The 1997–98 NBA season was the 30th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

. During the off-season, the SuperSonics acquired All-Star forward Vin Baker from the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

in a three-team trade, re-acquired former Sonics guard Dale Ellis from the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

, and signed free agents Jerome Kersey, and

Greg Anthony Gregory Carlton Anthony (born November 15, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst for NBA TV and Turner Sports. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Anthony also co ...

. The SuperSonics got off to a fast start with a 13–3 record, after posting a 7-game winning streak in November, despite losing Kersey to a stress fracture in his left foot, as he only played just 37 games. The team posted an 8-game winning streak between December and January, winning 29 of their first 35 games of the regular season, then later on holding the league's best record before the All-Star break with a 37–10 record. The SuperSonics finished tied in first place in the Pacific Division along with the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

with a 61–21 record, and earned the #2 seed in the Western Conference; the team also qualified for the

NBA playoffs The NBA playoffs is the annual Playoffs, postseason Tournament#Knockout tournaments, tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league champion. Since 1949, the four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held afte ...

for the eighth consecutive year. Baker averaged 19.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, while

Gary Payton Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best know ...

averaged 19.2 points, 8.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game, led the SuperSonics with 134 three-point field goals, and was named to the

All-NBA First Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

, and to the

NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...

; Baker and Payton were both selected for the

1998 NBA All-Star Game The 1998 NBA All-Star Game was the 48th edition of the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game. The event was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The East won the game 135–114. Besides the NBA All-Star game, there were t ...

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

, with head coach

George Karl George Matthew Karl (born May 12, 1951) is an American former professional basketball coach and player. After spending five years as a player for the San Antonio Spurs, he became an assistant with the team before being appointed as a head coach ...

coaching the Western Conference. In addition, Detlef Schrempf provided the team with 15.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, while Ellis played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 11.8 points per game along 127 three-point field goals, while shooting .464 in three-point field goal percentage, and Hersey Hawkins contributed 10.5 points and 1.8 steals per game along with 125 three-point field goals. Sam Perkins contributed 7.2 points per game off the bench, and starting center Jim McIlvaine led the team with 1.8 blocks per game. Payton finished in third place in

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

voting, while Baker finished in eighth place; Payton also finished in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Baker finished tied in eighth place in Most Improved Player voting, Ellis finished in third place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and Karl finished tied in fifth place in Coach of the Year voting. In the Western Conference First Round of the 1998 NBA playoffs, the SuperSonics struggled as they trailed 2–1 to the 7th-seeded

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

, but managed to win the series in five games. In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the SuperSonics faced off against the 3rd-seeded Lakers, winning Game 1 at home, 106–92. However, they would lose the next four games to the Lakers, thus the series. Two weeks after their elimination, Karl was fired as head coach in late May, then was hired three months later by the

, while long-time Sonics guard Nate McMillan retired after only playing just 18 games this season due to knee surgery. Also following the season, Perkins signed as a free agent with the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, while Kersey signed with the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

, Anthony signed with the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

, McIlvaine was traded to the

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

, and David Wingate signed with the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , April 24 ,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

W 108–83
, Vin Baker (25) , Vin Baker (12) ,

(7) , KeyArena
17,072 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , April 26 ,

L 93–98
,

(32) , Detlef Schrempf (10) , Nate McMillan (6) , KeyArena
17,072 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , April 28 , @

L 90–98
,

(26) , Vin Baker (12) , three players tied (5) ,

Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, h ...

19,006 , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , April 30 , @

W 92–88
, Payton, Hawkins (24) , Vin Baker (12) ,

(8) ,

19,006 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , May 2 ,

W 97–84
,

(29) , Detlef Schrempf (11) , three players tied (4) , KeyArena
17,072 , 3–2 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , May 4 , L.A. Lakers
W 106–92
,

(25) , Hawkins,

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient histo ...

(8) ,

(6) , KeyArena
17,072 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , May 6 , L.A. Lakers
L 68–92
, Vin Baker (13) , Detlef Schrempf (8) ,

(5) , KeyArena
17,072 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , May 8 , @ L.A. Lakers
L 103–119
, Detlef Schrempf (26) , Vin Baker (12) ,

(13) ,

Great Western Forum The Kia Forum, also known as Los Angeles Forum and formerly Great Western Forum, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles. Located on West Manchester Boulevard, with Laffit Pincay Jr., P ...

17,505 , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , May 10 , @ L.A. Lakers
L 100–112
,

(31) ,

(8) ,

(13) ,

17,505 , 1–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 5 , May 12 , L.A. Lakers
L 95–110
, Vin Baker (28) , Vin Baker (9) , Hersey Hawkins (6) , KeyArena
17,072 , 1–4 , -

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards and records

Awards

Records

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Subtractions

See also

References