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On January 23, 1992, former Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors head coach George Karl is hired to be the SuperSonics head coach. Karl's hiring comes on the heels of the club firing K.C. Jones, who had compiled an unspectacular 59-59 won-loss record over the course of one and a half seasons.

Relying on Karl's unconventional, rule-bending defensive scheme and an up-tempo offensive philosophy, the SuperSonics surged in the second half of the season, going 27-15 under Karl to snare a playoff spot. Seattle parlayed its late-season rally into an upset over Golden State in the first round of the playoffs before losing in the second round.

Sources:

SuperSonics website accessed March 2001 (www.supersonics.com); Seattle SuperSonics 1999-2000 Media Guide ed. by Marc Moquin (Seattle: Full House Sports & Entertainment, 1999).

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