1979 NBA Finals

1979 NBA Finals

Team Coach Wins Seattle SuperSonics Lenny Wilkens 4 Washington Bullets Dick Motta 1
Dates	May 20–June 1
MVP	Dennis Johnson (Seattle SuperSonics)
Television	CBS (U.S.)
Announcers	Brent Musburger, Rick Barry, and Rod Hundley
Radio network	KIRO (SEA) WJMD (WSB)
Referees
Game 1: Darell Garretson, Ed T. Rush, and Ed Middleton Game 2: John Vanak, Jack Madden, and Jim Capers Game 3: Jake O'Donnell, Joe Gushue, and Hugh Evans Game 4: Bob Rakel, Lee Jones, and Darell Garretson Game 5: Jake O'Donnell, Joe Gushue, and Paul Mihalak
Hall of Famers	SuperSonics: Dennis Johnson (2010) Bullets: Elvin Hayes (1990) Wes Unseld (1988) Coaches: Lenny Wilkens (1989, player/1998, coach) Officials: Darell Garretson (2016)
Eastern Finals	Bullets defeat Spurs, 4–3
Western Finals	SuperSonics defeat Suns, 4–3
< 1978 NBA Finals 1980 >

The 1979 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series played at the conclusion of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1978–79 season. The Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics played the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets, with the Bullets holding home-court advantage, due to a better regular season record. The SuperSonics defeated the Bullets 4 games to 1. The series was a rematch of the 1978 NBA Finals, which the Washington Bullets had won 4–3.

Dennis Johnson of the SuperSonics was named as the NBA Finals MVP, while Gus Williams of the SuperSonics was the top scorer, averaging 28.6 points per game.

This was Seattle’s second men’s professional sports championship, following the Seattle Metropolitans’ Stanley Cup victory in the 1917 Stanley Cup Finals.

Coincidentally, this series (along with the 1978 NBA Finals) was informally known as the George Washington series, because both teams were playing in places named after the first President of the United States (the SuperSonics represented Seattle, the most populous city in the state of Washington, and the Bullets represented Washington, D.C., albeit playing in nearby Landover, Maryland).

This is the most recent time that a Western Conference team based outside of Texas or California has won an NBA title, and the last of only two occasions alongside the 1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers when a team from the present-day Northwest Division has won the league title, which is by 26 years the longest league championship drought for any division of the four major North American sports leagues.^{[note 1]} Since then, the following Western teams have gone on to win an NBA title: the Los Angeles Lakers (ten times), the San Antonio Spurs (five times), the Golden State Warriors (three times), the Houston Rockets (twice), and the Dallas Mavericks (once). The remaining eighteen titles since 1980 have been won by Eastern Conference teams.^{[note 2]}

Contents

• 
  1 Background
  
  • 
    1.1 Road to the Finals
    
  
  
  • 
    1.2 Regular season series
    
  
  


• 
  2 Series summary
  
  • 
    2.1 Game 1
    
  
  
  • 
    2.2 Game 2
    
  
  
  • 
    2.3 Game 3
    
  
  
  • 
    2.4 Game 4
    
  
  
  • 
    2.5 Game 5
    
  
  


• 
  3 Player statistics
  


• 
  4 Aftermath
  


• 
  5 Team rosters
  
  • 
    5.1 Seattle SuperSonics
    
  
  
  • 
    5.2 Washington Bullets
    
  
  


• 
  6 See also
  


• 
  7 Notes
  


• 
  8 References
  


• 
  9 External links
  

Background

This was a rematch of the 1978 NBA Finals, which the Bullets won 4–3. Seattle made a key offseason trade sending Marvin Webster to the New York Knicks for Lonnie Shelton. Other than that, both teams' rosters stayed virtually intact. Unlike the previous year, both teams finished 1-2 in the NBA, with the Bullets topping the league at 54 wins; the Sonics with 52 wins. In the playoffs, Seattle defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4–1 and the Phoenix Suns 4–3, while Washington had a much tougher road, eliminating the Atlanta Hawks in an unexpectedly tough seven-game series and coming back from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the San Antonio Spurs in seven. Both earned a first-round bye.

