document_title: Young Sheldon

question_text: who plays sheldon's father on young sheldon

question_tokens: who plays sheldon 's father on young sheldon

text: Young Sheldon

text: Premise[edit]

text: Set in 1989, the series follows 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper as he attends high school in the fictional town of Medford, Texas, and tries to fit in the world around him while his family and friends attempt to deal with his unique intellectual capabilities and social challenges.[1][2]

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text:
Iain Armitage as Sheldon Cooper, a 9-year-old child prodigy with a "once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science". While well-versed in all types of math and science, he is shown to prefer theoretical physics, stating that he decided to pursue the field around the same time as the show began. While academically gifted, Sheldon lacks a full understanding of social cues and behaviors, in addition to having a sense of superiority over everyone around him due to his intelligence. Sheldon is prone to travel his own path even if he gets into trouble along the way. Nevertheless, Sheldon has proven to love his family and almost always has his heart in the right place.[2][3]
Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mother. She is very protective and patient with Sheldon but also struggles to understand him at times. She is a devout Christian and so has friction with Sheldon's atheism and derision of Christianity. Nevertheless, she deeply loves her son and wants to protect him for as long as she can.[3]
Lance Barber as George Cooper Sr., Sheldon's father and the head football coach at Medford High. While often a voice of reason, George is not the brightest member of the family, leading others, especially Meemaw, to doubt him being Sheldon's father. While he may struggle with understanding his intellectually gifted son, George is a loving father and has defended Sheldon on multiple occasions, earning Sheldon's love and appreciation.[1][2]
Montana Jordan as George "Georgie" Cooper Jr., Sheldon's older brother. Georgie openly despises Sheldon and never hesitates to bully him. He is not very intelligent and so is mocked and teased by the rest of the family, particularly Sheldon and Meemaw. While he is outwardly confident in himself, Georgie hides deep insecurities over feeling inferior to his genius brother and thus copes by trying to belittle Sheldon's intelligence in any way he can. He attends Medford High with Sheldon and plays on the football team.[1][2]
Raegan Revord as Missy Cooper, Sheldon's twin sister. She teases Sheldon along with Georgie but not as much. She does not share Sheldon's intelligence but is very perceptive. While she does not always get along with Sheldon, she finds in her twin brother a solid confidant and has admitted to not feel as whole without him.[1]
Jim Parsons as the voice of adult Sheldon Cooper, who narrates the series as the older, present-day version of the character.[1]
Annie Potts as Constance[A] 'Connie' Tucker, Sheldon's maternal grandmother, known to him as "Meemaw". She is very close with Mary and her grandchildren but does not think highly of George and often jokes about him. She is the most patient and understanding of Sheldon's quirks and advises Mary to trust that Sheldon will find his way.[4]

tag: ul

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Wyatt McClure as Billy Sparks, the son of a neighbor to the Cooper family, who is not very intelligent.
Billy Gardell as Herschel Sparks, Billy's father.[5]
Melissa Peterman as Brenda Sparks, Billy's mother who works at the bowling alley frequented by Meemaw.
Ryan Phuong as Tam Nguyen, Sheldon’s Vietnamese-American childhood best friend and classmate. Tam is responsible for introducing Sheldon to many of his non-scientific interests, including comic books and role-playing games.
Matt Hobby as Pastor Jeff Hodgkins, the upbeat pastor at the Cooper family’s church. Like Mary, he has friction with Sheldon's atheism, but he challenges Sheldon to explore their line of thought through logic exercises.
Valerie Mahaffey as Ms. Victoria MacElroy, Sheldon's homeroom teacher at Medford High.
Rex Linn as Principal Tom Petersen, the principal of Medford High.
Danielle Pinnock as Ms. Evelyn Ingram, Sheldon's math teacher at Medford High.
Brian Stepanek as Mr. Hubert Givens, Sheldon's science teacher at Medford High.
Doc Farrow as Assistant Coach Roy Wilkins, Sheldon's P.E. teacher and the assistant football coach at Medford High.
Sarah Baker as Ms. Sheryl Hutchins, the Medford High librarian.
Wallace Shawn as Dr. John Sturgis, a college physics professor who is romantically interested in Meemaw with Sheldon's encouragement.

