The defense rules of the 90’s didn’t allow for it. Can’t do all that stuff when a guy can hand check or get up in your chest and take away the crossover. I miss that kind of efficient basketball
@@alod247 exactly, is not like guards then didn't have the handling abilities, is more of today's guards not having or being allowed to have the same defensive skills and rules of back then
@@kidoku facts! Anybody that thinks Rod Strickland or Steve Nash or Isaiah Thomas didn’t have every move in the book is crazy. But can’t do all that dribbling with 5 second rules, physical defense, and teammates that will slap the shit out of you for bouncing the air out the ball to throw up a bad shot. This era coddles offense
@@alod247 Allen Iverson did fancy dribbles all the time right from his rookie season in 1996 onwards. Him breaking MJ's ankles in their first game against each other is quite famous. Handchecking was banned in 2004. So handchecking did not prevent it.
They swept the back to back defending champion Rockets, were the right age at the right time, Payton/Kemp were at their peak, good outside shooters that could come off the bench, good defense, and they didn't have the traditional center (like most teams of today), they won 64 games, lost to the 72 win Bulls team in the Finals. A team that time forgot, they were awesome.
Nah the Sonics were one of the weakest teams in the finals up until that time. Remember we had a lot of hall of famer filled teams. The rockets that won championships were not filled out. They didn’t have Charles or Pippen yet.
@@mikeslemonade Rockets never won a title with Pippen or Sir Charles, they won the title with the same team the year before with Hakeem and Drexler. Sonics were really good veteran team with Payton, Kemp, and Schrempf playing really well together as their best scorers.
The 96 Seattle SuperSonics was not a good team. Michael Jordan played in the weak era against weak competition. 96 Sonics would not have beaten any of the team that Lebron James had to face in the Finals. The 96 Supersonics team would lose in a best of 7 series against the following team: 2011 Dallas Mavericks, 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder, 2013-2014 San Antonio Spurs, 2015-2018 Golden State Warriors, 2020 Miami Heat.
I love that clip of Gatling blocking the shot, Kemp gets the rebound and dunks it on him. Kemp wasn't afraid of the shot blocker, and Gatling wasn't afraid of Kemp embarrassing him. Then after the play they both give each other a look of respect. That's basketball you won't see today.
Kemp just lost his athleticism due to injury and then also got fat... didn't forget how to play basketball... the guy just didn't care in the end and the injury played it's part too...
Shawn Kemp should be in the hall of fame. He was one of the best players of his generation! So what if he did not have a long career. Is there even an argument about this?
I agree. I recently noticed that he’s not in the hall of fame. I’m still speechless. I’m from that 90’s Bulls era and will always love those teams, but I can’t understand how Toni Kukoc is in the hall of fame and Kemp is not. CRAZY.
It's legit insane he's not in the hall of fame. He was an incredible player, and always fun to watch. Up there with the most athletic players to ever play basketball
I’m a huge Kemp fan, but in the eyes of the Hall, he didn’t have a long enough peak and technically lacks the stats with career averages of 14.6/8.4 and only 3 All NBA 2nd Team appearances. Granted numbers don’t tell the true story for him because he played on loaded teams with 4-5 other guys scoring 12+ points per game; on thinner rosters he’d have had big boy Berkeley numbers like 23+/13 for a solid 6 years. As stands he was effectively a 20/10 for 8 seasons. A guy with a somewhat similar trajectory (albeit higher statistically) who eventually got in because of his peak was Spencer Haywood, so maybe Kemp will on like a Veteran’s committee, if they have those in the NBA. He topped out at 26, incredibly. Narrative after he outclassed Malone in ‘96 WCF was that the torch had been passed, and then his demons got the better of him.
One of the greatest times in my life, was being a fan of that great Seattle Supersonics team... The 1987 surprise run to the WCF... The drafting of Kemp, then Payton... And the early to mid 90's... If only that 1993 team had used Kemp more, in the WCF, then they would've seen the Bulls earlier than they did... Some bumpy times too, 93-94 WAS OUR YEAR... sigh But eventually, we got back on track, and 95-96 was such an exciting time
@@Job.Well.Done_01 Oh yeah... I was a big fan of that team, being borne into the fandom, and first started being an active fan, when I was 5. The 86-87 season was so exciting. Then I started regularly going to games when I was 9... (90-91) My fondest memories were between 92-97, going to games at the Coliseum/Key Arena. Ugh, so many great memories. I miss the Supersonics
Hell, even ‘97-98 we were surprisingly good, owning both the Lakers and Jazz during the regular season. I knew we’d be mismatched in the playoffs, but it was so depressing how we just fell apart in the semis against the Lakers after taking Game 1.
I joined the Army in '94 and was in Kuwait by '96. I got to watch the games in my barracks room late at night with a friend who put up with my fandom. It was fun times. I was so mad in game 6 when Rodman "climbed up" Kemp on the jump ball cause he knew he couldn't beat him jumping without cheating.
I'm glad you mentioned the Sonics' team defense and not just GP's. The narrative is that MJ got his way in the first three games but then GP locked him down in the last three. The problem w/ that logic is it ignores the fact that the Sonics' defensive strategy throughout the entire series was to rotate DIFFERENT defenders on MJ every few minutes. Contrary to popular belief, GP was already included in that defensive rotation by Game 3, putting up a promising resistance against MJ's best performance of the series. Game 4 was GP's best case since he set the defensive tone against MJ from the opening tip, and would try to do the same for the rest of the Finals. MJ quickly bounced back in Game 5, except he didn't shoot much in the 4th quarter despite being mostly guarded by Hawkins the rest of the way. Father's Day was MJ's most inefficient performance against the majority of Sonics defenders, but he did well against GP. Pippen shot 34% in that series. It was a pure defensive battle between the top two teams of that year.
The Problem with what you said is this = It's based on..................FACTS!!!!!!! Haters are allergic to Facts. They'll just ignore those Facts. They just want to hate.
