2000–01 Seattle SuperSonics season
| 2000–01 Seattle SuperSonics season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
|
| General manager | Wally Walker |
| Owner(s) | Barry Ackerley |
| Arena | KeyArena at Seattle Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 44–38 (.537) |
| Place | Division: 5th (Pacific) Conference: 10th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | |
| Radio | KJR |
The 2000–01 NBA season was the 34th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. The SuperSonics received the seventeenth overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, and selected small forward Desmond Mason out of Oklahoma State University. With the hopes of improving the team in the middle, the SuperSonics acquired All-Star center Patrick Ewing from the New York Knicks in a four-team trade, and signed free agent Pervis Ellison, but released him to free agency after nine games.
However, the SuperSonics would get off to a slow start by losing seven of their first ten games of the regular season. Head coach Paul Westphal was fired after a 6–9 start to the season, and was replaced with former SuperSonics guard Nate McMillan. The SuperSonics played above .500 basketball for the remainder of the season, holding a 28–24 record at the All-Star break, and finishing in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record, but missed the NBA playoffs by finishing in tenth place in the Western Conference.
Gary Payton averaged 23.1 points, 8.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Rashard Lewis showed improvement becoming the team's starting small forward, averaging 14.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and Ruben Patterson averaged 13.0 points per game. In addition, Vin Baker provided the team with 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while Ewing provided with 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, Brent Barry contributed 8.8 points per game and .476 three-point percentage, and Mason contributed 5.9 points per game off the bench, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
During the NBA All-Star weekend in Washington, D.C., Payton was selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, and Mason won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. It was Ewing's only season in Seattle, as he signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic the following season. Also following the season, Patterson signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.