text: Notable guests[edit]

text:
Melissa Tang as Ms. Fenley, a music teacher at Sheldon's high school. Tang had previously played the character Mandy Chao in an episode of The Big Bang Theory.
Bob Newhart as Arthur Jeffries, a scientist who plays the title character of Professor Proton, Sheldon's favorite educational television series. Newhart reprises his portrayal of the character from The Big Bang Theory.
Vernee Watson as Nurse Robinson, a nurse who caters to George when he suffers a mild heart attack. Watson also plays a nurse named Althea in numerous episodes of The Big Bang Theory, including its pilot.
John Hartman as Dr. Goetsch, the psychiatrist Sheldon sees when he has Phagophobia and when he loses at the Medford High science fair.
Ray Liotta as Vincent, Meemaw's bookie.
Jason Kravits as Dr. Ronald Hodges, a NASA engineer and college roommate of Mr. Givens. He makes a presentation about his work to Mr. Givens' science class, which intrigues Sheldon to solve the challenges of reusable launch systems.
Dave Florek as Dr. Eberland, Sheldon's doctor.
Karly Rothenberg as Mrs. Janice Veazey, Dr. Hodges' secretary.
Frances Conroy as Dr. Flora Douglas, headmaster of the boarding school Sheldon briefly attends.
Harry Groener as Elliot Douglas, Dr. Douglas' husband.
Paul Yen as Le Nguyen, Tam's father. He runs Medford Mart with his wife.
Vyvy Nguyen as Trang Nguyen, Tam's mother and Mr. Nguyen's wife.
Richard Kind as Ira Rosenbloom, one of Meemaw's boyfriends.
Jason Alexander as Mr. Lundy, Medford High School's resident drama teacher.[6]
Ella Allan and Mia Allan as Bobbi Sparks, Billy Sparks' younger sister with a reputation for tormenting Sheldon.
Cleo King as Mrs. Costello, a Medford High School counselor.
Michael Cudlitz as a NASA supervisor who appears in Sheldon's daydream sequence

text: Elon Musk makes a cameo appearance in the episode "A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac" in a flashforward scene set 27 years into the future.

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
Prod.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)

1
"Pilot"
Jon Favreau
Chuck Lorre & Steve Molaro
September 25, 2017 (2017-09-25)
T12.15551
17.21[7]

Sheldon Cooper, a 9-year-old genius, begins his first day of high school in the ninth grade with his older brother, George "Georgie" Cooper Jr. Having shown more skills than a typical child his age, he skipped several grades. On his first day, he questions his teachers and informs students of their rule-breaking. He tries to find his place in the new school and Georgie must deal with having a much younger sibling in his class.

2
"Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey Decimal System"
Michael Zinberg
Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
November 2, 2017 (2017-11-02)
T12.15552
12.66[8]

Sheldon learns that his mother is worried about his not having any friends. He therefore gets a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People from the school library and tries its methods on various students and teachers without success. Missy recommends that he try to make friends with other people who had checked out the book, since they too are looking to make friends. That also fails. He eventually meets a Vietnamese American boy named Tam who sees him with the book and they share how difficult it has been for them to make friends. As they start speaking, they realize that they also share an interest in rocketry. Sheldon's mother is so happy, she insists that Sheldon invite Tam over for dinner, and lifts the ban on Sheldon's model rocketry hobby. The dinner turns awkward when Sheldon's parents exhibit cultural insensitivity as Tam tells them the story of his life. After dinner, the boys' launch attempt goes out of control just as FBI agents arrive to ask Sheldon why he was trying to buy uranium.

3
"Poker, Faith, and Eggs"
Michael Zinberg
Story by : Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
November 9, 2017 (2017-11-09)
T12.15553
12.39[9]

Sheldon debates the relationship between religion and science with Jeff Hodgkins, his family's pastor, while Billy Sparks brings some eggs for Missy. George suffers a mild heart attack, so Mary takes him to the hospital after calling Meemaw to watch the children. While she is sleeping, Georgie "borrows" her car and takes the other children to see their father. In the hospital chapel, Sheldon prays to Blaise Pascal for his father's recovery. When he does recover, Sheldon briefly doubts his atheism, but immediately gets over it after his family eats Billy's eggs and suffers from food poisoning. When Sheldon gets into another debate with Pastor Jeff, George pretends to have heart trouble in order to get his family out of the church service.

