The 1967–68 Seattle SuperSonics season was the inaugural season for the expansion Seattle SuperSonics franchise in the National Basketball Association. The team's official arena was the Seattle Center Coliseum.
With a team built in its majority from the 1967 expansion draft featuring Walt Hazzard and six-year veteran Tom Meschery,Associated Press (May 4, 1967). Meschery Going to Seattle, The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved June 22, 2012. and with Al Bianchi at the head coach position, the Sonics finished the season with a 23–59 record and fifth place in the Western Division, six games behind the Chicago Bulls, and did not qualify to enter the playoffs.
Offseason Expansion draft
The twelve-man roster for the 1967–68 season consisted of three rookies from the 1967 NBA Draft and nine players from the expansion draft. Al Bianchi's choice of player-coach Richie Guerin from the St. Louis Hawks came as a surprise to most, since Guerin had already announced his retirement, and thus did not play for the Sonics. He would return for the 1968–69 season to play for the relocated Atlanta Hawks after Seattle traded him in the offseason. Selecting Tom Meschery from the San Francisco Warriors was made possible after the Warriors unprotected him for the draft, after Meschery informed the San Francisco front office that he desired to join the Peace Corps. Seattle's offer, however, was accepted by Meschery. The SuperSonics planned to sign former Seattle University player Charlie Williams before the start of the regular season, but league rules prohibited the Seattle franchise to offer him a contract, since Williams was expelled from college after a point shaving scandal.United Press International (September 1, 1967) Williams Says Ruling Wrecked Hopes of Pro Basketball Play, The Modesto Bee. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
Draft Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 6 Al Tucker SF Oklahoma Baptist 2 19 Bob Rule C / PF Colorado State 3 30 Sam Singleton G Nebraska–Omaha 4 43 Larry Bunce C Utah State 5 54 Plummer Lott SF / SG Seattle 6 67 Gordon Harris C Washington 7 78 Dick Kolberg F UC Santa Barbara 8 91 Willie Wolters F Boston College 9 101 Roderick McDonald SF/PF Whitworth 10 113 Gary Lechman G Gonzaga 11 122 Randy Matson F Texas A&M 12 133 Rubin Russell SG North Texas State 13 140 John Schroeder C Ohio 14 147 Jim Sutherland F Clemson 15 152 Willie Campbell C Nebraska
Roster
Standings
Regular season
Seattle kicked off the regular season with a game against the San Francisco Warriors on October 13 at the Cow Palace, where they fell 114–116.Associated Press (October 14, 1967). Oaks Win in ABA Debut; Warriors Trounce Seattle, The Portsmouth Times. Retrieved June 23, 2012. Walt Hazzard had a high scoring debut, leading the Sonics' offense with 30 points, followed by Tom Meschery with 26.Seattle SuperSonics at San Francisco Warriors Box Score, October 13, 1967. Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 23, 2012. After a week off, the Sonics played in consecutive days against the other expansion franchise, the San Diego Rockets, splitting the series and thus winning their first regular season game in franchise history.1967–68 Seattle SuperSonics Schedule and Results. Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 23, 2012. After two streaks of four and eight straight losses, the Sonics found themselves quickly near the bottom of the Western Division by the end of the first four weeks of competition.United Press International (November 15, 1967). Coaches of Royals and Bulls Having It Tough, The Dispatch. Retrieved June 23, 2012. A few surprising results stood out, including their only victory against Bill Russell's Boston Celtics in a double-header in Philadelphia,Ralph Bernstein, Associated Press (November 24, 1967). You Had to See It to Know It Wasn't a Joke, Lewiston Evening Journal. Retrieved June 23, 2012. with the Celtics trailing by as much as 44 points after the first half,Seattle SuperSonics vs Boston Celtics Box Score, November 23, 1967. Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 23, 2012. and an outstanding performance by rookie Bob Rule, with 47 points in a victory against the Los Angeles Lakers.United Press International (November 22, 1967). Rule Scores 47 as Seattle Halts Los Angeles Lakers, The Beaver County Times. Retrieved June 23, 2012. On the other hand, the SuperSonics were on the losing end of two NBA scoring records. First, in December with a 122–160 loss against defending champions Philadelphia 76ers, that set a new NBA record for most points by a team in a quarterAssociated Press (December 21, 1967). Sonics Pounded–Mightily, Ellensburg Daily Record. Retrieved June 23, 2012. and a 123–154 loss against the Lakers on January that tied a franchise record for Los Angeles for most points in a game.United Press International (January 22, 1968). Baylor & West Set Scoring Record As Lakers Dump Sonics, The Bryan Times. Retrieved June 23, 2012. With six games left in the regular season the Sonics were behind two games from the Chicago Bulls in a last effort to obtain a berth in the playoffs,Associated Press (March 12, 1968). Bulls Nearing Playoff Spot, Spokane Daily Chronicle. Retrieved June 24, 2012. But in spite of defeating the Bulls in two of those six games, Chicago managed to pull away with the fourth place in the Western Division and the last spot in the playoff race, six games above the Sonics.Bulls Clinch Playoff Spot With Victory, The Beaver County Times. March 14, 1968. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
The SuperSonics registered an attendance of 202,263 during the regular season, the sixth best in the league in that regard.1967–68 Seattle SuperSonics Roster and Statistics. Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 23, 2012. Walt Hazzard was selected to represent the West in the 1968 NBA All-Star GameAssociated Press (January 23, 1968). West Stars—Lost Their Glitter?, Meriden Journal. Retrieved June 24, 2012. and Bob Rule and Al Tucker were selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.Monroe Leads All-Rookie Five, The Washington Afro American. April 9, 1968. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
Game log
| 1 | October 13 | @ San Francisco | L 116–144 | Walt Hazzard (30) | Tom Meschery (11) | Bob Weiss (4) | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena5,619 | 0–1 |- | 2 | October 20 | San Diego | L 114–121 | Walt Hazzard (32) | Bob Rule (11) | Rod Thorn (9) | Seattle Center Coliseum4,473 | 0–2 |- | 3 | October 21 | @ San Diego | W 117–110 (OT) | Walt Hazzard (22) | Dorie Murrey (14) | Five players (2) | San Diego Sports Arena5,413 | 1–2 |- | 4 | October 22 | Cincinnati | L 94–106 | Walt Hazzard (27) | Tom Meschery (14) | Walt Hazzard (6) | Seattle Center Coliseum4,116 | 1–3 |- | 5 | October 24 | Baltimore | L 125–136 | Bob Rule (25) | George Wilson (13) | Rod Thorn (6) | Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)1,533 | 1–4 |- | 6 | October 27 | @ Philadelphia | L 115–132 | Bob Rule (18) | Tom Meschery (12) | Bob Weiss (11) | The Spectrum4,352 | 1–5 |- | 7 | October 28 | @ St. Louis | L 109–116 | Tommy Kron (21) | Bob Rule (10) | Tommy Kron (6) | Kiel Auditorium5,218 | 1–6 |- | 8 | October 31 | Chicago | W 114–104 | Walt Hazzard (34) | Dorie Murrey (17) | Bob Weiss (9) | Seattle Center Coliseum3,109 | 2–6
| 9 | November 1 | San Diego | L 125–139 | Al Tucker (23) | Al Tucker (14) | Bob Weiss (9) | Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)2,593 | 2–7 |- | 10 | November 2 | Chicago | L 105–109 | Bob Rule (27) | Al Tucker (13) | Walt Hazzard (5) | Spokane Coliseum1,051 | 2–8 |- | 11 | November 3 | New York | L 100–134 | Walt Hazzard (19) | Al Tucker (13) | Tom Meschery (8) | Seattle Center Coliseum4,654 | 2–9 |- | 12 | November 7 | @ San Francisco | L 112–126 | Bob Weiss (20) | Tommy Kron (10) | Walt Hazzard (7) | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena3,168 | 2–10 |- | 13 | November 8 | @ St. Louis | L 96–111 | Walt Hazzard (20) | George Wilson (21) | Bob Weiss (5) | Kiel