Jordan averaged 27 ppg in that series. Game 1 28 points game 2 29 points, game 3 36 points, game 4 23 points, game 5 26 points, game 6 22 points. And they beat the Sonic 4-2. Stop with the Sonics locking down Jordan.
@@jp3813, also, I believe that although MJ's percentage wasn't always great, his free throw percentage was high. So they were probably fouling him a lot, and he was probably missing when fouled, but hit his free throws, to negate the fouls.
@@princeprince9227 Well said sir. The 1990's Super Sonics reminded me of the professional version of the 1980's DePaul Blue Demons from college. Best talented stacked team a coach would love to have. Regular season - extremely successful. Come postseason, not so good. Fans still give the 1990's Sonics a free pass for losing to the Nuggets in the 1st round. I don't care what fans say. A 60+ winning team cannot lose to an 8th seed in the first round. That was the Sonics downfall during the 1990's - mental postseason issues!
@@Job.Well.Done_01 I didn't see any hesitation there - the man looked like he was going straight for the bucket and anything along the way was just an obstacle course
Thank you! This team was BEAST. Ppl try to tear Jordan down by diminishing his competition. And that’s not just unfair but inaccurate and straight lies. This Seattle team was incredible. Defensively and offensively.
64 win team that SWEPT the 2 time defending champ Rockets in the playoffs that year. They would have been tough for any team to beat, but the 72 win Bulls managed to pull it out.
One of the biggest obstacles for Olajuwon’s Rockets in the west was the SuperSonics cause Sonics had a complete all-around team. Olajuwon was better as an individual player, but he didn’t have a great cast of players around him like the Sonics did. That Sonics team, with Payton, Shawn Kemp, Detlef, and awesome role players, it was close to being a super team. People today don’t realize how tough ‘90s ball was.
It's not just you. Players often had specific roles back then. You had 3 and D guy. You had rim protectors. You had scorers. Point guards typically passed more than score. You had power forwards who were there for rebounds and defense. Now it's more about having 5 guys on the court who can all shoot, but the other areas have suffered.
Once Payton switched onto Jordan in Game 4, the Sonics took 2 out of 3 from the Bulls, both by double digits, and Game 4 was the worst loss that the Jordan Bulls ever took in the Finals. The Sonics were also without Nate McMillan for much of the series, who was the heart and soul of that team. It has been many years since I looked it up, but when he was on the floor, the Sonics had a huge +/- advantage in scoring in that series.
Payton was pure baller, Kemp and Schrempf rounded it out nicely. But they were missing a true big and an offensive secret weapon off the bench to take em all the way IMO. Great vid! I was pulling hard for the Sonics in 96 but the Bulls were just too MJ for em.
Bulls never had a great big either. This team won 64 game that seaosn and SWEPT the 2 time defending champ Rockets that had the best big in the game at the time, Dream!
The clip of Payton against MJ at 8:46 to 8:52 is hilarious. Drilled him with 4 elbows in 8secs, but none is backing down. In today's game, someone would be rolling on the floor begging for a whistle from the refs lol
Detlef Schrempf Dunking on Mutumbo, it brought back some crazy memories too bad I got my heart broken that summer by the black cat with that invincible post game.... Great Team • Great Content....
At the time, I tihnk they were in the top 10 best regular season records of all time. Bulls set the record that season with 72 wins though, who they lost to in the Finals. Also Sonics SWEPT the 2 time defending champion Rockets team in the playoffs that year.
We talk about how today's basketball isn't as good as the good ol' days. Basketball commentary isn't as good either. If we could listen to Sean David while watching today's ball, it might seem better. You are truly a basketball fan. No politics, no Twitter talk, just ball.
Yeah, but you don't trash talk Mike... that's a mortal sin... if you trash talk Mike you know he's gonna embarrass you... which is why the Sonics could beat anybody else but not the Bulls... Mike wasn't scared of anybody....
I loved the sonics pace up and down the floor, they dominated offensive glass, stuffed the passing lanes and shot effectively as a team. Heavy Metal Basketball! Was unreal too watch. Keep old skool vids comi ng sir
That old Seattle Colosseum was fun, no luxury boxes no advertising banners just, court, people an ceiling. It made for a great atmosphere in there an so loud with the crowd noise bouncing off the ceiling. Climate Pledge is super nice and I love it but I still miss the feeling in the old building before they redid it in 95.
Great team. I still got much love for this team back in the days. The betrayal and relocation to Oklahoma are the reasons why I can’t stand the Thunder. Seattle got robbed an amazing franchise.
But we sure out a hex on OKC and they’re as big or bigger of a what if than our Sonics were lol. Durant, Westbrook and Harden and only 1 pitiful Finals appearance.
I remember sports illustrated had a Pic of Gary Payton titled "mission impossible". I thought they were going to beat the bulls finally as a 3 peat was unheard of
Totally agree!!! If you drop any of today's teams as they are back in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s they would Totally "whimp" out. I give all props to MJ, Wilt, and all the scorers of those era's , every basket was earned, they were manhandled, pushed, pulled, held and dealt with hard fouls and still scored!!
They had a killer line up and a deep enough bench to run through any team that season. Gave the 72-10 Bulls one of its losses and if I recall correctly, swept the defending champion Rockets in the playoffs. They were just unfortunate enough to play against the GOAT in the finals, otherwise a lot of careers may have ended up differently for a lot of the sonics, especially Kemp.
So great to see my boyhood icons getting the respect they deserve. If Wally Walker hadn’t single-handedly dismantled them and alienated Kemp, I think they would have been the dominant Western Conference squad until ‘99. Who knows, maybe if they had retooled with a center they could have challenged the early 00s Lakers, as Payton didn’t peak till ‘02. They might be the greatest what-if story in sports history, honestly.
It was always a rotation of defenders on MJ, not just the same one. GP actually guarded MJ midway through Game 3. The most that the former defended the latter was in Game 4. MJ had a good performance in Game 5. In Game 6, MJ did well against GP but not against the other defenders.
