1994–95 Seattle SuperSonics season

The 1994–95 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 27th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. The SuperSonics received the eleventh overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft from the Charlotte Hornets via trade, and selected power forward Carlos Rogers out of Tennessee State University, but then traded him to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Šarūnas Marčiulionis and Byron Houston, and signed free agent Bill Cartwright during the off-season; Cartwright won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls in the early 1990s. For the duration of the regular season, the SuperSonics switched venues and played their home games at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, while their original stadium, the Seattle Center Coliseum, was being rebuilt to keep pace with NBA standards.

The SuperSonics struggled with a 3–4 start to the regular season, but then won 13 of their next 16 games, posted a 10-game winning streak in January, and later on held a 33–12 record at the All-Star break. However, the team dealt with a few troubles during the season, and Cartwright only played just 29 games due to a groin injury. The SuperSonics posted a seven-game winning streak between March and April, finished in second place in the Pacific Division with a 57–25 record, and earned the fourth seed in the Western Conference; the team also qualified for the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.

Gary Payton averaged 20.6 points, 7.1 assists and 2.5 steals per game, while Shawn Kemp averaged 18.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and Detlef Schrempf provided the team with 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game; Payton and Kemp were both named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Schrempf was selected to the All-NBA Third Team, and Payton was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Kendall Gill contributed 13.7 points and 1.6 steals per game, and Sam Perkins provided with 12.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and led the SuperSonics with 136 three-point field goals. Off the bench, Vincent Askew contributed 9.9 points per game, while Marčiulionis contributed 9.3 points per game, and defensive guard Nate McMillan averaged 5.2 points, 5.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, Payton, Kemp and Schrempf were all selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team. Payton also finished in ninth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while McMillan finished in fourth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and both players finished tied in sixth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1995 NBA playoffs, the SuperSonics faced off against the 5th–seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Cedric Ceballos, second-year star Nick Van Exel, and Vlade Divac. However, after a shocking first-round exit in the 1994 NBA playoffs against the 8th–seeded Denver Nuggets, and despite winning Game 1 over the Lakers at home, 96–71 at the Tacoma Dome, the SuperSonics lost the next three games, which included a Game 4 loss to the Lakers on the road, 114–110 at the Great Western Forum, thus losing the series in four games.

The SuperSonics finished 18th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 633,604 at the Tacoma Dome during the regular season. During the regular season, Gill and head coach George Karl both feuded with each other in public, as Gill dealt with clinical depression. Following the season, Gill was traded back to his former team, the Charlotte Hornets, while Marčiulionis and Houston were both dealt to the Sacramento Kings, and Cartwright retired.

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

|- | 1 | November 5 | Utah | 110–103 | Detlef Schrempf (26) | Detlef Schrempf (12) | Schrempf & Nate McMillan (4) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,324 | 1–0 |- | 2 | November 9 | Sacramento | 100–108 | Shawn Kemp (21) | Shawn Kemp (9) | Schrempf & McMillan (5) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,352 | 1–1 |- | 3 | November 11 | Phoenix | 129–123 | Shawn Kemp (26) | Ervin Johnson (9) | McMillan & Gary Payton (6) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,352 | 2–1 |- | 4 | November 13 | L.A. Clippers | 115–90 | Vincent Askew (20) | Shawn Kemp (11) | Nate McMillan (6) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,352 | 3–1 |- | 5 | November 15 | @ New Jersey | 106–112 | Shawn Kemp (26) | Shawn Kemp (13) | Gary Payton (6) | Brendan Byrne Arena <br> 15,310 | 3–2 |- | 6 | November 16 | @ Boston | 93–120 | Detlef Schrempf (19) | Shawn Kemp (10) | Nate McMillan (7) | Boston Garden <br> 14,890 | 3–3 |- | 7 | November 18 | @ Indiana | 87–94 | Gary Payton (21) | Detlef Schrempf (11) | Gary Payton (4) | Market Square Arena <br> 16,627 | 3–4 |- | 8 | November 19 | @ Milwaukee | 120–96 | Gary Payton (25) | Shawn Kemp (11) | Gary Payton (7) | Bradley Center <br> 18,633 | 4–4 |- | 9 | November 22 | New Jersey | 104–97 | Gary Payton (26) | Shawn Kemp (17) | Gary Payton (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 13,574 | 5–4 |- | 10 | November 23 | @ Utah | 103–113 | Šarūnas Marčiulionis (21) | Vincent Askew (6) | Gary Payton (8) | Delta Center <br>19,911 | 5–5 |- | 11 | November 25 | @ San Antonio | 114–94 | Gary Payton (21) | Shawn Kemp (10) | Gary Payton (7) | Alamodome <br> 19,016 | 6–5 |- | 12 | November 26, 1994 <br> 5:30p.m. PST | @ Houston | W 98–94 | Kemp & Sam Perkins (22) | Kemp (12) | Payton (5) | The Summit <br> 16,611 | 7–5 |- | 13 | November 28 | Indiana | 118–99 | Gary Payton (28) | Ervin Johnson (14) | Gary Payton (7) | Tacoma Dome <br> 14,647 | 8–5 |- | 14 | November 30 | San Antonio | 109–100 | Gary Payton (21) | Detlef Schrempf (7) | Gary Payton (6) | Tacoma Dome <br> 14,793 | 9–5

