The new generation of NBA fans just sees the Oklahoma City Thunder as, well, the Oklahoma City Thunder. They tend to either forget that the Seattle Supersonics existed, or they may not have any recollection of them at all because they're too young.
But before the Thunder were the Thunder, they were the Supersonics, a team with a rather rich history of great talent.
When you combine the best players to ever play in both Seattle and Oklahoma City, you can come come up with a pretty impressive list.
So, here are the five greatest players to ever play for the Supersonics/Thunder:
5. Jack Sikma
He may not be a household name, but Jack Sikma was a terrific big man in his day.
Sikma spent the first nine years of his career in Seattle, making seven All-Star appearances and helping the Sonics win a championship during his second season in 1979. He is now a Hall-of-Famer.
The 6-foot-11 center averaged double-doubles in seven of his nine years with the club, with his best statistical season coming during the 1981-82 campaign when he registered 19.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
Sikma was so skilled, as a matter of fact, that he has had several different coaching jobs specifically to assist other big men with their post games since the early 2000s.
He was also one of the first bigs to stretch the floor.
Again, not a whole lot of people think of Jack Sikma when it comes to all-time great big men, but his legacy and his influence lives on in the NBA today.
4. Shawn Kemp
Shawn Kemp should be so much higher on this list.
Kemp spent the first eight seasons of his NBA career with the Supersonics, making five All-Star teams and propelling the team to a finals appearance in 1996.
He was really one of the first big men who could do it all. He could handle the ball. He could pass. He could shoot. He could go coast to coast. He could defend.
Oh, and you think Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Blake Griffin are violent dunkers? They have nothing on Kemp, who was, easily, the most ferocious dunker in NBA history.
What prevented Kemp from truly becoming an all-time great was all of his off-the-court issues and the fact that his weight ballooned.
Had Kemp kept his head on straight and focused more on his basketball career, there is no telling how great he would have become. Heck, he averaged double-doubles in each of his last six seasons in Seattle in spite of not putting enough work in.
A legitimate argument can be made that Kemp is the biggest waste of talent in NBA history, and yet, he is still fourth on this list. That right there should tell you just how phenomenal he was.
3. Russell Westbrook
This one will probably raise some hairs, because there are some who think that Westbrook is the best player in the history of the franchise.
He isn't, but that doesn't take away from everything Westbrook accomplished in a Thunder uniform.
Inhumanly competitive and fiercely loyal, Westbrook spent the first 11 years of his career in OKC, making eight All-Star teams, winning an MVP award and helping lead the Thunder to a finals appearance.
His lack of efficiency be damned, Westbrook was one of the league's most exciting players with the Thunder (he still is with the Houston Rockets), averaging triple-doubles in each of his final three seasons in Oklahoma City. My goodness.
You can criticize Westbrook all you want for his poor shot selection, his penchant for turning the ball over and his inability to get over the hump, but there is no doubting how much of a force Westbrook was with the Thunder, nor is there any question how much he meant to that franchise and its fans.
Westbrook will be a Hall-of-Famer one day, and he will forever be an icon in Oklahoma City.
2. Kevin Durant
The only reason why Kevin Durant isn't first on this list is because he wasn't with the franchise long enough.
Interestingly enough, Durant played for both the Supersonics and the Thunder, as his rookie campaign also represented the final year of NBA basketball in Seattle.
Overall, he spent eight seasons with the organization (or organizations, depending on how you look at it) and instantly developed into one of the best players in basketball.
No, Durant was never able to lead his team to a championship, but earned seven All-Star selections, won an MVP award and led the Thunder to a finals appearance.
Durant has become public enemy No. 1 in Oklahoma City for bolting the club for the Golden State Warriors during the summer of 2016, but as much as you may dislike him, you can't question his greatness.
The Washington, D.C. native became probably the best scorer in the league in OKC, capturing four scoring titles while being unfairly efficient. He also developed into a fine defender during his latter years with the club.
Had Durant remained with the Thunder, he would absolutely top this list.
1. Gary Payton
That brings us to arguably the greatest perimeter defender ever: Gary Payton.
They called him “The Glove” for a reason. Payton, who spent the first 12-and-a-half years of his career with the Supersonics, was a genius on the defensive end, employing a combination of toughness, craftiness, savvy and skill that few players have ever possessed at any position.
But Payton was far from one-dimensional. He was also an offensive force, averaging over 20 points per game six times in a Seattle uniform and forging a reputation as one of the game's best floor generals in the process.
Payton was incredibly durable, as well, having played eight full 82-game campaigns with the Sonics.
He and Kemp comprised a lethal one-two punch that made it all the way to the finals in '96 before Michael Jordan thwarted their championship efforts (like he did to a million other players in the '90s).
Payton made nine All-Star appearances with the Supersonics and is now in the Hall of Fame because of his illustrious tenure in the Pacific Northwest.
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