1970–71 Seattle SuperSonics season

NBA professional basketball team season March 2026 August 2023 Seattle SuperSonics 1971 38 44 Pacific 4 8 Lenny Wilkens Bob Houbregs Sam Schulman Seattle Center Coliseum KTNT-TV KOMO Did not qualify SEA The 1970–71 Seattle SuperSonics season was the Seattle SuperSonics 4th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In their second season with Lenny Wilkens as head coach, the Sonics finished in 8th place in the Western Conference with a 38–44 record. Trouble arose with the injury of top scorer Bob Rule, who tore his Achilles tendon three games into the season during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers and lost him for the remainder of the season.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uztHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JysNAAAAIBAJ&dq=bob%20rule%20achilles%20tendon&pg=5370%2C4063756 Boston Minutemen on Time The Evening News October 23, 1970 June 11, 2012 Offseason During the offseason, the SuperSonics traded 10-year veteran Bob Boozer and their first round selection from the 1969 NBA draft, Lucius Allen to the Milwaukee Bucks for Don Smithhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Fd4LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hFcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5558,4233985&dq=supersonics&hl=en Boozer to Bucks Evening Independent September 18, 1970 June 10, 2012 (later known as Zaid Abdul-Aziz). Despite the early retirement announcement made by 24-year-old Smith to the Sonics' front office,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mycsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H54FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3009,3315943&dq=supersonics&hl=en Smith Claims Retirement Florence Times September 20, 1970 June 10, 2012 he joined the team and played in 61 games in the regular season. Draft 1970 NBA draft Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 6 Jim Ard F/C United States Cincinnati 2 20 Jake Ford G United States Maryland State 2 23 Pete Cross F/C United States San Francisco 3 40 Gar Heard F United States Oklahoma 5 74 Boyd Lynch F United States Eastern Kentucky 6 91 Samuel Robinson SF United States Long Beach State 7 108 James Morgan F United States Maryland 8 125 George Irvine SF United States Washington 9 142 Claude Virden SF United States Murray State 10 159 Chuck Lloyd PF/C United States Yankton 11 174 Andy Owens F United States Florida 12 187 Joe Brunson F United States Furman 13 197 Allen McManus G United States Winston-Salem State 14 207 Dan Beeson F United States Linfield Roster Seattle SuperSonics 1970–71 43 Barry Clemens F 6 6 210 Ohio Wesleyan 1943–05–01 41 Pete Cross F/C 6 9 230 San Francisco 1948–03–28 33 Jake Ford G 6 3 180 Maryland Eastern Shore 1946–04–29 24 Spencer Haywood F/C 6 8 225 Detroit 1949–04–22 40 Gar Heard F 6 6 219 Oklahoma 1948–05–03 22 Don Kojis F 6 5 215 Marquette 1939–01–15 14 Tom Meschery PF 6 6 215 Saint Mary's 1938–10–26 45 Bob Rule F/C 6 9 220 Colorado State 1944–06–29 35 Don Smith Zaid Abdul-Aziz F/C 6 9 235 Iowa State 1946–04–07 10 Dick Snyder F/G 6 5 207 Davidson 1944–02–01 44 Rod Thorn SG 6 4 195 West Virginia 1941–05–23 19 Lenny Wilkens G 6 1 180 Providence 1937–10–28 11 Lee Winfield G 6 2 174 North Texas 1947–02–04 Lenny Wilkens Standings SEA SEA z – clinched division title y – clinched division title x – clinched playoff spot Game log Seattle SuperSonics 1971 Total: 38–44 (Home: 27–13; Road: 11–30; Neutral: 0–1) Seattle SuperSonics October yes 4 1 1 4 |- | 1 | October 14 | Detroit | L 117–123 | Bob Rule (37) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum8,153 | 0–1 |- | 2 | October 17 | Boston | W 126–114 | Bob Rule (36) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum11,617 | 1–1 |- | 3 | October 21 | Phoenix | W 110–106 | Bob Rule (25) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum6,923 | 2–1 |- | 