Road to the Finals

Main article: 1979 NBA Playoffs

Seattle SuperSonics (Western Conference champion)		Washington Bullets (Eastern Conference champion)
# Western Conference v t e Team W L PCT GB 1 z-Seattle SuperSonics 52 30 .634 – 2 y-Kansas City Kings 48 34 .585 4 3 x-Phoenix Suns 50 32 .610 2 4 x-Denver Nuggets 47 35 .573 5 5 x-Los Angeles Lakers 47 35 .573 5 6 x-Portland Trail Blazers 45 37 .549 7 7 San Diego Clippers 43 39 .524 9 8 Indiana Pacers 38 44 .463 14 8 Milwaukee Bucks 38 44 .463 14 8 Golden State Warriors 38 44 .463 14 11 Chicago Bulls 31 51 .378 21 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record	Regular season		# Eastern Conference v t e Team W L PCT GB 1 z-Washington Bullets 54 28 .659 – 2 y-San Antonio Spurs 48 34 .585 6 3 x-Philadelphia 76ers 47 35 .573 7 4 x-Houston Rockets 47 35 .573 7 5 x-Atlanta Hawks 46 36 .561 8 6 x-New Jersey Nets 37 45 .451 17 7 New York Knicks 31 51 .378 23 8 Cleveland Cavaliers 30 52 .366 24 8 Detroit Pistons 30 52 .366 24 10 Boston Celtics 29 53 .354 25 11 New Orleans Jazz 26 56 .317 28 1st seed in the East, best league record
Earned first-round bye	First Round		Earned first-round bye
Defeated the (5) Los Angeles Lakers, 4–1	Conference Semifinals		Defeated the (5) Atlanta Hawks, 4–3
Defeated the (3) Phoenix Suns, 4–3	Conference Finals		Defeated the (2) San Antonio Spurs, 4–3

Regular season series

Both teams split the four-game series in the regular season:

October 25, 1978

Washington Bullets 92, Seattle SuperSonics 121

Kingdome, Seattle

January 23, 1979

Seattle SuperSonics 103, Washington Bullets 100

Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland

February 18, 1979

Washington Bullets 105, Seattle SuperSonics 94

Kingdome, Seattle

February 23, 1979

Seattle SuperSonics 110, Washington Bullets 132

Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland

Series summary

Game	Date	Home team	Result	Road team
Game 1	Sunday, May 20	Washington Bullets	99–97 (1–0)	Seattle SuperSonics
Game 2	Thursday, May 24	Washington Bullets	82–92 (1–1)	Seattle SuperSonics
Game 3	Sunday, May 27	Seattle SuperSonics	105–95 (2–1)	Washington Bullets
Game 4	Tuesday, May 29	Seattle SuperSonics	114–112 (3–1)	Washington Bullets
Game 5	Friday, June 1	Washington Bullets	93–97 (1–4)	Seattle SuperSonics

Game 1

May 20

Seattle SuperSonics 97, Washington Bullets 99
Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 25–33, 21–23, 26–17
Pts: Gus Williams 32 Rebs: John Johnson 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 7		Pts: Larry Wright 26 Rebs: Wes Unseld 12 Asts: Tom Henderson 6
Washington leads the series 1–0

Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035 Referees: Rush, Middleton

^[1]

The Bullets controlled the game and led by 18 in the fourth, but Seattle mounted a furious comeback to tie it at 97. Larry Wright, who had 26 points off the bench, drove to the basket as time ran down and had his shot blocked by Dennis Johnson, but the referees called a foul on Johnson. Wright went to the line with one second left and hit two of three foul shots (NBA rules at the time awarded an extra free throw attempt when a team was in the penalty foul situation) to win the game.^[2]

Game 2

May 24

Seattle SuperSonics 92, Washington Bullets 82
Scoring by quarter: 28–23, 21–29, 19–14, 24–16
Pts: Gus Williams 23 Rebs: Jack Sikma 13 Asts: D. Johnson, J. Johnson 6 each		Pts: Bob Dandridge 21 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 14 Asts: Bob Dandridge 5
Series tied 1–1

Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035 Referees: Madden, Capers

Elvin Hayes had 11 points in the first quarter, but only nine the rest of the way as Seattle turned its defense up a notch, holding the Bullets to 30 points in the second half.