A HUGE thank you for keeping the memory of the Sonics alive. Something tells me though, I actually think Seattle would have a very tough time with say Golden State. Smaller, quicker point guards especially those that can shoot the 3 gave GP fits, ala Stockton, Robert Pack, Mahmoud Abdul Rauf and number one Nick Van Exel! GP would have tougher time with Steph than you may think. Hersey is undersized at the 2 on Clay and Detlef, whom I love, always plays below his ability and his height! Drammond would pull Shawn out to the 3 point line and Shawn would commit his usual 5 or 6 silly fouls, stay in foul trouble and his 8 turn overs a game may neutralize him. Perkins would be the saving grace coming off the bench and Askew would body anyone! Would be interesting indeed. Go Sonics!
The Western Conference was really stacked back then. Seattle, Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio and Utah were all very good teams. A lot of those teams really didn't like each other and it made for some very intense battles...especially in the playoffs.
@@melvynsngltn27 The Jazz, Suns and Sonics would all have won titles if they had played another team in the finals besides the Bulls. Not saying they were all-time great teams but they were certainly contenders.
@@Mike-kv5pl GTFO with that bs. The couldn't win or make the finals before or after the Bulls. The Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Detroit etc. Any real team would of stomped those teams
@@melvynsngltn27 What you are talking about? The Jazz lost two competitive Finals with the Bulls. You don't think Utah had a strong chance to win against one of the other top teams in the east in the finals like the Knicks or Pacers? Of course they would. Same with the Barkley Suns team and the Payton-Kemp Seattle team. How can you even argue against that?
Thanks for these videos. No one really talks trash about Jordan and the Bulls, but a lot of people throw shade on all the other teams of the era. The reason the Bulls were so great is that they were beating a lot of other great teams. Disrespecting the Sonics, Pacers, Jazz, etc. is disrespecting the Bulls.
That team was amazing and the following year they went out and got Tim McCormack I think was the guy's name two points two rebounds a game and didn't have the money to keep Shawn Kemp. Kevin Willis was available for less money former All-Star and the sonics could have been right back in the finals I still blame Wally Walker for running the team
4 90s Teams That would Dominate today's NBA. Would be 91 Golden State Warriors, 95 Houston Rockets, 95 Orlando Magic,97 Utah Jazz ,those Teams Were Good Plus my Sonics Team too.and Portland Trailblazers too good 90s team with no chips but good Squad of Teams 🔥
Somehow I never liked GP that much. But he was certainly a great athlete and ball player. Sometimes it's a bit of a slow burn to appreciate certain players. GP was very very quick and the game is better for him.
I was never been a big Sonics fan, but after the way they played the Bulls in those Finals I was! I tried to emulate Gary! He is my favorite player, even though I'm a Bulls fan.
The 90's were loaded with great offenses, and defenses. When playoff time came, youd better be ready. Take for example the 96 playoffs..many of those games were in the hi 80's and low 90's. I look back and go wow! How can that be with all the great offenses. Bulls, jazz, rockets, Sonics. For all the accolades the bulls recieved, they had more talent, but it is my opinion that they played in a weaker conference.
Yep Sonics Kemp could be the best C in the current NBA era. Shrempf & Perkins would be the perfect stretch 4 in the current NBA. And Schrempf is 6'10", very tall in today's game. My issue with "The Glove" is that he might not be able to defend today the same way he did in the 90's. But in offense, he could certainly average 20 or lose to it. PLUS HE'S 6'4".
Imagine Shawn Kemp getting to play faster with less defense on him. Oh my he could average 27 a game if allowed. This would be a fun team to watch and give them maybe a scoring center like Towns and oh my points come like candy then
Zone defense plus a lack of a outside shot would put a stop to that real quick. He coukd probably get a decent amount off of fast break points, but otherwise i don't see it
@@Young_Barkley I think he could plus look at Giannis with his speed and size going end to end. I think Kemp would have success like that but then again my only issue is injuries for Shawn but it would be fun to watch.
Hershey hawkins shot 40% lifetime from the 3 point line and averaged 20 ppg in more than one season, but in Seattle he was just a role player. Payton led the league in 3 pointers made one season.
I want everybody to know this about me: I was born in Seattle in 1973, where I grew up. Sonics and Blazers fan. Japanese-American. 1993-94 was one of the BEST years of my life! And, 1996 was pretty special, too. I have long thought that I'd live to be 48 years old, and pass away in 2021. If I am indeed in the final months of my life, these Sonics memories are among those I will cherish, during these final months I have remaining to live.
@Sonic thats the thing. Rewatch the entire series. When Jordan got double teamed he still shot the ball. Pippen and Kukoc were open. Supersonics should not of won 2 games
@@theinktank5510 Well, I don't think the Bulls should have won 4 games. That a stupid comment. The Bulls played the Sonics twice in the regular season as well, and lost one of the two games. So the Sonics beat the Bulls 3 times that year out of 8 games they played. If Nate McMillan didn't injure his back just before the Bulls series, I believe the Sonics would have beat the Bulls in 7 games. If the Sonics played looser and better to start the series instead of putting themselves in a 3-0 hole, the whole series turns out different. The two back-to-back games the Sonics won in Seattle they dominated the Bulls, the games weren't even close. So get out of here with your thinking the Sonics shouldn't get just as much credit for their two wins as the Bulls get credit for their four wins. The Bulls beat the Sonics 4 games to 2. That's the results of the series and that's way it was.
Thanks for making this, that was a really good team that year. I watched them in person a bunch of times that year including game 7 against Utah an game 4 against the Bulls. Sonics won 60 something games that year, 63, 65? I can't remember but they were awesome. I still miss not having that team around even though i don't like today's game as much. I wish they'd let them play defense again.
Nice to hear Hersey Hawkins get a mention. People who don't know about him, he was an all-star and a ROY, and the dude averaged 36ppg IN COLLEGE. Baller.