4 | October 23 | Portland | W 141–111 | Dick Snyder (25) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum9,201 | 3–1 |- | 5 | October 25 | @ Milwaukee | L 107–126 |Dick Snyder (24) | | | Milwaukee Arena9,340 | 3–2 |- | 6 | October 26 | @ Detroit | L 111–142 |Don Smith (19) | | | Cobo Arena2,835 | 3–3 |- | 7 | October 27 | @ New York | L 104–117 |Lenny Wilkens (24) | | | Madison Square Garden14,471 | 3–4 |- | 8 | October 28 | @ Cincinnati | L 118–131 |Don Smith (25) | | | Cincinnati Gardens1,623 | 3–5 |- | 9 | October 30 | @ Portland | W 115–104 |Lenny Wilkens (35) | | | Memorial Coliseum4,344 | 4–5 |- | 10 | October 31 | Chicago | W 122–119 |Lenny Wilkens (26) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum5,727 | 5–5 Seattle SuperSonics November 5 2 2 6 |- | 11 | November 3 | @ Chicago | L 101–113 |Lenny Wilkens (18) | | | Chicago Stadium8,244 | 5–6 |- | 12 | November 4 | @ Buffalo | W 126–101 |Tom Meschery (22) | | | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium2,093 | 6–6 |- | 13 | November 6 | @ Boston | L 94–116 |Dick Snyder (28) | | | Boston Garden5,852 | 6–7 |- | 14 | November 7 | @ Philadelphia | L 128–134 |Lenny Wilkens (32) | | | The Spectrum7,623 | 6–8 |- | 15 | November 8 | @ Cleveland | W 111–105 |Dick Snyder (30) | | | Cleveland Arena2,448 | 7–8 |- | 16 | November 10 | New York | W 93–91 |Dick Snyder (26) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum11,022 | 8–8 |- | 17 | November 13 | Cleveland | W 111–91 |Dick Snyder (26) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum6,961 | 9–8 |- | 18 | November 16 | Buffalo | L 103–112 |Dick Snyder (20) | | | Portland, OR3,189 | 9–9 |- | 19 | November 19 | Los Angeles | W 111–110 |Don Kojis (26) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum9,717 | 10–9 |- | 20 | November 20 | @ San Diego | L 106–121 |Three players (17) | | | San Diego Sports Arena4,211 | 10–10 |- | 21 | November 21 | San Diego | L 114–115 |Lee Winfield (36) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum11,316 | 10–11 |- | 22 | November 22 | @ Los Angeles | L 124–149 |snyuder (29) | | | The Forum11,763 | 10–12 |- | 23 | November 26 | @ Phoenix | L 115–126 |Lee Winfield (19) | | | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum7,192 | 10–13 |- | 24 | November 27 | San Francisco | W 101–96 |Lenny Wilkens (31) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum10,024 | 11–13 |- | 25 | November 29 | Atlanta | W 130–107 |Lenny Wilkens (41) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum12,965 | 12–13 Seattle SuperSonics December 4 4 2 5 |- | 26 | December 1 | @ New York | L 109–114 |Lenny Wilkens (29) | | | Madison Square Garden17,449 | 12–14 |- | 27 | December 2 | @ Cincinnati | W 119–111 |Don Kojis (30) | | | Cincinnati Gardens1,823 | 13–14 |- | 28 | December 4 | @ Baltimore | L 116–131 |Don Kojis, Dick Snyder (22) | | | Baltimore Civic Center3,050 | 13–15 |- | 29 | December 5 | @ Atlanta | L 100–106 |Lenny Wilkens (17) | | | Alexander Memorial Coliseum5,922 | 13–16 |- | 30 | December 8 | @ Philadelphia | W 107–104 |Three players (21) | | | The Spectrum3,584 | 14–16 |- | 31 | December 9 | @ Boston | L 121–136 |Dick Snyder (28) | | | Boston Garden4,608 | 14–17 |- | 32 | December 11 | Los Angeles | L 118–126 |Don Kojis (24) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum10,685 | 14–18 |- | 33 | December 13 | Milwaukee | L 107–124 |Don Kojis (29) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum12,627 | 14–19 |- | 34 | December 16 | @ San Francisco | L 91–108 |Lenny Wilkens (28) | | | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena2,218 | 14–20 |- | 35 | December 17 | Philadelphia | L 117–125 |Lee Winfield (25) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum4,739 | 14–21 |- | 36 | December 19 | Phoenix | W 135–131 |Don Kojis (36) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum6,443 | 15–21 |- | 37 | December 20 | San Diego | L 