Auditorium3,022 | 2–11 |- | 14 | November 9 | vs. Detroit | L 118–119 | Walt Hazzard (33) | Bob Rule (17) | Walt Hazzard (7) | Madison Square Garden | 2–12 |- | 15 | November 11 | @ Baltimore | L 129–134 | Walt Hazzard (26) | Tom Meschery (11) | Tommy Kron (6) | Baltimore Civic Center4,685 | 2–13 |- | 16 | November 14 | vs. Boston | L 111–114 | Bob Weiss (29) | Walt Hazzard (10) | Walt Hazzard (6) | Madison Square Garden | 2–14 |- | 17 | November 17 | San Diego | W 130–124 | Walt Hazzard (30) | Tom Meschery (19) | Tommy Kron (10) | Seattle Center Coliseum4,162 | 3–14 |- | 18 | November 19 | Detroit | W 132–130 (OT) | Bob Rule (31) | Bob Rule (21) | Walt Hazzard (15) | Seattle Center Coliseum4,468 | 4–14 |- | 19 | November 20 | Detroit | L 118–120 | Bob Weiss (27) | Bob Rule, Tom Meschery (13) | Tommy Kron (6) | Puget Sound Fieldhouse2,311 | 4–15 |- | 20 | November 21 | Los Angeles | W 137–132 | Bob Rule (47) | Tom Meschery (17) | Walt Hazzard (9) | Seattle Center Coliseum8,122 | 5–15 |- | 21 | November 23 | vs. Boston | W 133–106 | Bob Rule (26) | Bob Rule, Tom Meschery (11) | Walt Hazzard (14) | The Spectrum | 6–15 |- | 22 | November 25 | Cincinnati | L 133–153 | Walt Hazzard (19) | Tom Meschery (13) | Rod Thorn (6) | Cleveland Arena3,455 | 6–16 |- | 23 | November 25 | @ New York | L 110–111 | Walt Hazzard (21) | Tom Meschery (16) | Tom Meschery (5) | Madison Square Garden9,011 | 6–17 |- | 24 | November 28 | @ Chicago | W 111–108 | Three players (20) | Tom Meschery (14) | Walt Hazzard (7) | Chicago Stadium1,659 | 7–17
| 25 | December 1 | vs. Philadelphia | L 109–133 | Bob Rule (29) | Tom Meschery (18) | Walt Hazzard (10) | Boston Garden | 7–18 |- | 26 | December 3 | St. Louis | L 109–123 | Tom Meschery (23) | Tom Meschery (11) | Bob Weiss (7) | Seattle Center Coliseum7,938 | 7–19 |- | 27 | December 5 | @ San Francisco | L 121–133 | Walt Hazzard (29) | George Wilson (12) | Bob Weiss (8) | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena2,306 | 7–20 |- | 28 | December 8 | Chicago | L 114–115 | Walt Hazzard,Bob Rule (21) | Tom Meschery (12) | Walt Hazzard (6) | Seattle Center Coliseum3,835 | 7–21 |- | 29 | December 10 | Los Angeles | W 133–123 | Al Tucker (35) | Tom Meschery (16) | Walt Hazzard (7) | Seattle Center Coliseum7,006 | 8–21 |- | 30 | December 12 | vs. Philadelphia | L 107–118 | Al Tucker (27) | Three players (10) | Walt Hazzard (6) | Madison Square Garden | 8–22 |- | 31 | December 15 | @ Chicago | W 122–115 | Walt Hazzard (36) | Dorie Murrey (11) | Walt Hazzard (6) | Chicago Stadium1,686 | 9–22 |- | 32 | December 17 | Philadelphia | L 124–139 | Rod Thorn (22) | Tom Meschery, Al Tucker (11) | Bob Weiss (10) | Seattle Center Coliseum11,294 | 9–23 |- | 33 | December 18 | Detroit | L 122–140 | Rod Thorn (29) | Bob Rule (17) | Rod Thorn (7) | Puget Sound Fieldhouse1,658 | 9–24 |- | 34 | December 19 | Boston | L 114–118 | Walt Hazzard (37) | Bob Rule, George Wilson (10) | Walt Hazzard (5) | Seattle Center Coliseum6,889 | 9–25 |- | 35 | December 20 | Philadelphia | L 122–160 | Walt Hazzard (20) | Dorie Murrey (10) | Walt Hazzard (5) | Seattle Center Coliseum7,714 | 9–26 |- | 36 | December 22 | New York | W 120–108 | Al Tucker (31) | Bob Rule (27) | Tommy Kron. Walt Hazzard (8) | Seattle Center Coliseum8,515 | 10–26 |- | 37 | December 23 | @ San Francisco | L 124–131 | Walt Hazzard (19) | Dorie Murrey (8) | Tommy Kron (7) | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena3,862 | 10–27 |- | 38 | December 24 | San Francisco | L 113–127 | Walt Hazzard (20) | Dorie Murrey (13) | Tom Meschery, Plummer Lott (6) | Seattle Center Coliseum6,226 | 10–28 |- | 39 | December 25 | @ Cincinnati | L 112–118 | Rod Thorn (26) | Dorie Murrey (17) | Bob Weiss (7) | Cincinnati Gardens3,323 | 10–29 |- | 40 | December 26 | vs. New York | W 137–135 | Walt Hazzard (37) | Three players (8) | Walt Hazzard (7) | The Spectrum (Philadelphia) | 11–29 |- | 41 | December 28 | San Diego | L 125–143 | Walt Hazzard (45) | Tom Meschery (16) | Walt Hazzard, Tommy Kron (8) | Seattle Center Coliseum5,889