Diego had been awarded...
featuring Walt Hazzard
Walt Hazzard
Walter "Walt" Raphael Hazzard Jr. , also known as Mahdi Abdul-Rahman, was an American college, Olympic, and professional basketball player and college basketball coach...
and six-year veteran Tom Meschery
Tom Meschery
Thomas Nicholas "Tom" Meschery is a Russian American former professional basketball player. He was a power forward with a 10 year National Basketball Association career from 1961 to 1971. He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors and the Seattle SuperSonics...
, and with Al Bianchi
Al Bianchi
Alfred A. “Al” Bianchi was born on March 26, 1932 in Long Island City, New York. He was an NBA professional basketball player, coach and general manager as well as consultant and NBA scout....
at the head coach position, the Sonics finished the season with a 23–59 record and a fifth place in the Western Division, six games behind the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
, and couldn't make it to the playoffs.
NBA Draft
The twelve-man roster for the 1967–68 season consisted of three rookies from the 1967 NBA Draft and nine players from the expansion draft. Al Bianchi's choice of Richie GuerinRichie Guerin
Richard Vincent "Richie" Guerin is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. The 6'4" Guerin played with the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks from 1956 to 1963 and was a player-coach of the St...
from the St. Louis Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
came as a surprise to most, since Guerin had already announced his retirement, and thus did not play for the Sonics. He would return for the 1968–69 season to play for the relocated Atlanta Hawks after Seattle traded him in the offseason.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Al Tucker Al Tucker -External links:* *... |
SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
Oklahoma Baptist | |
| 2 | 19 | Bob Rule Bob Rule Bobby Frank Rule is a retired American basketball player at center for the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and briefly, the Milwaukee Bucks.... |
C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... / PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
Colorado State Colorado State Rams men's basketball The Colorado State Rams men's basketball team represents Colorado State University, located in Fort Collins, Colorado, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at the Moby Arena and are members of the Mountain West Conference. Their current head coach is Tim Miles.-NCAA... |
|
| 5 | 54 | Plummer Lott Plummer Lott Plummer E. Lott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA and a New York Supreme Court judge.Lott was a 6'5" and 210 lb small forward whose brief career lasted with the Seattle SuperSonics from 1967 to 1969... |
SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... / SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
Seattle |
Roster
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;"|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #005F30; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | Seattle SuperSonics 1967–68 roster
|- style="background-color: #FFD321; color: #005F30; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-
Regular season
Their first game was on October 13 and the Sonics lost their first game to the San Francisco Warriors on the road. A week later, the Sonics dropped their first home game to their expansion partner, the San Diego Rockets by a score of 121-114. The club would win their first ever game against the same Rockets for their first win 117-110 in San Diego.Season
|-|
|| 36 || – || 7.2 || .336 || – || .645 || 1.6 || .4 || – || – || 3.1
|-
|
|| 79 || – || 33.7 || .441 || – || .774 || 4.2 || 6.2 || – || – || 24.0
|-
|
|| 76 || – || 23.6 || .396 || – || .790 || 4.7 || 3.7 || – || – || 9.7
|-
|
|| 44 || – || 10.9 || .311 || – || .613 || 2.1 || .8 || – || – || 2.5
|-
|
|| 82 || – || 34.8 || .469 || – || .707 || 10.2 || 2.4 || – || – || 14.5
|-
|
|| 81 || – || 18.4 || .436 || – || .689 || 7.4 || .8 || – || – || 7.3
|-
|
|| 73 || – || 12.3 || .456 || – || .274 || 2.8 || 1.0 || – || – || 3.8
|-
|
|| 73 || – || 12.3 || .456 || – || .274 || 2.8 || 1.0 || – || – || 3.8
|-
|
|| 82 || – || 29.6 || .489 || – || .658 || 9.5 || 1.2 || – || – || 18.1
|-
|
|| 66 || – || 25.3 || .451 || – || .737 || 4.0 || 3.5 || – || – || 15.2
|-
|
|| 81 || – || 29.2 || .442 || – || .707 || 7.5 || 1.4 || – || – || 13.1
|-
|
|| 82 || – || 19.7 || .430 || – || .839 || 1.8 || 4.2 || – || – || 9.8
|-
|
|| 77 || – || 16.1 || .359 || – || .703 || 6.1 || .7 || – || – || 6.1
|}
Awards
- Al TuckerAl Tucker-External links:* *...
and Bob RuleBob RuleBobby Frank Rule is a retired American basketball player at center for the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and briefly, the Milwaukee Bucks....
earned NBA All-Rookie First TeamNBA All-Rookie TeamThe NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
selections. - Walt HazzardWalt HazzardWalter "Walt" Raphael Hazzard Jr. , also known as Mahdi Abdul-Rahman, was an American college, Olympic, and professional basketball player and college basketball coach...
played for the West in the 1968 NBA All-Star Game1968 NBA All-Star GameGAME 18: at Madison Square Garden in New York City, January 23, 1968.MVP: Hal GreerCoaches: East: Alex Hannum, West: Bill Sharman.-Western Conference: -Eastern Conference: -Score by Periods: *Halftime— East, 64-59*Third Quarter— East, 101-91...
at the Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden (1925)Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the third of that name. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1968, and was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near...
in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.