Game 3

May 27

Washington Bullets 95, Seattle SuperSonics 105
Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 19–24, 22–26, 29–24
Pts: Bob Dandridge 28 Rebs: Unseld, Hayes 14 each Asts: Bob Dandridge 5		Pts: Gus Williams 31 Rebs: Sikma 17 Asts: D. Johnson 9
Seattle leads the series 2–1

Kingdome, Seattle Attendance: 35,928 Referees: O'Donnell, Gushue

Seattle dominated this game, which wasn't as close as the final margin indicated. Gus Williams scored 31 points, Jack Sikma had 21 and 17 rebounds, and Dennis Johnson had a fine all-around game with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and two blocked shots.

Game 4

May 29

Washington Bullets 112, Seattle SuperSonics 114 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 16–24, 37–28, 28–32, 23–20, Overtime: 8–10
Pts: Three Players 18 Rebs: Unseld 16 Asts: Tom Henderson 8		Pts: Gus Williams 36 Rebs: Sikma 17 Asts: John Johnson 13
Seattle leads the series 3–1

Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle Attendance: 14,098 Referees: Garretson, Rakel

^[3]
The Sonics won a close one in OT 114–112, staving off a late Bullets comeback behind 36 points by Gus Williams and 32 by Dennis Johnson. Williams and Johnson dominated the Bullets' guards all series, as they were plagued by poor shooting. Johnson also had four blocks in the game, the last on Kevin Grevey with 4 seconds left to ensure the Seattle victory.

Game 5

June 1

Seattle SuperSonics 97, Washington Bullets 93
Scoring by quarter: 19–30, 24–21, 23–18, 31–24
Pts: Gus Williams 23 Rebs: Sikma 17 Asts: John Johnson 6		Pts: Elvin Hayes 29 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 14 Asts: Bob Dandridge 7
Seattle wins the series 4–1

Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035 Referees: O'Donnell, Gushue

^[4]
Back home, Elvin Hayes had a hot first half, scoring 20, but injuries to starting guards Tom Henderson, Kevin Grevey and prolonged poor shooting by their replacements took their toll. Hayes had only nine points in the second half as Seattle closed out the series.^[5]

Player statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Seattle SuperSonics

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG

Washington Bullets

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG

Aftermath

Neither team made it back to the Finals the following season. The Bullets (39–43) were eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers, while the SuperSonics (56–26) lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Conference Finals. Both the 76ers and Lakers faced off in the 1980 NBA Finals, a 4–2 Lakers win. Dick Motta, the Bullets coach, departed to take over the expansion Dallas Mavericks in the 1980–81 NBA season, while the SuperSonics traded 1979 Finals MVP Dennis Johnson for Paul Westphal, which hastened their downfall. Wes Unseld retired after the season, and Elvin Hayes concluded his final three NBA seasons with the team he started with, the Rockets. Lenny Wilkens would not make the finals again for the remainder of his coaching career; the closest he would advance was in the 1992 conference finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As of the 2016–17 NBA season this remains the last Finals appearance, and indeed the last Conference Finals appearance, for the Bullets/Wizards franchise. The SuperSonics would not return until 1996. That would be their last Finals appearance in Seattle, since they relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 and were renamed as the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder played in the 2012 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat in 5 games.

Team rosters

Seattle SuperSonics

Seattle SuperSonics roster v t e
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From C 7001210000000000000♠21 Awtrey, Dennis 7000208279999999999♠6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Santa Clara SG 7001320000000000000♠32 Brown, Fred 7000190500000000000♠6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 182 lb (83 kg) Iowa SG 7001100000000000000♠10 Hassett, Joe 7000195580000000000♠6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Providence SG 7001240000000000000♠24 Johnson, Dennis 7000193040000000000♠6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Pepperdine SF 7001270000000000000♠27 Johnson, John 7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Iowa C 7001230000000000000♠23 LaGarde, Tom 7000208279999999999♠6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) North Carolina SF 7001220000000000000♠22 Robinson, Jackie 7000198120000000000♠6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) UNLV PF 7000800000000000000♠8 Shelton, Lonnie 7000203200000000000♠6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Oregon State C 7001430000000000000♠43 Sikma, Jack 7000210820000000000♠6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Illinois Wesleyan PF 7001350000000000000♠35 Silas, Paul 7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Creighton SG 7001110000000000000♠11 Snyder, Dick 7000195580000000000♠6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 207 lb (94 kg) Davidson SF 7001420000000000000♠42 Walker, Wally 7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Virginia PG 7000100000000000000♠1 Williams, Gus 7000187960000000000♠6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Southern California	Head coach Lenny Wilkens Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