4
"A Therapist, a Comic Book, and a Breakfast Sausage"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Rob Ulin & Dave Bickel
November 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)
T12.15554
11.83[10]

Sheldon chokes on a sausage and becomes fearful of solid foods. His parents take him to a psychiatrist, Dr. Goetsch, who talks to his parents first, and tells Sheldon that he can read any of the comic books that are in the waiting room whilst waiting for him. Although Sheldon had previously not been interested in comic books, he starts reading X-Men, which inspires him. He then leaves Dr. Goetsch's office and wanders away to a comic book store to read the next volume of X-Men. He runs into Tam, who is eating licorice at the store. Due to his fear of solid foods, Sheldon initially refuses the licorice that Tam offers him, but eventually gives in and eats one, solving his eating disorder. Meanwhile, Meemaw babysits Georgie and Missy and comforts them on their feelings of being invisible because of Sheldon's quirks taking most of their parents' attention.

5
"A Solar Calculator, a Game Ball, and a Cheerleader's Bosom"
Chris Koch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
November 23, 2017 (2017-11-23)
T12.15555
11.43[11]

Sheldon uses sports analytics to help his school's football team, coached by his father, win games, but immediately becomes too popular for his taste as a result. Georgie struggles with his father neglecting him in favor of spending time with Sheldon, while Missy and Tam revel in Sheldon's new popularity. Meanwhile, Meemaw also asks for his advice for her sports bets. Sheldon gets a B+ on a math test from his exhaustion after accompanying Tam to a party and decides that he cannot keep helping the team and continue giving Meemaw advice. He tells on his family to Mary, which prompts her to reprimand them on their actions. George begins ignoring Sheldon again for being a "snitch" and reconciles with Georgie.

6
"A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac®"
Don Scardino
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Anthony Gioe & Nick Mandernach
November 30, 2017 (2017-11-30)
T12.15556
12.11[12]

Dr. Ronald Hodges, a NASA engineer, appears as a guest speaker in Sheldon's science class and does not take his idea about VTVL technology seriously, making Sheldon go to great lengths to prove him wrong. He does the calculations himself and mails his notebook to NASA. Frustration from receiving no replies give Sheldon a stress ulcer, prompting George to impulsively drive the family to the Johnson Space Center and demand that Hodges listen to Sheldon's idea. Hodges admits that it is theoretically valid, but that NASA lacks the technical capability to implement it. Sheldon asks to be contacted when they do before leaving and thanks George for standing up for him. A flashforward shows the successful SpaceX CRS-8 mission, followed by SpaceX founder Elon Musk looking over Sheldon's old notebook, then hiding it in a desk drawer.

7
"A Brisket, Voodoo, and Cannonball Run"
Mark Cendrowski
Story by : Nick Bakay
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
December 7, 2017 (2017-12-07)
T12.15557
12.49[13]

Meemaw's disdain for George emerges when she refuses to give him her brisket recipe. George later complains that Mary always takes her mother's side. To get back at George for secretly searching her home for it, Meemaw gives him a fake recipe which requires him to go to great lengths to get the ingredients. After George spends 14 hours cooking in vain, he attempts to ban her from the household. When Georgie and Missy fear their parents might divorce over this, Sheldon suddenly recalls a memory of Meemaw telling him her recipe when he was 23 months old, so he threatens to reveal it unless the two of them make up. While he initially shows his interest in the recipe, George states that he is more bothered by the fact that she never thought he was good enough for her daughter. He acknowledges being a disappointment when they first met, but he also believes that he has grown since then. Meemaw seemingly accepts him as a worthy son-in-law, only for George to get the recipe from Sheldon as soon as she leaves.

8
"Cape Canaveral, Schrödinger's Cat, and Cyndi Lauper's Hair"
Howie Deutch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : David Bickel
December 14, 2017 (2017-12-14)
T12.15558
11.64[14]

George takes the boys to Florida to see a Space Shuttle launch to cater to Sheldon's interests for a change, but it gets rained out. To cheer him up, George pretends to act dumb and asks Sheldon how lightning and thunder work, leading the latter to appreciate the former more. Meanwhile, Mary, Missy and Meemaw go to a beauty salon. Mary and Meemaw get into a heated argument after the latter comments on the former for being "no fun" for forbidding Missy to dye her hair, but both later make amends with one another.

9
"Spock, Kirk, and Testicular Hernia"
Peter Lauer
Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
December 21, 2017 (2017-12-21)
T12.15559
11.32[15]

Sheldon tutors Georgie for their math test, only to discover that the latter cheated to pass. Since Star Trek character Captain Kirk also got away with cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test, Sheldon decides to adapt the "playing fast-and-loose with the rules" lifestyle he believes both Georgie and Kirk embrace by forging Mary's signature on a note excusing him from P.E. class and not checking out the school library books. He eventually gets caught after Coach Wilkins shows George the note, prompting Mary to tell off Sheldon to make amends by making him return the books and go back to P.E., where Coach Wilkins makes him climb the gym rope.