108–110 |Lenny Wilkens (28) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum5,702 | 15–22 |- | 38 | December 22 | New York | W 119–108 |Tom Meschery, Lenny Wilkens (20) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum8,827 | 16–22 |- | 39 | December 26 | Boston | W 124–117 |Dick Snyder (29) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum10,806 | 17–22 |- | 40 | December 30 | Chicago | W 128–109 |Dick Snyder (25) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum12,935 | 18–22 Seattle SuperSonics January 4 2 3 6 |- | 41 | January 1 | Portland | W 121–118 |Lenny Wilkens (24) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum9,012 | 19–22 |- | 42 | January 4 | @ Milwaukee | L 110–124 |Don Kojis (24) | | | Milwaukee Arena8,835 | 19–23 |- | 43 | January 5 | @ Baltimore | L 101–109 |Lenny Wilkens (27) | | | Baltimore Civic Center4,631 | 19–24 |- | 44 | January 6 | @ Boston | L 112–137 |Dick Snyder (26) | | | Boston Garden4,152 | 19–25 |- | 45 | January 8 | @ Buffalo | W 110–102 |Lenny Wilkens (30) | | | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium3,024 | 20–25 |- | 46 | January 9 | @ Cincinnati | W 114–110 |Don Kojis (29) | | | Cincinnati Gardens3,879 | 21–25 |- | 47 | January 14 | Baltimore | W 114–110 |Lenny Wilkens (34) | | | Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion7,093 | 22–25 |- | 48 | January 17 | Baltimore | L 96–111 |Lenny Wilkens (20) | | | Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion7,557 | 22–26 |- | 49 | January 19 | @ Detroit | L 102–106 |Spencer Haywood (24) | | | Cobo Arena5,287 | 22–27 |- | 50 | January 20 | @ Atlanta | W 112–108 |Lenny Wilkens (24) | | | Alexander Memorial Coliseum4,661 | 23–27 |- | 51 | January 22 | Cincinnati | W 132–131 (OT) |Spencer Haywood (30) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum12,657 | 24–27 |- | 52 | January 24 | Philadelphia | L 119–145 |Spencer Haywood (30) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum12,841 | 24–28 |- | 53 | January 28 | Buffalo | W 120–110 |Dick Snyder (35) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum7,452 | 25–28 |- | 54 | January 29 | @ Los Angeles | L 115–122 |Dick Snyder (26) | | | The Forum12,547 | 25–29 |- | 55 | January 30 | @ Phoenix | L 116–134 |Spencer Haywood (29) | | | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum10,412 | 25–30 Seattle SuperSonics February 5 4 1 5 |- | 56 | February 2 | @ Chicago | L 101–118 |Dick Snyder (24) | | | Chicago Stadium8,813 | 25–31 |- | 57 | February 3 | @ Cleveland | W 98–95 |Lenny Wilkens (30) | | | Cleveland Arena2,515 | 26–31 |- | 58 | February 5 | Atlanta | L 120–121 (OT) |Lenny Wilkens (30) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum13,136 | 26–32 |- | 59 | February 7 | San Diego | L 107–124 |Spencer Haywood (25) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum8,259 | 26–33 |- | 60 | February 9 | @ San Diego | L 115–132 |Spencer Haywood (22) | | | San Diego Sports Arena4,192 | 26–34 |- | 61 | February 10 | @ San Francisco | L 122–133 |Spencer Haywood (26) | | | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena2,913 | 26–35 |- | 62 | February 11 | Cincinnati | W 119–101 |Dick Snyder (31) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum13,013 | 27–35 |- | 63 | February 12 | @ Portland | L 125–137 |Lee Winfield (23) | | | Memorial Coliseum7,313 | 27–36 |- | 64 | February 14 | San Francisco | W 146–101 |Spencer Haywood (25) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum10,529 | 28–36 |- | 65 | February 17 | Portland | W 130–126 |Dick Snyder (25) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum6,679 | 29–36 |- | 66 | February 19 | Milwaukee | L 112–128 |Dick Snyder (31) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum12,685 | 29–37 |- | 67 | February 21 | Philadelphia | W 135–128 |Lenny Wilkens (28) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum8,003 | 30–37 |- | 68 | February 24 | Cleveland | W 123–101 |Dick Snyder (24) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum5,631 | 31–37 |- | 69 | February 26 | @ Los Angeles | L 121–145 |Tom Meschery (24) | | | The Forum14,294 | 31–38 |- | 70 | February 27 | Chicago | L 114–129 |Don Kojis, Lee Winfield (20) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum10,801 | 31–39 Seattle SuperSonics March 5 1 2 4 |- | 71 | March 2 | Atlanta | L 116–128 |Dick Snyder (22) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum9,810 | 31–40 |- | 72 | March 5 | @ San Diego | W 111–110 |Dick Snyder (28) | | | San Diego Sports Arena10,138 | 32–40 |- | 73 | March 6 | Los Angeles | W 121–109 |Don Smith (21) | | | Seattle Center Coliseum12,949 | 33–40 |- | 74 | March 8 | @ Milwaukee | L 99–104 |Spencer Haywood (30) | | | Milwaukee Arena10,746 | 33–41 |- | 75 | March 9 | @ New York | W 114–99 |Don Smith (37) | | | Madison Square Garden19,500 | 34–41 |- | 76 | March 11 | Detroit | W 130–97 |Don Smith (29) | | | Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion5,681 | 35–41 |- | 77 | March 12 | @ San Francisco | L 98–111 |Spencer Haywood (23) | | | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena5,122 | 35–42 |- | 78 | March 14 | Baltimore | W 124–121 |Spencer Haywood (35) | | | Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion5,810 | 36–42 |- | 79 | March 18 | Milwaukee | W 122–121 |Don Smith (28) | | | Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion8,970 | 37–42 |- | 80 | March 19 | @ Portland | L 128–135 | Spencer Haywood (32) | | | Memorial Coliseum11,140 | 37–43 |- | 81 | March 20 | @ Phoenix | L 107–114 |Jake Ford, Gar Heard (17) | | | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum7,134 | 37–44 |- | 82 | March 21 | San Francisco | W 119–106 |Dick Snyder (23) | | | Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion7,634 | 38–44 OKC 1971 Player statistics Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Tom Black Tom Black (basketball) a a 55 – 14.1 .414 – .699 4.1 .8 – – 5.0 Barry Clemens 78 – 16.5 .470 – .728 3.1 1.2 – – 7.4 Pete Cross 79 – 27.8 .442 – .690 12.0 1.4 – – 8.0 Bob Rule 4 – 35.5 .480 – .833 11.5 1.8 – – 29.8 Jake Ford 5 – 13.6 .360 – .727 1.8 1.8 – – 6.8 Spencer Haywood 33 – 35.2 .449 – .734 12.0 1.5 – – 20.6 Gar Heard 65 – 15.8 .381 – .656 5.0 .7 – – 5.9 Don Kojis 79 – 27.1 .446 – .778 5.5 1.6 – – 14.6 Tom Meschery 79 – 23.1 .463 – .750 6.1 1.4 – – 9.3 Don Smith Zaid Abdul-Aziz 61 – 20.9 .441 – .739 7.7 .7 – – 10.9 Dick Snyder 82 – 34.4 .531 – .837 3.1 4.3 – – 19.4 Rod Thorn 63 – 12.2 .472 – .676 1.6 2.9 – – 5.6 Lenny Wilkens 71 – 37.2 .419 – .803 4.5 9.2 – – 19.8 Lee Winfield 79 – 20.3 .466 – .664 2.4 2.8 – – 10.5 a a Statistics with the Seattle SuperSonics. Awards and records Lenny Wilkens was named Most Valuable Player at the 1971 NBA All-Star Game. Transactions Overview Players Added Via draft Jake Ford Gar Heard Via trade Don Kojis Don Smith Via free agency Tom Black (later waived) Spencer Haywood ^ ^Players Lost Via trade Bob Boozer Lucius Allen ^ ^ The Sonics signed Haywood as a free agent after he spent a season with the American Basketball Association's Denver Rockets, who signed Haywood after his sophomore year at the University of Detroit Mercy under a hardship clause. Because eligibility rules of the National Basketball Association at the time required a span of four years after high school graduation for a player to be picked by any team, a legal battle ensued, with the federal court ruling in favor of Haywood.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W_cgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v3QFAAAAIBAJ&dq=supersonics&pg=855%2C262437 Spencer Haywood Wins Court Permission to Play With Supersonics The Day March 2, 1971 June 11, 2012 Trades September 17, 1970 To Seattle SuperSonicsDon SmithCash considerations To Milwaukee BucksLucius AllenBob Boozer References Seattle Category:Seattle SuperSonics seasons