^[6]

Washington Bullets

Washington Bullets roster v t e
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From SF 7001420000000000000♠42 Ballard, Greg 7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Oregon SG 7001450000000000000♠45 Chenier, Phil 7000190500000000000♠6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) California C 7001400000000000000♠40 Corzine, Dave 7000210820000000000♠6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) DePaul SF 7001100000000000000♠10 Dandridge, Bob 7000198120000000000♠6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Norfolk State SF 7001350000000000000♠35 Grevey, Kevin 7000195580000000000♠6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Kentucky PG 7001140000000000000♠14 Henderson, Tom 7000190500000000000♠6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Hawaiʻi PF 7001110000000000000♠11 Hayes, Elvin 7000205740000000000♠6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Houston PF 7001250000000000000♠25 Kupchak, Mitch 7000205740000000000♠6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) North Carolina SG 7001150000000000000♠15 Johnson, Charles 7000182880000000000♠6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) California SG 7001220000000000000♠22 Phegley, Roger 7000198120000000000♠6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Bradley C 7001410000000000000♠41 Unseld, Wes 7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Louisville PG 7001320000000000000♠32 Wright, Larry 7000185420000000000♠6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Grambling State	Head coach Dick Motta Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

See also

• 1979 NBA Playoffs

Notes

1. 
   ^ By comparison, the longest divisional title drought in the National Football League is twelve seasons by the AFC South; in Major League Baseball nine seasons (as of 2017) by the National League East, and in the National Hockey League seven seasons by the Atlantic Division.
   


2. 
   ^ Six Eastern Conference teams from six different states have won NBA Championships since 1980: the Chicago Bulls (six times), the Boston Celtics (four times), the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat (thrice each), and the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers (once each)
   

References

1. 
   ^ https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197905200WSB.html
   


2. 
   ^ "Bullets take Wright turn to victory". St Petersburg Times (page 21). 21 May 1979. Retrieved 28 January 2015. 
   


3. 
   ^ https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197905290SEA.html
   


4. 
   ^ https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197906010WSB.html
   


5. 
   ^ "The 'fat lady sings' as Sonics lower final boom to rule the NBA". St Petersburg Times (page 23). 2 June 1979. Retrieved 28 January 2015. 
   


6. 
   ^ "1978-79 Seattle SuperSonics Roster and Stats | Basketball-Reference.com". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-07-23. 
   

External links

• 1979 NBA Playoffs


• NBA.com Season Review: 1978-79

v t e NBA Finals
*_O'Brien_Trophy *_Most_Valuable_Player_Award *_Brown_Trophy *_Championship_ring *_Broadcasters *_Game_sevens *_Droughts *_Streaks *_TV_ratings"> Champions O'Brien Trophy Most Valuable Player Award Brown Trophy Championship ring Broadcasters Game sevens Droughts Streaks TV ratings
1940s	1947 1948 1949
1950s	1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960s	1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s	1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s	1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s	1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s	2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010s	2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

v t e Seattle SuperSonics 1978–79 NBA champions
1 Williams 8 Shelton 10 Hassett 11 Snyder 21 Awtrey 22 Robinson 23 LaGarde 24 D. Johnson (Finals MVP) 27 J. Johnson 32 Brown 35 Silas 42 Walker 43 Sikma
Head coach Wilkens
Assistant coach Habegger
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Oklahoma City Thunder
*_Formerly_the_Seattle_SuperSonics_(1967–2008) *_Based_in_Oklahoma_City,_Oklahoma"> Founded in 1967 Formerly the Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008) Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Franchise	History 1967 Expansion Draft All-time rosters SuperSonics Thunder Draft history Franchise achievements Seasons Head coaches Current season
Arenas	KeyArena at Seattle Center Kingdome Tacoma Dome Chesapeake Energy Arena
General Managers	Richman Vertlieb Houbregs Russell Volchok Habegger Wilkens Whitsitt Walker Sund Presti
G League affiliate	Oklahoma City Blue
Administration	Owner Professional Basketball Club (Clay Bennett, Chairman) Executive Vice President & General Manager Sam Presti Head coach Billy Donovan
Retired numbers	1 10 19 24 32 43 MIC
NBA Championships (1)	1979
Western Conference Championships (4)	1978 1979 1996 2012
Culture and lore	Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City Howard Schultz Wheedle Squatch Rumble the Bison "Supersonics" Sonicsgate Thunderstruck "Thunder Up" "Can't Hold Us"
Media	TV Fox Sports Oklahoma Radio The Sports Animal (98.1 FM) 640 ESPN Radio Announcers Brian Davis Michael Cage Matt Pinto