10
"An Eagle Feather, a String Bean, and an Eskimo"
Rebecca Asher
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Rob Ulin & David Bickel
January 4, 2018 (2018-01-04)
T12.15560
14.70[16]

Sheldon's principal asks Mary and George to consider sending Sheldon to a school for the gifted in Dallas. Sheldon and his teachers are delighted by the idea, but his family (except for Georgie) quickly begin to miss him. Sheldon enjoys the intellectual stimulation but dislikes the folk rock-singing family that he lives with. When George impulsively drives to Dallas to bring him home, Sheldon is happy to go back home.

11
"Demons, Sunday School, and Prime Numbers"
Howie Deutch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Eric Kaplan
January 11, 2018 (2018-01-11)
T12.15561
14.17[17]

Mary becomes worried when she finds Sheldon playing Dungeons & Dragons with Tam and Billy. She tries to ask Tam's and Billy's parents' help to try to put an end to the game, but they see the game as harmless. Mary then seeks advice from Pastor Jeff, who with Mary, convinces Sheldon to study Baptist theology. Sheldon, however, takes it a step further and starts researching all of the major religions, but is ultimately unsatisfied with any of the major religions. One night he has a dream about two living numbers, a 1 and a 0, who almost reveal the secrets of the universe to him before Georgie wakes him up. He then decides to start his own religion which he calls "Mathology" and in which the only sin is being stupid.

12
"A Computer, a Plastic Pony, and a Case of Beer"
Richie Keen
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Tara Hernandez
January 18, 2018 (2018-01-18)
T12.15562
13.33[18]

Sheldon asks Mary to buy him a Tandy 1000 SL computer. George insists that they cannot afford it, but Mary reveals that she has been secretly saving money. They get into a heated argument about the secret fund, which prompts Mary to take Sheldon and Missy to live with Meemaw for a while. She buys Sheldon the computer to make a point to George and, while Sheldon is initially overjoyed, he finds that its ELIZA psychotherapy program's advice on how to fix his parents' marriage proves to be useless. Meemaw eavesdrops on Sheldon and forces Mary to feel out George to get her out of her house. Meanwhile, Georgie advises George to apologize to Mary, which the latter eventually does. In the ensuing days, the family finds various uses for the computer.

13
"A Sneeze, Detention, and Sissy Spacek"
Howie Deutch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Eric Kaplan & Jeremy Howe
February 1, 2018 (2018-02-01)
T12.15563
12.92[19]

Sheldon's mysophobia surfaces when influenza hits his school. He is successively sentenced to detention and suspension for leaving his class and the school. He then uses his suspension time in an attempt to convert the garage into a closed ecological system. While George, Missy and Meemaw are mostly amused by his behavior, Mary is the only member of the family to be really worried about it. Meanwhile, Georgie takes advantage of Sheldon's situation to gain sympathetic hugs from girls at school. With numerous attempts to get him out of the garage proving to be futile, Meemaw finally coaxes Sheldon out by appealing to his pride as a Texan. Nevertheless, he gets sick, but feels better when his mother sings "Soft Kitty" to him.

14
"Potato Salad, a Broomstick, and Dad's Whiskey"
Howie Deutch
Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Tara Hernandez
March 1, 2018 (2018-03-01)
T12.15564
12.42[20]

Mary gets a job as church secretary, but Pastor Jeff quickly begins asking her for advice, since his beautiful new wife does not speak English and is spending all his money. Since Mary does not get home until 6 pm, and Meemaw refuses to watch them until then, Missy and Sheldon become latchkey kids. When Meemaw peeks in on the twins, they think that she is a burglar and spray her with a fire extinguisher. When Sheldon gets a splinter in his finger, Missy searches all over the house for tweezers with which to extract it. She eventually finds them in an Operation game and successfully removes the splinter.

15
"Dolomite, Apple Slices, and a Mystery Woman"
Mark Cendrowski
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Tara Hernandez
March 8, 2018 (2018-03-08)
T12.15565
12.52[21]

Sheldon and Tam befriend Libby, an 11th-grade girl with an interest in geology. During one of their lunches at the library, Libby offers to drive the three of them to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see an IMAX film. However, Sheldon is devastated to learn that Libby thinks of him as a child during her talk with Mary. While Sheldon resolves never to make any more friends, Mary assures him that he will be surrounded by a lot of them who are also smart. Tam and Libby end up going to Houston without Sheldon to see the film, where Tam's advances are rejected by Libby. Sheldon and Tam later revert to a two-man social group, where Sheldon reconsiders geology as "not a science" to the point where he considers it as more of a hobby.