|- | 15 | December 3 | Milwaukee | 111–108 | Shawn Kemp (26) | Shawn Kemp (15) | Payton & McMillan (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 14,661 | 10–5 |- | 16 | December 6, 1994 <br> 5:00p.m. PST | Houston | W 103–90 | Payton (30) | Kemp (9) | Payton (8) | Tacoma Dome <br> 13,017 | 11–5 |- | 17 | December 8 | @ Sacramento | 91–103 | Vincent Askew (17) | Shawn Kemp (19) | Detlef Schrempf (8) | ARCO Arena <br> 17,317 | 11–6 |- | 18 | December 10 | @ L.A. Clippers | 132–127 (2 OT) | Shawn Kemp (42) | Shawn Kemp (14) | Gary Payton (14) | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena <br> 9,048 | 12–6 |- | 19 | December 14 | @ Phoenix | 93–111 | Gary Payton (16) | Shawn Kemp (14) | Gary Payton (6) | America West Arena <br> 19,023 | 12–7 |- | 20 | December 15 | Portland | 114–103 | Shawn Kemp (26) | Shawn Kemp (8) | Gary Payton (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 13,151 | 13–7 |- | 21 | December 17 | Orlando | 124–84 | Gary Payton (31) | Shawn Kemp (14) | Gary Payton (7) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,832 | 14–7 |- | 22 | December 20 | L.A. Clippers | 110–79 | Shawn Kemp (23) | Shawn Kemp (13) | Gary Payton (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 11,952 | 15–7 |- | 23 | December 22 | Dallas | 103–101 | Gary Payton (28) | Shawn Kemp (10) | Gary Payton (8) | Tacoma Dome <br> 14,763 | 16–7 |- | 24 | December 25 | @ Denver | 96–105 | Kendall Gill & Schrempf (21) | Detlef Schrempf (6) | Gary Payton (4) | McNichols Sports Arena <br> 17,171 | 16–8 |- | 25 | December 26 | Sacramento | 123–103 | Sam Perkins (26) | Shawn Kemp (9) | Detlef Schrempf (8) | Tacoma Dome <br> 15,780 | 17–8 |- | 26 | December 28 | Philadelphia | 121–102 | Kendall Gill (25) | Shawn Kemp (9) | Nate McMillan (10) | Tacoma Dome <br> 15,787 | 18–8 |- | 27 | December 29 | @ L.A. Lakers | 95–96 | Detlef Schrempf (26) | Shawn Kemp (13) | Gary Payton (11) | Great Western Forum <br> 17,505 | 18–9