Yo I love your videos. So I gotta say this I'm from OKC and when the Thunder came about I dropped my Rockets and I am a diehard Thunder fan. Saying that just know that as a huge sports fan the Sonics where the one team I hated more than any other team. Then they move to OKC and now they are my favorite team. Love the vids
oh wow. I totally forgot til just now reading your comment that the Sonics became the OKC thunder. I mean I knew it but been years since I thought about that fact. Thanks for the reminder. I always liked the Sonics and even liked the Thunder when Westbrook was playing for them. He's maybe my favourite current player Cheers.
He's my favorite player too! I met him when he released his J's at the beginning of his MVP season of course I was a screaming fan but I hate the Lakers and LeBron but I want him to get his ring so bad that I am a Laker fan at least till he gets his ring during the Thunder rebuild. 😊
LOVE THE CONTENT #BasketballTimeMachine #SeanDavid! Grew up watching all the late 80s/90s/2000s bball. Hopefully with the new #NBA rules we'll see some more "legit" ball versus the flopping cr@p we often experience! Quick suggestion: You're intro is very nice. With the NBA alum introducing your videos, would it be possible to find a highlight of the players to be be played during their segment? Thought that might be a nice touch and treatment for the vets! Just a thought. Keep up the great work!
I used to have a schrempf bball card, and I remember on the back of it, it looked like he only had like 3, fingers and one metal one. Idk if he broke his finger or what, but it never left my memory after like25years.
Detlef schremp is the secret weapon X...his 3 is sick. Him & hershey hawkins the shooters, gary payton the general, mcdaniel the enforcer, nate mcmillian the secretary of defense & kemp the highflyer...cold squad indeed
I love how 90's guards like Payton got the job done without all the fancy dribble moves of today.
The defense rules of the 90’s didn’t allow for it. Can’t do all that stuff when a guy can hand check or get up in your chest and take away the crossover. I miss that kind of efficient basketball
@@alod247 exactly, is not like guards then didn't have the handling abilities, is more of today's guards not having or being allowed to have the same defensive skills and rules of back then
@@kidoku facts! Anybody that thinks Rod Strickland or Steve Nash or Isaiah Thomas didn’t have every move in the book is crazy. But can’t do all that dribbling with 5 second rules, physical defense, and teammates that will slap the shit out of you for bouncing the air out the ball to throw up a bad shot. This era coddles offense
Gary dribbled how the NBA rules allowed them to dribble back then. The NBA began to soften with Allen Iverson. They allowed a "soft carry".
@@alod247 Allen Iverson did fancy dribbles all the time right from his rookie season in 1996 onwards. Him breaking MJ's ankles in their first game against each other is quite famous. Handchecking was banned in 2004. So handchecking did not prevent it.
They swept the back to back defending champion Rockets, were the right age at the right time, Payton/Kemp were at their peak, good outside shooters that could come off the bench, good defense, and they didn't have the traditional center (like most teams of today), they won 64 games, lost to the 72 win Bulls team in the Finals. A team that time forgot, they were awesome.
Shows how great Mike n the bulls were
Nah the Sonics were one of the weakest teams in the finals up until that time. Remember we had a lot of hall of famer filled teams. The rockets that won championships were not filled out. They didn’t have Charles or Pippen yet.
@@thengyang5537 nah Dennis Rodman saved Jordan in that finals when Gary Payton locked him up.
@@mikeslemonade Rockets never won a title with Pippen or Sir Charles, they won the title with the same team the year before with Hakeem and Drexler. Sonics were really good veteran team with Payton, Kemp, and Schrempf playing really well together as their best scorers.
The 96 Seattle SuperSonics was not a good team. Michael Jordan played in the weak era against weak competition. 96 Sonics would not have beaten any of the team that Lebron James had to face in the Finals. The 96 Supersonics team would lose in a best of 7 series against the following team: 2011 Dallas Mavericks, 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder, 2013-2014 San Antonio Spurs, 2015-2018 Golden State Warriors, 2020 Miami Heat.
Detlef Schrempf went to high school a couple miles from where i live. I got his autograph when he was playing for the Sonics in this season.
I think Dirk Nowitzki said Schrempf's success in the NBA as a German born player inspired Dirk to pursue a NBA career
Centralia
Man these are fun to watch!!!! That’s when the NBA was the best!!!!
💯
True
I love that clip of Gatling blocking the shot, Kemp gets the rebound and dunks it on him. Kemp wasn't afraid of the shot blocker, and Gatling wasn't afraid of Kemp embarrassing him. Then after the play they both give each other a look of respect. That's basketball you won't see today.
This is a certified basketball classic
Kemp was a freak athlete. In today's game with weak rim protection, I genuinely believe he'd play like Giannis, or close to it.
I'm rooting for Giannis to be the X-factor in changing the modern game, & taking it back to it's roots.
That's actually a good comparison. Giannis is a better passer though.
Ashame Payton and Kemp got separated. They were an awesome duo. Payton was great on his own but Kemp really was apart of that greatness.
Kemp just lost his athleticism due to injury and then also got fat... didn't forget how to play basketball... the guy just didn't care in the end and the injury played it's part too...
Shawn Kemp should be in the hall of fame. He was one of the best players of his generation! So what if he did not have a long career. Is there even an argument about this?
I agree. I recently noticed that he’s not in the hall of fame. I’m still speechless. I’m from that 90’s Bulls era and will always love those teams, but I can’t understand how Toni Kukoc is in the hall of fame and Kemp is not. CRAZY.
It's legit insane he's not in the hall of fame. He was an incredible player, and always fun to watch. Up there with the most athletic players to ever play basketball
I’m a huge Kemp fan, but in the eyes of the Hall, he didn’t have a long enough peak and technically lacks the stats with career averages of 14.6/8.4 and only 3 All NBA 2nd Team appearances. Granted numbers don’t tell the true story for him because he played on loaded teams with 4-5 other guys scoring 12+ points per game; on thinner rosters he’d have had big boy Berkeley numbers like 23+/13 for a solid 6 years. As stands he was effectively a 20/10 for 8 seasons.
