1993–94 Seattle SuperSonics season

The 1993–94 NBA season was the 26th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Sonics acquired All-Star forward Detlef Schrempf from the Indiana Pacers, and acquired Kendall Gill from the Charlotte Hornets. In their third season with George Karl as head coach, the Sonics got off to a fast start winning their first ten games on their way to a 26–3 start, and later holding a league best 35–10 record at the All-Star break. The team won 17 of their final 19 games finishing the season with a franchise best 63–19 record, and made the Playoffs as the #1 seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 1978–79 season, where the SuperSonics won their first NBA Championship.

Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton were both selected for the 1994 NBA All-Star Game, which was Payton's first ever All-Star appearance, and Karl was selected to coach the Western Conference. Kemp averaged 18.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.1 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Payton averaged 16.5 points, 6.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Schrempf provided the team with 15.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while Ricky Pierce averaged 14.5 points per game off the bench, but only played 51 games due to a left foot injury. Gill contributed 14.1 points and 1.9 steals per game, while Sam Perkins provided with 12.3 points per game, and defensive sixth man Nate McMillan led the league with 3.0 steals per game off the bench, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Payton finished in sixth place in Most Valuable Player voting, and Kemp finished tied in seventh place, while McMillan finished in second place in Sixth Man of the Year voting. Payton also finished in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and in third place in Most Improved Player voting.

In the Western Conference First Round of the NBA Playoffs, the Sonics faced off against the 8th-seeded Denver Nuggets. However, after taking a 2–0 series lead, the Sonics would not make it past the first round, losing to the Nuggets in five games, with a 98–94 Game 5 home loss in overtime. It was the first time in NBA Playoffs history that a number 8 seed defeated a number 1 seeded team.

Following the season, Pierce was traded to the Golden State Warriors after feuding with Payton, and Michael Cage signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Cavaliers.