|- | 28 | January 3 | @ Washington | 121–107 | Gary Payton (24) | Shawn Kemp (8) | Nate McMillan (9) | US Airways Arena <br> 16,940 | 19–9 |- | 29 | January 4 | @ Cleveland | 116–85 | Gary Payton (32) | Schrempf, Johnson & Kemp (6) | Gary Payton & Detlef Schrempf (6) | Gund Arena <br> 20,562 | 20–9 |- | 30 | January 6 | @ Chicago | 108–101 | Kemp & Schrempf (23) | Bill Cartwright & Kemp (9) | Gary Payton (13) | United Center <br> 22,248 | 21–9 |- | 31 | January 10 | @ Golden State | 128–118 OT | Detlef Schrempf (33) | Detlef Schrempf (16) | McMillan & Payton (13) | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena <br> 15,025 | 22–9 |- | 32 | January 13 | L.A. Clippers | 108–101 | Detlef Schrempf (23) | Shawn Kemp (14) | Gary Payton (11) | Tacoma Dome <br> 13,836 | 23–9 |- | 33 | January 15 | Portland | 131–124 | Gary Payton (29) | Sam Perkins (10) | Gary Payton (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,950 | 24–9 |- | 34 | January 17 | Cleveland | 115–91 | Detlef Schrempf (21) | Shawn Kemp (11) | Nate McMillan (7) | Tacoma Dome <br> 12,914 | 25–9 |- | 35 | January 19 | @ Minnesota | 102–87 | Detlef Schrempf (22) | Shawn Kemp (13) | Gary Payton (8) | Target Center <br> 13,396 | 26–9 |- | 36 | January 21 | @ Dallas | 117–91 | Gary Payton (22) | Detlef Schrempf (29) | Gary Payton (8) | Reunion Arena <br> 17,502 | 27–9 |- | 37 | January 24 | Denver | 111–89 | Shawn Kemp (19) | Schrempf (9) | Gary Payton (8) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,352 | 28–9 |- | 38 | January 26 | Utah | 108–120 | Shawn Kemp (19) | Shawn Kemp (12) | Kemp, McMillan, Payton (5) | Tacoma Dome <br> 14,835 | 28–10 |- | 39 | January 28 | L.A. Lakers | 121–128 (OT) | Detlef Schrempf (26) | Detlef Schrempf (10) | Gary Payton (13) | Tacoma Dome <br> 17,426 | 28–11 |- | 40 | January 30 | @ Philadelphia | 109–104 | Sam Perkins (31) | Shawn Kemp (8) | McMillan & Payton (9) | CoreStates Spectrum <br> 13,892 | 29–11

|- | 41 | February 2 | @ Orlando | 106–103 | Gary Payton (26) | Shawn Kemp (12) | Nate McMillan (8) | Orlando Arena <br> 16,010 | 30–11 |- | 42 | February 3 | @ Atlanta | 121–98 | Gary Payton (22) | Kendall Gill (8) | Gary Payton (9) | Omni Coliseum <br> 14,083 | 31–11 |- | 43 | February 5 | @ Miami | 136–109 | Shawn Kemp (26) | Shawn Kemp (11) | Nate McMillan (12) | Miami Arena <br> 14,852 | 32–11 |- | 44 | February 7 | San Antonio | 103–106 | Kendall Gill (24) | Detlef Schrempf (14) | Gary Payton (10) | Tacoma Dome <br> 15,083 | 32–12 |- | 45 | February 9 | Chicago | 126–118 OT | Shawn Kemp (30) | Sam Perkins (10) | Payton & Schrempf (8) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,079 | 33–12 |- align="center" |colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break |- style="background:#cfc;" |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" |- | 46 | February 14 | Golden State | 118–108 | Gary Payton (26) | Sam Perkins (12) | Nate McMillan (10) | Tacoma Dome <br> 13,918 | 34–12 |- | 47 | February 15 | @ L.A. Lakers | 96–102 | Gary Payton (24) | Shawn Kemp (12) | Kendall Gill (7) | Great Western Forum <br> 14,936 | 34–13 |- | 48 | February 17 | @ Portland | 109–114 | Shawn Kemp (30) | Shawn Kemp (7) | Gary Payton (10) | Veterans Memorial Coliseum <br> 12,888 | 34–14 |- | 49 | February 18 | @ Golden State | 129–117 | Detlef Schrempf (31) | Sam Perkins & Schrempf (9) | Gary Payton (7) | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena <br> 15,025 | 35–14 |- | 50 | February 20 | L.A. Lakers | 105–108 | Detlef Schrempf (26) | Shawn Kemp (14) | Gary Payton (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,502 | 35–15 |- | 51 | February 22 | Minnesota | 120–104 | Kendall Gill (34) | Shawn Kemp (13) | Gary Payton (13) | Tacoma Dome <br> 13,012 | 36–15 |- | 52 | February 24 | Denver | 90–86 | Detlef Schrempf (22) | Detlef Schrempf (9) | Payton & Schrempf (8) | Tacoma Dome <br> 18,056 | 37–15 |- | 53 | February 27 | Charlotte | 114–116 | Gary Payton (32) | Shawn Kemp (8) | Detlef Schrempf (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,379 | 37–16