A guy with a somewhat similar trajectory (albeit higher statistically) who eventually got in because of his peak was Spencer Haywood, so maybe Kemp will on like a Veteran’s committee, if they have those in the NBA.
He topped out at 26, incredibly. Narrative after he outclassed Malone in ‘96 WCF was that the torch had been passed, and then his demons got the better of him.
People don't even know about Kemps defense. He was the closest thing to Bill Russell at power forward
It’s a damn shame..but there’s probably a dozen guys who are in and shouldn’t be…
A proper homage to the Sonics, a great episode indeed!
Dokładnie!
One of the greatest times in my life, was being a fan of that great Seattle Supersonics team... The 1987 surprise run to the WCF... The drafting of Kemp, then Payton... And the early to mid 90's... If only that 1993 team had used Kemp more, in the WCF, then they would've seen the Bulls earlier than they did... Some bumpy times too, 93-94 WAS OUR YEAR... sigh
But eventually, we got back on track, and 95-96 was such an exciting time
Did you watch a lot of Sonics games during those times?
@@Job.Well.Done_01
Oh yeah... I was a big fan of that team, being borne into the fandom, and first started being an active fan, when I was 5. The 86-87 season was so exciting. Then I started regularly going to games when I was 9... (90-91)
My fondest memories were between 92-97, going to games at the Coliseum/Key Arena.
Ugh, so many great memories. I miss the Supersonics
Hell, even ‘97-98 we were surprisingly good, owning both the Lakers and Jazz during the regular season. I knew we’d be mismatched in the playoffs, but it was so depressing how we just fell apart in the semis against the Lakers after taking Game 1.
During the '90s the sonics were an amazing team to watch. I hope one day they can get a team again I can relive some of those fun times
I joined the Army in '94 and was in Kuwait by '96. I got to watch the games in my barracks room late at night with a friend who put up with my fandom. It was fun times. I was so mad in game 6 when Rodman "climbed up" Kemp on the jump ball cause he knew he couldn't beat him jumping without cheating.
I'm glad you mentioned the Sonics' team defense and not just GP's. The narrative is that MJ got his way in the first three games but then GP locked him down in the last three. The problem w/ that logic is it ignores the fact that the Sonics' defensive strategy throughout the entire series was to rotate DIFFERENT defenders on MJ every few minutes. Contrary to popular belief, GP was already included in that defensive rotation by Game 3, putting up a promising resistance against MJ's best performance of the series. Game 4 was GP's best case since he set the defensive tone against MJ from the opening tip, and would try to do the same for the rest of the Finals. MJ quickly bounced back in Game 5, except he didn't shoot much in the 4th quarter despite being mostly guarded by Hawkins the rest of the way. Father's Day was MJ's most inefficient performance against the majority of Sonics defenders, but he did well against GP. Pippen shot 34% in that series. It was a pure defensive battle between the top two teams of that year.
The Problem with what you said is this = It's based on..................FACTS!!!!!!!
Haters are allergic to Facts. They'll just ignore those Facts.
They just want to hate.
Jordan averaged 27 ppg in that series. Game 1 28 points game 2 29 points, game 3 36 points, game 4 23 points, game 5 26 points, game 6 22 points. And they beat the Sonic 4-2. Stop with the Sonics locking down Jordan.
@@johnthree1611 People usually refer to MJ's FG% in that series, which is actually around Kobe's career percentage in the Finals.
@@jp3813, exactly. They should look at GP's averages, they weren't good.
@@jp3813, also, I believe that although MJ's percentage wasn't always great, his free throw percentage was high. So they were probably fouling him a lot, and he was probably missing when fouled, but hit his free throws, to negate the fouls.
That team was fun to watch. Just like the other great teams of the era, they would've won a chip if MJ wasn't around.
They had 2 chances
@@princeprince9227 Well said sir. The 1990's Super Sonics reminded me of the professional version of the 1980's DePaul Blue Demons from college. Best talented stacked team a coach would love to have. Regular season - extremely successful. Come postseason, not so good. Fans still give the 1990's Sonics a free pass for losing to the Nuggets in the 1st round. I don't care what fans say. A 60+ winning team cannot lose to an 8th seed in the first round. That was the Sonics downfall during the 1990's - mental postseason issues!
Then why didn’t they win in 1994 and 1995?
That Kemp hesitation @3:47 is still crazy to me all these years later
I kept rewinding this part to see wtf he did lol
@@Job.Well.Done_01 I didn't see any hesitation there - the man looked like he was going straight for the bucket and anything along the way was just an obstacle course
Detlef was one of my favorite players growing up. Dude could do it all. Inside and outside.
Thank you! This team was BEAST. Ppl try to tear Jordan down by diminishing his competition. And that’s not just unfair but inaccurate and straight lies.
This Seattle team was incredible. Defensively and offensively.
64 win team that SWEPT the 2 time defending champ Rockets in the playoffs that year. They would have been tough for any team to beat, but the 72 win Bulls managed to pull it out.
There are a very small amount of people that say Jordan had no competition, but they never watched the games
You can't argue with LeBron fans. They have the lowest IQ.
@@diocre7446 As a Lebron fan I agree my IQ is under 100 and no matter what I do it remains the same. Any advice mate?
@@hepwo91222 64 wins when the NBA was pretty weak
The Glove!! Greatest Sonic of all time!! Seen so many games at the Key!! What a great time it was living in Seattle during the 90's
Good vid! I miss the Super Sonics! People have no idea how good this team was. They would be better than most teams today.
One of the biggest obstacles for Olajuwon’s Rockets in the west was the SuperSonics cause Sonics had a complete all-around team. Olajuwon was better as an individual player, but he didn’t have a great cast of players around him like the Sonics did. That Sonics team, with Payton, Shawn Kemp, Detlef, and awesome role players, it was close to being a super team. People today don’t realize how tough ‘90s ball was.
Kemp to this day maybe the best in- game dunker
its either him, vince or nique.
