During the first four decades of their existence, the Seattle SuperSonics have made indelible memories for fans throughout the Puget Sound and beyond. Now is your chance to join with fellow Sonics fans to share your favorite memories, stories, photos and even video from Sonics history as part of the 40th Anniversary celebration. E-mail sonicsconnection@sonics-storm.com with your memory. If you’ve got video, upload it to YouTube and send us the link. Make sure to include your name and location. Some of the best entries could be used in a Sonics TV commercial this season!

In the early days before there was a large Sonics staff, the Furtados [Frank served as the Sonics trainer, while Sara worked in the business office] would call me (I knew Frank's daughter Cherie) and I would come to the building and help them hand out posters. Sometimes I would get to sit in their seats right under the basket. Seeing my favorite player, Wilt Chamberlain, 10 feet away from me was thrilling. You had no idea how big the players were until you saw them up close.He was HUGE.

Going to the Sonics games after work (in 1968), the games started at 8 p.m.. You could just walk in for free at halftime. Coming to the games and listening to the Sonic 6 (i think that was their name) playing music on the ramp that went upstairs. After the game was over I would go in the mens room which was at the tunnel entrance to the locker rooms and wait until the police had ushered fans to the exit. You could then see the players and coaches come out from the visitors locker room, Dick Motta then coach of the Bulls would always take time to answer question and talk to you as an individual. Seeing players up close was so cool.
-Joel Guevara

The best Sonics game that I've ever been to, in fact the best basketball game that I've been to period, was Celtics vs. Sonics:

This was at the old Boston Garden, January 20, 1980. Larry Bird was on his way to becoming rookie of the year, and the Celtics' 34-11 record was just slightly better than the Sonics' 35-13 record. How would the up-and-coming Celtics do against the defending NBA champion SuperSonics?

It was CBS' first NBA broadcast of the year, and they'd brought Bill Russell back to do color commentary - it was Russell's first return to the Garden in awhile. The Garden had playoff intensity, what with the two of the best teams in the league, Bird against the champs, the TV coverage, and Celtic legend Russell in attendance.

The game was close and hard fought throughout. This was the first year of the NBA 3-point shot, and I recall Dennis Johnson and Chris Ford making game-saving shots for their teams, as the game went into overtime, and then double-overtime. The game was finally decided when twice in a row the Celtics defense forced the Sonics to miss - but then Paul Silas grabbed the offensive rebound and drew the foul and free throws.

Even years afterward, if I was talking to someone in Boston and mentioned that I was a fan of the Sonics, they would say "I remember watching a great game between the Celtics and the Sonics" ... and it would be this game that they remembered.
-Michael Tamada

My memories of the SuperSonics start way back in 1967 when I was 10 years old. They had a contest "Name our new NBA team". So my Dad and I thought of "SuperSonics" because he worked at Boeing. We won with some other people and I remember getting some free tickets to some games! I still have a program from the 1967-68 season and it's in excellent condition! I loved those original Sonic players, Meschery, Hazzard, Rule, Tucker, Snyder, Weiss, Murrey and of course Bob Blackburn! I always felt they were "my" team! I used to collect the player cards that were in Langendorf bread.

I remember crowds of one or two thousand people in the Coliseum was big! I also have great memories of seeing all the Hall of Famers in action, Chamberlain, Russell, Havlicek, West, Hayes, Frazier and Willis Reed to name a few.

Another memory that sticks with me was in 1972 when after I game I chased Wilt Chamberlain back to the locker room!! There really was NO security back then!

I still have a great love for basketball and have been a Storm season ticket holder since day one. And I have all the great players over the years on the Sonics to thank for that.
-Cindi Emsley

I was about 10 years old in 1990 and I won a contest to be the ball boy for a night and have my picture taken with a Sonics player. I chose Gary Payton, the best player in Sonics history, and he came out, put his arm around me and during the breaks he would chat with me. On one of those breaks during the game I said to him, "Why don't you slam dunk it for me?" He did just that, then asked me "How was that?" I loved it so much I asked him to do it again - which he did. We won the game we played and beat Utah with Stockton, Malone and Mark Eaton. Then after the game that night people were waiting for him to sign autographs but he said, "Wait, I've got to get my buddy." I had a huge smile. Then he signed a rookie card of him which I had brought - a card I still have to this day. That's when I became the #1 fan of the Sonics and of G.P.
-Peter Ross

It was 1979 and we were "Alaskan" Sonic fans. Whenever possible, while in Seattle we would attend a Sonic game. One time we even went straight to the game from the airport and had our bags delivered to the hotel where we stayed.

The day of the Championship game we invited friends to our home in Wrangell, Alaska to listen to the broadcast of the game. As the tension and excitement mounted, my quiet, conservative husband proclaimed from his stool "if they win I'm going to throw my wineglass in the fireplace"! Well, the Sonics won and my husband lofted his wine glass across the room to the fireplace. Only problem was he missed the opening and shattered glass all over the room! He still loves to tell the story.
-Lynne and Leonard Campbell

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