|- | 54 | March 2 | @ L.A. Clippers | 116–88 | Kemp & Marčiulionis (21) | Kemp & Gill (7) | Gary Payton (7) | Arrowhead Pond <br> 17,873 | 38–16 |- | 55 | March 3 | @ Phoenix | 118–122 (OT) | Detlef Schrempf (31) | Shawn Kemp (13) | McMillan, Payton, & Schrempf (8) | America West Arena <br> 19,023 | 38–17 |- | 56 | March 6 | Golden State | 103–106 | Detlef Schrempf (23) | Shawn Kemp (16) | Nate McMillan (8) | Tacoma Dome <br> 13,442 | 38–18 |- | 57 | March 8 | @ Minnesota | 118–104 | Detlef Schrempf (27) | Shawn Kemp (9) | Gary Payton (8) | Target Center <br> 14,339 | 39–18 |- | 58 | March 9 | @ Charlotte | 99–112 | Kendall Gill (23) | Kendall Gill (11) | Gill & Payton (5) | Charlotte Coliseum <br> 23,698 | 39–19 |- | 59 | March 11 | @ New York | 96–84 | Kemp & Schrempf (22) | Shawn Kemp (19) | Gary Payton (8) | Madison Square Garden <br> 19,763 | 40–19 |- | 60 | March 12 | @ Detroit | 134–94 | Shawn Kemp (25) | Shawn Kemp (16) | Nate McMillan (8) | The Palace at Auburn Hills <br> 16,235 | 41–19 |- | 61 | March 14 | Boston | 113–93 | Detlef Schrempf (23) | Shawn Kemp (11) | Nate McMillan (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,296 | 42–19 |- | 62 | March 16 | Miami | 103–78 | Detlef Schrempf (20) | Shawn Kemp (16) | Gary Payton (7) | Tacoma Dome <br> 15,257 | 43–18 |- | 63 | March 18 | Detroit | 133–110 | Payton & Schrempf (25) | Shawn Kemp (11) | Nate McMillan (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 17,326 | 44–19 |- | 64 | March 20 | @ San Antonio | 96–104 | Shawn Kemp (23) | Shawn Kemp (12) | Gary Payton (6) | Alamodome <br> 19,798 | 44–20 |- | 65 | March 21, 1995 <br> 5:30p.m. PST | @ Houston | W 104–102 | Marčiulionis (20) | Kemp (12) | McMillan & Payton (6) | The Summit <br> 16,611 | 45–20 |- | 66 | March 23 | Washington | 108–103 | Payton & Schrempf (24) | Shawn Kemp (13) | Gary Payton (9) | Tacoma Dome <br> 13,775 | 46–20 |- | 67 | March 24 | @ Portland | 112–118 | Gary Payton (32) | Shawn Kemp (13) | Payton & Schrempf (7) | Veterans Memorial Coliseum <br> 12,888 | 47–20 |- | 68 | March 26 | New York | 93–82 | Gary Payton (26) | Shawn Kemp (9) | Payton & Perkins (4) | Tacoma Dome <br> 18,056 | 48–20 |- | 69 | March 29 | Minnesota | 109–92 | Gary Payton (33) | Shawn Kemp (11) | Payton & Marčiulionis (6) | Tacoma Dome <br> 12,336 | 49–20 |- | 70 | March 31 | Sacramento | 120–95 | Gary Payton (27) | Shawn Kemp (12) | Šarūnas Marčiulionis (6) | Tacoma Dome <br> 14,698 | 50–20