@@hoebertrabeck1621 agreed.
Agreed.
@@hoebertrabeck1621 And MJ.
@@marekwichniarek268 nope
I would definitly pay to see a prime Kemp face Giannis..awesome!
I like Giannis but I don’t think he can handle prime Kemp. But it would be fun to watch. I’ve watched Kemp play those years and it was amazing.
@@timmyg831 If only it was possible?
Great video. The Sonics had great depth on their bench. Plus, the combo of Kemp and Payton was incredible.
Payton to the Reign Man!!!!
Schrempf was a classy player
Underrated
WOOOOOW i didnt realize Kemp was such a sharpshooter too. What a beast.
Could be me but felt like we had more well rounded line ups back then. Great video and perspectives. It’s a treat to have these productions from Sean.
It's not just you. Players often had specific roles back then. You had 3 and D guy. You had rim protectors. You had scorers. Point guards typically passed more than score. You had power forwards who were there for rebounds and defense.
Now it's more about having 5 guys on the court who can all shoot, but the other areas have suffered.
@@John6-40 I salute that addition to the feedback. Definitely felt like different tools for different task and some were more diverse. Well said
@@John6-40 miss dem days. It’s like watching 5 kyrie irvings today lol
Once Payton switched onto Jordan in Game 4, the Sonics took 2 out of 3 from the Bulls, both by double digits, and Game 4 was the worst loss that the Jordan Bulls ever took in the Finals. The Sonics were also without Nate McMillan for much of the series, who was the heart and soul of that team. It has been many years since I looked it up, but when he was on the floor, the Sonics had a huge +/- advantage in scoring in that series.
@sk sure did. Man I miss defense
Payton was pure baller, Kemp and Schrempf rounded it out nicely. But they were missing a true big and an offensive secret weapon off the bench to take em all the way IMO.
Great vid! I was pulling hard for the Sonics in 96 but the Bulls were just too MJ for em.
Bulls never had a great big either. This team won 64 game that seaosn and SWEPT the 2 time defending champ Rockets that had the best big in the game at the time, Dream!
Could be just a rumor, but I read somewhere that the Sonics were going to try and get Mutombo at one point. Imagine that. They’d have won 3 Finals.
Now wait cause if u let the lebron James cult tell it jordan never played good teams in the finals.” Wha chu talking bout Willis”😂
The clip of Payton against MJ at 8:46 to 8:52 is hilarious. Drilled him with 4 elbows in 8secs, but none is backing down. In today's game, someone would be rolling on the floor begging for a whistle from the refs lol
96 Sonics ❤️❤️❤️ I also remember watching the finals at night like it was yesterday 😍🏀 thanks for this nice video Sean
Detlef Schrempf Dunking on Mutumbo, it brought back some crazy memories too bad I got my heart broken that summer by the black cat with that invincible post game.... Great Team • Great Content....
64-18 they had that season.
At the time, I tihnk they were in the top 10 best regular season records of all time. Bulls set the record that season with 72 wins though, who they lost to in the Finals. Also Sonics SWEPT the 2 time defending champion Rockets team in the playoffs that year.
Thanks to mediocre teams and two new expansion teams
@@melvynsngltn27 you're silly Melvyn. The west was deeper than any conference in any era, in the 1990s
@@monolithgeometry3221 not really a bunch of okay teams with inflated records.
We talk about how today's basketball isn't as good as the good ol' days. Basketball commentary isn't as good either. If we could listen to Sean David while watching today's ball, it might seem better. You are truly a basketball fan. No politics, no Twitter talk, just ball.
Payton's trash talk alone would make players cry. 😥
Yeah, but you don't trash talk Mike... that's a mortal sin... if you trash talk Mike you know he's gonna embarrass you... which is why the Sonics could beat anybody else but not the Bulls... Mike wasn't scared of anybody....
I would pay to watch a prime Glove guard James Harden and Trae Young
Utility, speed, perimeter defence and shooting from everywhere, that Sonics team would love today’s NBA.
Big sonics fan and 44th viewer
I loved the sonics pace up and down the floor, they dominated offensive glass, stuffed the passing lanes and shot effectively as a team. Heavy Metal Basketball! Was unreal too watch. Keep old skool vids comi ng sir
Very underrated team.
64 win team that swept the 2 time defending champ Rockets in the playoffs that season, something strangely not mentioned in this otherwise good video.
We need the Seattle SuperSonics back. I’ll never understand why they moved to OKC. The Sonics were and are legit!
Kemp and Schrempf both belong in the NBA Hall of Fame!
That old Seattle Colosseum was fun, no luxury boxes no advertising banners just, court, people an ceiling. It made for a great atmosphere in there an so loud with the crowd noise bouncing off the ceiling.
Climate Pledge is super nice and I love it but I still miss the feeling in the old building before they redid it in 95.
Bitter sweet memories, that 96 team was just unbelievable.
Great team. I still got much love for this team back in the days.
The betrayal and relocation to Oklahoma are the reasons why I can’t stand the Thunder. Seattle got robbed an amazing franchise.
But we sure out a hex on OKC and they’re as big or bigger of a what if than our Sonics were lol. Durant, Westbrook and Harden and only 1 pitiful Finals appearance.
They have 3 & D in all their positions and they dominate on both side of the floor. This team could be a dynasty in today's league.
I remember sports illustrated had a Pic of Gary Payton titled "mission impossible". I thought they were going to beat the bulls finally as a 3 peat was unheard of
Totally agree!!! If you drop any of today's teams as they are back in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s they would Totally "whimp" out. I give all props to MJ, Wilt, and all the scorers of those era's , every basket was earned, they were manhandled, pushed, pulled, held and dealt with hard fouls and still scored!!
Don’t sleep on Nate McMillian, only player to have more assists than points✊🏾, also a lock
Absolutely love your channel man!!! 80s & 90s = the Greatest era in Basketball
Gary Payton would have been entertaining as hell in today's social media. He would talk so much trash that he would be a fan favorite
Unlike Patrick Beverley, he could back it up.
