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1978–79 Seattle SuperSonics season

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1978–79 Seattle SuperSonics season
NBA champions
Conference champions
Division champions
Head coachLenny Wilkens
General managerZollie Volchok
OwnersSam Schulman
ArenaKingdome
Results
Record52–30 (.634)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Pacific)
Conference: 1st (Western)
Playoff finishNBA Champions
(Defeated Bullets 4–1)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKTNT-TV
RadioKIRO
< 1977–78 1979–80 >

The 1978–79 Seattle SuperSonics season was the team's 12th since the franchise began, and their most successful, winning their only NBA title.

In the playoffs, the SuperSonics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Semifinals, then defeated the Phoenix Suns in seven games in the Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for a second consecutive season, in a rematch of the 1978 NBA Finals, facing the defending NBA champion Washington Bullets, whom they had lost to in seven games. The Sonics would go on to avenge their NBA Finals loss and defeat the Bullets in five games, winning their first and only NBA championship. Dennis Johnson was named the NBA Finals MVP.

This was Seattle's first professional sports championship since the Seattle Metropolitans victory in the Stanley Cup in 1917.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Nationality School/Club Team
2 39 James Lee  United States Kentucky
2 42 Kevin McDonald  United States Pennsylvania
3 61 Dave Baxter  United States Michigan
4 83 Billy Lewis  United States Illinois State University
5 105 Ralph Drollinger  United States UCLA

Roster

Seattle SuperSonics 1978–79 roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. DOB From
C 21 United States Awtrey, Dennis 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1948–02–22 Santa Clara
G 32 United States Brown, Fred 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 182 lb (83 kg) 1948–08–07 Iowa
G 10 United States Hassett, Joe 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1955–09–11 Providence
G 24 United States Johnson, Dennis 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1954–09–18 Pepperdine
F 27 United States Johnson, John 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1947–10–18 Iowa
F/C 23 United States LaGarde, Tom 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1955–02–10 North Carolina
F 22 United States Robinson, Jackie 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1955–05–20 UNLV
F 8 United States Shelton, Lonnie 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1955–10–19 Oregon State
F/C 43 United States Sikma, Jack 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1955–11–14 Illinois Wesleyan
F/C 35 United States Silas, Paul 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1943–07–12 Creighton
G/F 11 United States Snyder, Dick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 1944–02–01 Davidson
F 42 United States Walker, Wally 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1954–07–18 Virginia
G 1 United States Williams, Gus 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1953–10–10 USC
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: 1979–06–26

Regular season

Season standings

Pacific Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Seattle SuperSonics 52 30 .634 – 31–10 21–20 11–9
x-Phoenix Suns 50 32 .610 2 32–9 18–23 11–9
x-Los Angeles Lakers 47 35 .573 5 31–10 16–25 11–9
x-Portland Trail Blazers 45 37 .549 7 33–8 12–29 8–12
San Diego Clippers 43 39 .524 9 29–12 14–27 11–9
Golden State Warriors 38 44 .463 14 23–18 15–26 8–12

Record vs. opponents

1978-79 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NOJ NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA WAS
Atlanta — 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2
Boston 2–2 — 1–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 3–1 2–2 0–4 1–3 0–4 1–3 2–2 0–4
Chicago 1–3 2–1 — 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 0–3 0–4 0–4 1–3
Cleveland 1–3 2–2 3–1 — 1–2 1–3 2–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–4 0–4 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–4
Denver 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–1 — 2–2 4–0 1–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 0–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3
Detroit 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 — 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 0–4 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–3 1–3
Golden State 3–1 1–2 1–3 1–2 0–4 3–1 — 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2
Houston 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 — 0–4 3–1 2–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 4–0 0–4 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 2–2
Indiana 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 4–0 — 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–2 2–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 0–4 1–3
Kansas City 2–2 3–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 — 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–0
Los Angeles 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–2 4–0 2–2 — 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–0 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2
Milwaukee 0–3 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 — 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3
New Jersey 2–2 3–1 2–2 1–3 0–4 4–0 3–1 1–3 2–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 — 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–0 2–2 0–4 2–2 0–4 1–3
New Orleans 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 0–4 1–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 — 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–4 0–3 0–4
New York 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–2 0–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 — 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3
Philadelphia 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 3–0 3–1 1–3 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 — 1–3 1–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 3–1
Phoenix 1–2 4–0 3–1 4–0 1–3 4–0 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–3 3–1 4–0 3–1 — 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3
Portland 2–2 3–1 0–4 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 1–3 — 2–1 2–2 1–3 3–1
San Antonio 1–3 4–0 3–0 4–0 1–3 3–1 3–1 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–2 — 4–0 2–2 1–3
San Diego 1–3 3–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 0–4 — 2–2 0–3
Seattle 3–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 1–3 3–0 1–3 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 4–0 3–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 — 2–2
Washington 2–2 4–0 3–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 0–3 2–2 3–1 3–1 4–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 3–0 2–2 —

Playoffs

West First Round

The SuperSonics had a first round bye.

West Conference Semifinals

(1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (5) Los Angeles Lakers: Sonics win series 4-1

  • Game 1 @ Seattle: Seattle 112, Los Angeles 101
  • Game 2 @ Seattle: Seattle 108, Los Angeles 103 (OT)
  • Game 3 @ Los Angeles: Los Angeles 118, Seattle 112 (OT)
  • Game 4 @ Los Angeles: Seattle 117, Los Angeles 115
  • Game 5 @ Seattle: Seattle 106, Los Angeles 100

West Conference Finals

(1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Phoenix Suns: Sonics win series 4-3

  • Game 1 @ Seattle: Seattle 108, Phoenix 93
  • Game 2 @ Seattle: Seattle 103, Phoenix 97
  • Game 3 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 113, Seattle 103
  • Game 4 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 100, Seattle 91
  • Game 5 @ Seattle: Phoenix 99, Seattle 93
  • Game 6 @ Phoenix: Seattle 106, Phoenix 105
  • Game 7 @ Seattle: Seattle 114, Phoenix 110

NBA finals

Dennis Johnson of the SuperSonics was the Most Valuable Player of the finals while teammate Gus Williams was the leading scorer, averaging 28.6 points per game.

Game Date Home Team Result Road Team
Game 1 May 20 Washington 99–97 Seattle
Game 2 May 24 Washington 82–92 Seattle
Game 3 May 27 Seattle 105–95 Washington
Game 4 May 29 Seattle 114–112 Washington
Game 5 June 1 Washington 93–97 Seattle

SuperSonics win series 4-1

Awards and records

References

External links

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