v t e Washington Wizards
*_Formerly_the_Chicago_Packers_(1961–1962),_the_Chicago_Zephyrs_(1962–1963),_the_Baltimore_Bullets_(1963–1973),_the_Capital_Bullets_(1973–1974),_and_the_Washington_Bullets_(1974–1997) *_Based_in_Washington,_D.C."> Founded in 1961 Formerly the Chicago Packers (1961–1962), the Chicago Zephyrs (1962–1963), the Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973), the Capital Bullets (1973–1974), and the Washington Bullets (1974–1997) Based in Washington, D.C.
Franchise	Franchise Expansion Draft All-time roster Draft history Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	International Amphitheatre Chicago Coliseum Baltimore Civic Center Cole Field House Capital Centre/US Airways Arena Capital One Arena
General Managers	Ferry Nash Unseld Grunfeld
G-League affiliate	Capital City Go-Go
Administration	Ted Leonsis (Owner) Ernie Grunfeld (President & GM of Basketball Operations) Scott Brooks (Head Coach)
Retired numbers	10 11 25 41 45
NBA Championships (1)	1978
Eastern Conference Championships (4)	1971 1975 1978 1979
Culture and lore	Wes Unseld 1975 championship upset It ain't over till the fat lady sings The Big E Abe Pollin Earl the Pearl Agent Zero Robin Ficker
Media	TV WDCW NBC Sports Washington Comcast Network Radio WJFK-FM Announcers Steve Buckhantz Phil Chenier Dave Johnson Glenn Consor

v t e 1978–79 NBA season by team
*_All-Star_Game *_Playoffs *_Finals *_Transactions"> 1978 NBA draft All-Star Game Playoffs Finals Transactions
Eastern	Atlantic Boston New Jersey New York Philadelphia Washington Central Atlanta Cleveland Detroit Houston New Orleans San Antonio
Western	Midwest Chicago Denver Indiana Kansas City Milwaukee Pacific Golden State Los Angeles Phoenix Portland San Diego Seattle

v t e NBA on CBS
Related programs	The CBS Late Movie College Basketball on CBS
Related articles	Ratings NBA Finals
Commentators	All-Star Game NBA Finals
Key figures	Gary Bender Tim Brant Bob Costas Don Criqui Eddie Doucette Frank Glieber Greg Gumbel Jim Kelly Verne Lundquist Brent Musburger Andy Musser Jim Nantz Don Robertson Dick Stockton Pat Summerall Color commentators John Andariese Rick Barry Hubie Brown Elgin Baylor James Brown Quinn Buckner Doug Collins Billy Cunningham Terry Dischinger Len Elmore Keith Erickson John Havlicek Tom Heinsohn Rod Hundley Gus Johnson Steve Jones Sonny Jurgensen Stu Lantz Kevin Loughery Pete Maravich Jon McGlocklin Dick Motta Jeff Mullins Billy Packer Bill Raftery Cal Ramsey Oscar Robertson Mendy Rudolph Bill Russell Cazzie Russell Lynn Shackelford Larry Steele Lenny Wilkens Sideline reporters Charlsie Cantey Jane Chastain Irv Cross Jim Gray Sonny Hill Andrea Joyce Pat O'Brien Lesley Visser
NBA Finals	1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
All-Star Game	1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
Lore	Music "The Bad Boys" Christmas Day "The Greatest Game Ever Played" "The Shot" Rivalries Celtics–Lakers Lakers–Pistons

Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP