Seattle SuperSonics

Once an NBA institution, with a 1979 title run and exciting ’90s stars like Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. They were wrested away from Seattle in 2008 to become the Thunder but fans look forward to the franchise’s inevitable return via expansion

FEATURED LISTS

Sonic boom: Ranking the 23 greatest players in Seattle SuperSonics history

While their history is officially retained by the Oklahoma City Thunder according to the NBA record books, they’re still the Seattle SuperSonics to us and we examine the 23 greatest players that suited up for them between their founding in…

January 11, 2023June 8, 2026

Loyal foot soldiers: 10 role players who spent their entire NBA career with one team

November 21, 2025June 11, 2026

We built this city for pick and roll: 10 cities that have been rumored NBA franchise destinations

November 1, 2023June 11, 2026

Heart of the deal: 10 notable NBA franchise ownership changes

December 1, 2022June 11, 2026

Keep your enemies closer: Nine geographically adjacent NBA rivalries

December 1, 2020June 11, 2026

Hardwood ceiling: 25 memorable team eras that didn’t include an NBA Finals appearance

October 1, 2019June 11, 2026

Hallowed halls: 14 memorable arenas no longer in use by NBA teams

May 11, 2019June 11, 2026

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FULL archive

Moral support: 26 notable NBA champions who were not on the playoff roster

Not all of them earned (or accepted) a ring for their efforts, but these 26 players contributed to an eventual champion, though only in the regular season.

May 1, 2026June 3, 2026

Which side are you on?: A history of the NBA in 16 labor disputes

As much so as the games, players, and teams themselves, the history of basketball is a history of American labor politics

February 21, 2026June 4, 2026

Loyal foot soldiers: 10 role players who spent their entire NBA career with one team

A tribute to some role players who took the Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan route, spending their entire careers with a single franchise.

November 21, 2025June 11, 2026

Foundational pieces: 30 notable NBA expansion draft picks

Utilized to seed the roster of new franchises, expansion drafts have been staged 11 times in NBA history, starting with the Chicago Packers in 1961 and most recently with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. These are the most notable selections in expansion draft history, from flops to revivals to impending franchise cornerstones.

October 1, 2025June 11, 2026

Won’t see my picture on the cover: 10 NBA Finals that weren’t featured on a Sports Illustrated cover

For decades, Sports Illustrated was the weekly arbiter of what was notable in the world of sports. Here’s a look back at 10 times when the former paper of record for newsworthy sports milestones opted to de-emphasize the NBA Finals.

June 1, 2025June 11, 2026

Golden voices: Eight NBA announcers with retired microphones

Only the most beloved icons behind the microphone have been granted their franchises’ greatest honor, a place in the rafters amongst the playing legends

November 11, 2024October 23, 2025

We built this city for pick and roll: 10 cities that have been rumored NBA franchise destinations

Commissioner Adam Silver has once again floated the idea of league expansion in the near future, so we take a world tour of the cities that have traditionally landed on the NBA franchise radar.

November 1, 2023June 11, 2026

Sonic boom: Ranking the 23 greatest players in Seattle SuperSonics history

While their history is officially retained by the Oklahoma City Thunder according to the NBA record books, they’re still the Seattle SuperSonics to us and we examine the 23 greatest players that suited up for them between their founding in 1967 and their departure from the city in 2008.

January 11, 2023June 8, 2026

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss: 22 NBA coaches who had multiple stints with the same franchise

Following their firing, re-signing, retiring, or demotion, these 22 coaches came back to the same NBA franchise a second time, often inexplicably and usually with diminishing returns.

December 11, 2022June 11, 2026

Heart of the deal: 10 notable NBA franchise ownership changes

An NBA franchise changing hands in ownership is often a seamless and relatively mundane event but in these 10 cases, it was a watershed moment, either by virtue of its novelty, its sale price, and/or its impact on the future of the franchise and the league itself.

December 1, 2022June 11, 2026

Heading on down the highway: 14 current NBA franchises that have re-located

The Warriors are returning to San Francisco after 48 years across the Bay in Oakland, but it’s not the first time this franchise his picked up and moved. We examine them and 13 other active teams that have changed cities during their time in the NBA and ABA.

October 11, 2022June 11, 2026

No one believed in us: 14 biggest upsets in NBA Finals history

NBA playoff tradition is that the better team typically wins, but in these 14 NBA Finals series, the lesser team on paper managed to pull off a stunner.

June 1, 2022June 6, 2026

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