Miss the Sonics. They were an exciting team to watch.
They had a killer line up and a deep enough bench to run through any team that season. Gave the 72-10 Bulls one of its losses and if I recall correctly, swept the defending champion Rockets in the playoffs.
They were just unfortunate enough to play against the GOAT in the finals, otherwise a lot of careers may have ended up differently for a lot of the sonics, especially Kemp.
The Goat had a team full of ringers. Best team that has ever done it
So great to see my boyhood icons getting the respect they deserve. If Wally Walker hadn’t single-handedly dismantled them and alienated Kemp, I think they would have been the dominant Western Conference squad until ‘99. Who knows, maybe if they had retooled with a center they could have challenged the early 00s Lakers, as Payton didn’t peak till ‘02. They might be the greatest what-if story in sports history, honestly.
Nate McMillan was also an incredible defender.
Imagine if Gary Payton was assigned to guard Jordan from the get go in their finals matchup. The flow of the series might have been different
It was always a rotation of defenders on MJ, not just the same one. GP actually guarded MJ midway through Game 3. The most that the former defended the latter was in Game 4. MJ had a good performance in Game 5. In Game 6, MJ did well against GP but not against the other defenders.
I always say that this is one of the best all around teams ever. Elite Defense fast explosive scoring three point shooting depth they had it all
This team was built to win against the Bulls and Rockets. Genius. Pure genius.
It would've been so dope if Seattle won a chip during the 90s.😭
They may beaten the rockets but lost to the 🐂 s.
If they had put payton on jordan in 96 I think the series at least goes 7 games, maybe they even win
@Sonic it would of been a sweep if Jordan just passed the ball during the double teams instead of shooting.
@@theinktank5510 He DID pass the ball. You're obviously not aware that Pippen shot 34% for that series. Kukoc's fg% was also the same as MJ's.
This Seattle team would kick a lot of butt today. My biggest concern is the current nba wouldn't allow them to play that kind of defense.
Payton was a great size at the point too. A long 6'4". He'd be a huge problem today
A HUGE thank you for keeping the memory of the Sonics alive. Something tells me though, I actually think Seattle would have a very tough time with say Golden State. Smaller, quicker point guards especially those that can shoot the 3 gave GP fits, ala Stockton, Robert Pack, Mahmoud Abdul Rauf and number one Nick Van Exel! GP would have tougher time with Steph than you may think. Hersey is undersized at the 2 on Clay and Detlef, whom I love, always plays below his ability and his height! Drammond would pull Shawn out to the 3 point line and Shawn would commit his usual 5 or 6 silly fouls, stay in foul trouble and his 8 turn overs a game may neutralize him. Perkins would be the saving grace coming off the bench and Askew would body anyone! Would be interesting indeed. Go Sonics!
The Western Conference was really stacked back then. Seattle, Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio and Utah were all very good teams. A lot of those teams really didn't like each other and it made for some very intense battles...especially in the playoffs.
Those team were good but not great or even championship material. They were mostly good regular season teams.
@@melvynsngltn27 The Jazz, Suns and Sonics would all have won titles if they had played another team in the finals besides the Bulls. Not saying they were all-time great teams but they were certainly contenders.
@@Mike-kv5pl GTFO with that bs. The couldn't win or make the finals before or after the Bulls. The Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Detroit etc. Any real team would of stomped those teams
@@melvynsngltn27 What you are talking about? The Jazz lost two competitive Finals with the Bulls. You don't think Utah had a strong chance to win against one of the other top teams in the east in the finals like the Knicks or Pacers? Of course they would. Same with the Barkley Suns team and the Payton-Kemp Seattle team. How can you even argue against that?
@@Mike-kv5pl the Jazz couldn't beat anyone when it mattered
Thanks for these videos. No one really talks trash about Jordan and the Bulls, but a lot of people throw shade on all the other teams of the era. The reason the Bulls were so great is that they were beating a lot of other great teams. Disrespecting the Sonics, Pacers, Jazz, etc. is disrespecting the Bulls.
96 sonics were a bad ass team. I miss our sonics.
Detlef came to my house in Lynnwood Washington as a kid and shot hoops. As part of the make a wish foundation, my stepbrother was dying of cancer
I hope GP2, the Mitten, gets a spot on the Warriors. He's crazy good defensively.
Kemp for hall of fame
wow Shawn Kemp lookin Giannis before Giannis
That team was amazing and the following year they went out and got Tim McCormack I think was the guy's name two points two rebounds a game and didn't have the money to keep Shawn Kemp. Kevin Willis was available for less money former All-Star and the sonics could have been right back in the finals I still blame Wally Walker for running the team
kemp waz a mane 💪🏿
4 90s Teams That would Dominate today's NBA. Would be 91 Golden State Warriors, 95 Houston Rockets, 95 Orlando Magic,97 Utah Jazz ,those Teams Were Good Plus my Sonics Team too.and Portland Trailblazers too good 90s team with no chips but good Squad of Teams 🔥
Somehow I never liked GP that much. But he was certainly a great athlete and ball player. Sometimes it's a bit of a slow burn to appreciate certain players. GP was very very quick and the game is better for him.
I was never been a big Sonics fan, but after the way they played the Bulls in those Finals I was! I tried to emulate Gary! He is my favorite player, even though I'm a Bulls fan.
Kemp would be a perfect small ball center of today, adebayo on steroid that is
The 90's were loaded with great offenses, and defenses. When playoff time came, youd better be ready. Take for example the 96 playoffs..many of those games were in the hi 80's and low 90's. I look back and go wow! How can that be with all the great offenses. Bulls, jazz, rockets, Sonics. For all the accolades the bulls recieved, they had more talent, but it is my opinion that they played in a weaker conference.
Now we're talking serious basketball..!
BRING BACK THE SONICS!!!