|- | 71 | April 2 | Atlanta | 105–83 | Payton & Kemp (21) | Shawn Kemp (18) | McMillan & Payton (6) | Tacoma Dome <br> 17,368 | 51–20 |- | 72 | April 4 | @ Utah | 92–114 | Gary Payton (26) | Shawn Kemp (9) | Gary Payton (6) | Delta Center <br> 19,911 | 52–21 |- | 73 | April 6 | @ Denver | 106–100 | Detlef Schrempf (27) | Shawn Kemp (18) | Gary Payton & Schrempf (4) | McNichols Sports Arena <br> 17,171 | 52–21 |- | 74 | April 8 | @ Dallas | 125–98 | Detlef Schrempf (22) | Johnson & Kemp (12) | Gary Payton (8) | Reunion Arena <br> 17,502 | 53–21 |- | 75 | April 11 | Phoenix | 90–96 | Shawn Kemp (27) | Shawn Kemp (15) | Gary Payton (6) | Tacoma Dome <br> 18,036 | 53–22 |- | 76 | April 13 | Dallas | 133–112 | Gary Payton (24) | Shawn Kemp (19) | Nate McMillan (15) | Tacoma Dome <br> 15,900 | 54–22 |- | 77 | April 15 | @ Golden State | 115–99 | Gary Payton (24) | Shawn Kemp (13) | Gary Payton (10) | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena <br> 15,025 | 55–22 |- | 78 | April 17 | Portland | 93–97 | Detlef Schrempf (25) | Kemp & Johnson (7) | Gary Payton (6) | Tacoma Dome <br> 16,659 | 55–23 |- | 79 | April 18 | @ L.A. Lakers | 113–97 | Gary Payton (28) | Kemp & Johnson (14) | Nate McMillan (13) | Great Western Forum <br> 17,505 | 56–23 |- | 80 | April 20, 1995 <br> 7:00p.m. PDT | Houston | W 111–101 | Payton (25) | Kemp (13) | Payton (7) | Tacoma Dome <br> 18,056 | 57–23 |- | 81 | April 21 | @ Sacramento | 97–105 | Detlef Schrempf (26) | Shawn Kemp (7) | Detlef Schrempf (10) | ARCO Arena <br> 17,317 | 57–24 |- | 82 | April 23 | @ Phoenix | 100–105 | Detlef Schrempf (18) | Shawn Kemp (13) | Kemp & Payton (5) | America West Arena <br> 19,023 | 57–25

Playoffs

|- | 1 | April 27 | L.A. Lakers | W 96–71 | Shawn Kemp (21) | Kemp, Perkins (7) | Nate McMillan (8) | Tacoma Dome<br>14,073 | 1–0 |- | 2 | April 29 | L.A. Lakers | L 82–84 | Shawn Kemp (22) | Shawn Kemp (12) | Gary Payton (6) | Tacoma Dome<br>14,681 | 1–1 |- | 3 | May 1 | @ L.A. Lakers | L 101–105 | Shawn Kemp (30) | Shawn Kemp (11) | Nate McMillan (10) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1–2 |- | 4 | May 4 | @ L.A. Lakers | L 110–114 | Gary Payton (27) | Shawn Kemp (18) | three players tied (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1–3

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Player statistics citation:

Awards and records

Awards

All-NBA Teams :

• Shawn Kemp – All-NBA Second Team
• Gary Payton – All-NBA Second Team
• Detlef Schrempf – All-NBA Third Team

NBA All-Defensive Teams :

• Gary Payton – All-Defensive First Team
• Nate McMillan – All-Defensive Second Team

1995 NBA All-Star Game :

• Shawn Kemp (third participation, second as a starter)
• Gary Payton (second participation)
• Detlef Schrempf (second participation)

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Player Transactions Citation:

See also

• 1994–95 NBA season

References