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Seattle SuperSonics: 9 stars you forgot played for the Sonics

By Luke Duffy

Seattle SuperSonics' Patrick Ewing (L) battles with former teammate Larry Johnson (R) for a rebound in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden in New York 27 February 2001. Ewing, who was traded from the Knicks to Seattle in the off-season, was making his first visit to New York since the trade. AFP PHOTO Henny Ray ABRAMS (Photo by HENNY RAY ABRAMS / AFP) (Photo credit should read HENNY RAY ABRAMS/AFP via Getty Images)
Seattle SuperSonics' Patrick Ewing (L) battles with former teammate Larry Johnson (R) for a rebound in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden in New York 27 February 2001. Ewing, who was traded from the Knicks to Seattle in the off-season, was making his first visit to New York since the trade. AFP PHOTO Henny Ray ABRAMS (Photo by HENNY RAY ABRAMS / AFP) (Photo credit should read HENNY RAY ABRAMS/AFP via Getty Images) /
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(Photo credit should read JOHN ZICH/AFP via Getty Images) /

4. Bill Cartwright

Center Bill Cartwright is known primarily for one thing, and that is being a three-time NBA champion with the Bulls during their first three-peat run from 1991-93. If he’s known for anything else, it’s having one of the most dubious-looking shooting strokes you will ever see.

But before all of that, he was a member of the New York Knicks. An often forgotten fact is that he was an All-Star during his rookie season while there. Cartwright would never make the midseason exhibition game again, but he was the starting center on these championship teams while in Chicago.

He was also traded to the Bulls, with future Knicks fan favorite Charles Oakley going the other way. Forgotten by many though, is that the last stop of his career (after only playing for the Bulls and Knicks prior to that), was with the SuperSonics.

Cartwright was 37 by that point and would play only 29 games for the SuperSonics in 1994-95. He did, however, start 19 of those contests, settled behind both Sam Perkins and Ervin Johnson on the depth chart. This was an entertaining SuperSonics outfit that won 61 games before getting knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the Lakers.

Related Story. How do champions prepare? Ask the Toronto Raptors. light

Cartwright did not see any action in the playoffs, but even through playing there for a brief period, he too was a link between only and new. McMillan was a teammate that season, while future NBA head coaches Dwane Casey and Terry Stotts were both assistant coaches, with the great George Karl being the head coach for that year.

Big men trying to extend their careers out by a season or two is no great surprise and is something which, if you look at the history of any franchise, happens everywhere. The SuperSonics were no except, with a couple more notable big men still to come in the remaining spots here.