Yep Sonics Kemp could be the best C in the current NBA era. Shrempf & Perkins would be the perfect stretch 4 in the current NBA. And Schrempf is 6'10", very tall in today's game. My issue with "The Glove" is that he might not be able to defend today the same way he did in the 90's. But in offense, he could certainly average 20 or lose to it. PLUS HE'S 6'4".
Buen trabajo, estoy de acuerdo. Sonic hoy en dia fueran un gran problema para mucho equipos y seria muy divertido verlos jugar como aquellos dias !!
Imagine Shawn Kemp getting to play faster with less defense on him. Oh my he could average 27 a game if allowed. This would be a fun team to watch and give them maybe a scoring center like Towns and oh my points come like candy then
Zone defense plus a lack of a outside shot would put a stop to that real quick. He coukd probably get a decent amount off of fast break points, but otherwise i don't see it
41% from 3 is good, but on 0.3 3pa a game? No way
@@Young_Barkley I think he could plus look at Giannis with his speed and size going end to end. I think Kemp would have success like that but then again my only issue is injuries for Shawn but it would be fun to watch.
@@Americalovesme2008 possibly. I think giannis is probably a better shooter than kemp though, and maybe a bit faster
@@Young_Barkley You obviously did not see Sean Kemp play at his prime.
Hershey hawkins shot 40% lifetime from the 3 point line and averaged 20 ppg in more than one season, but in Seattle he was just a role player. Payton led the league in 3 pointers made one season.
From The Dominican Repúblic, I remember those games very excited. Seattle Supersonics were amazing! #payton#kemp#the Best!
There's a lot of teams from previous decades that would wreck these modern babies.
I want everybody to know this about me: I was born in Seattle in 1973, where I grew up. Sonics and Blazers fan. Japanese-American. 1993-94 was one of the BEST years of my life! And, 1996 was pretty special, too. I have long thought that I'd live to be 48 years old, and pass away in 2021. If I am indeed in the final months of my life, these Sonics memories are among those I will cherish, during these final months I have remaining to live.
God, I was cheering so much for them in the 96 finals!!! They were spectacular, but those Bulls were unbeatable, especially without GP guarding MJ.
@Sonic thats the thing. Rewatch the entire series. When Jordan got double teamed he still shot the ball. Pippen and Kukoc were open. Supersonics should not of won 2 games
When you focus too much on one player in a team sport, you gonna take the L
@@theinktank5510 Well, I don't think the Bulls should have won 4 games. That a stupid comment. The Bulls played the Sonics twice in the regular season as well, and lost one of the two games. So the Sonics beat the Bulls 3 times that year out of 8 games they played. If Nate McMillan didn't injure his back just before the Bulls series, I believe the Sonics would have beat the Bulls in 7 games. If the Sonics played looser and better to start the series instead of putting themselves in a 3-0 hole, the whole series turns out different. The two back-to-back games the Sonics won in Seattle they dominated the Bulls, the games weren't even close. So get out of here with your thinking the Sonics shouldn't get just as much credit for their two wins as the Bulls get credit for their four wins. The Bulls beat the Sonics 4 games to 2. That's the results of the series and that's way it was.
Thanks for making this, that was a really good team that year. I watched them in person a bunch of times that year including game 7 against Utah an game 4 against the Bulls.
Sonics won 60 something games that year, 63, 65? I can't remember but they were awesome.
I still miss not having that team around even though i don't like today's game as much. I wish they'd let them play defense again.
Gary Payton....point god!
Nice to hear Hersey Hawkins get a mention. People who don't know about him, he was an all-star and a ROY, and the dude averaged 36ppg IN COLLEGE. Baller.
I think the 96 Sonics woulda won the chip in 96 if it wasn't for the Bulls. 96 Sonics-Magic Finals woulda been fun
This really was a damn good team. It's not easy to take two games off the best team ever, the '96 Bulls.
They were a fantastic team. I hated them passionately, but God were they amazing and tough.
One of my favorite team's bro GP and kemp.
I’m a big SuperSonics fan! Agreed with you totally. I think this team can be dominant in today’s NBA.
What do we need to name Shawn Kemp into a Hall of fame?
Yo I love your videos. So I gotta say this I'm from OKC and when the Thunder came about I dropped my Rockets and I am a diehard Thunder fan. Saying that just know that as a huge sports fan the Sonics where the one team I hated more than any other team. Then they move to OKC and now they are my favorite team. Love the vids
oh wow. I totally forgot til just now reading your comment that the Sonics became the OKC thunder. I mean I knew it but been years since I thought about that fact.
Thanks for the reminder.
I always liked the Sonics and even liked the Thunder when Westbrook was playing for them. He's maybe my favourite current player
Cheers.
He's my favorite player too! I met him when he released his J's at the beginning of his MVP season of course I was a screaming fan but I hate the Lakers and LeBron but I want him to get his ring so bad that I am a Laker fan at least till he gets his ring during the Thunder rebuild. 😊
LOVE THE CONTENT #BasketballTimeMachine #SeanDavid! Grew up watching all the late 80s/90s/2000s bball. Hopefully with the new #NBA rules we'll see some more "legit" ball versus the flopping cr@p we often experience! Quick suggestion: You're intro is very nice. With the NBA alum introducing your videos, would it be possible to find a highlight of the players to be be played during their segment? Thought that might be a nice touch and treatment for the vets! Just a thought. Keep up the great work!
I used to have a schrempf bball card, and I remember on the back of it, it looked like he only had like 3, fingers and one metal one. Idk if he broke his finger or what, but it never left my memory after like25years.
I'm watching this series right now! Not yet to game 4 of the finals.
Detlef schremp is the secret weapon X...his 3 is sick. Him & hershey hawkins the shooters, gary payton the general, mcdaniel the enforcer, nate mcmillian the secretary of defense & kemp the highflyer...cold squad indeed
It was funny in The Last Dance when Mike tried to say GP wasn't a problem at all.
The team that made me fall in love with basketball 🏀 Kemp, Payton, Detlef
takes me back!! This was the funnest team to watch bar none!!!