16
"Killer Asteroids, Oklahoma, and a Frizzy Hair Machine"
Howie Deutch
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Steven Molaro
March 29, 2018 (2018-03-29)
T12.15566
11.91[22]

At the school science fair, Sheldon is devastated when his asteroid impact avoidance project loses to another student's Van de Graaf generator, and vows to quit science. After a therapy session with Dr. Goetsch, Sheldon decides to become an actor. In an acting class, he impresses the drama teacher, Mr. Lundy, and gets the lead role in Annie. His parents worry about him playing a female role, but Sheldon dismisses their concerns until he experiences stage fright on opening night and refuses to perform, leaving Mr. Lundy to take over his role.

17
"Jiu-Jitsu, Bubble Wrap, and Yoo-Hoo"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Tara Hernandez & Jeremy Howe
April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05)
T12.15567
11.66[23]

Sheldon is being bullied by Bobbi Sparks, the six-year-old neighbor girl. His parents have different ideas about how to handle the situation, neither of which is effective. In the end, George and Bobbi's dad hang out and plan to tell their wives the made-up story of them being involved in a deadly fight. Sheldon even tries paying Missy to warn Bobbi off using his life savings, but that plan eventually fails.

18
"A Mother, A Child, and a Blue Man's Backside"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Teagan Wall
Teleplay by : David Bickel & Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
April 12, 2018 (2018-04-12)
T12.15568
11.70[24]

After Mary confiscates Sheldon's comic books, due to the rather explicit content in an issue of Watchmen, Sheldon demands to be treated like an adult and fails his every attempt to live like one, but a tornado warning reminds Sheldon of family values.

19
"Gluons, Guacamole, and the Color Purple"
Alex Reid
Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Tara Hernandez
April 19, 2018 (2018-04-19)
T12.15569
11.67[25]

Meemaw drives Sheldon to a nearby college so that he can audit a weekly class on quantum chromodynamics. The professor, Dr. John Sturgis, asks Meemaw out on a date. She has a nice time, but finds that he is like an older version of Sheldon. The following week, she has to leave the class because her presence is too distracting for Sturgis. Meanwhile, Missy gets Georgie to help her with her homework. Stimulated by Sheldon's example, they actually make some progress.

20
"A Dog, A Squirrel, and a Fish Named Fish"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija & Teagan Wall
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & David Bickel
April 26, 2018 (2018-04-26)
T12.15570
11.15[26]

Sheldon's cynophobia surfaces when the Sparks family begins taking care of a relative's dog, which shows a strange attraction to Sheldon. The families are unable to agree about how to control the dog until Pastor Jeff mediates. Sheldon tries to overcome his fear by dressing in protective clothing and petting the dog, but this backfires when the dog licks him, apparently stimulated by the smell of his Brylcreem. Meemaw tries to get Sheldon accustomed to animals by buying him a fish, but the fish bites both him and George.

21
"Summer Sausage, a Pocket Poncho, and Tony Danza"
Alex Reid
Story by : Steven Molaro & Eric Kaplan & Stacey Pulwer
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Tara Hernandez & Connor Kilpatrick
May 3, 2018 (2018-05-03)
T12.15571
11.67[27]

Sheldon invites John to dinner without telling anyone. The next evening, John comes to Meemaw's house to cook her some Sichuan cuisine, after which she invites him to stay for the night. Sheldon monitors the event through binoculars. George takes Missy, who is dressed as a princess, to dinner at Red Lobster. That leaves Mary and Georgie to have dinner together, where he quizzes her about the chronology of his conception.

22
"Vanilla Ice Cream, Gentleman Callers, and a Dinette Set"
Jaffar Mahmood
Story by : Jeremy Howe & Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro & Eric Kaplan
May 10, 2018 (2018-05-10)
T12.15572
12.44[28]

Meemaw tries to date John and Ira simultaneously, but then decides to dump Ira, who tries to win her back by giving her furniture. John goes to confront Ira, and they reach an understanding. Meemaw is furious that John did that without her permission, and that Sheldon is meddling in their relationship. It then occurs to Sheldon that he can draw up a relationship agreement which covers the three of them.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: In November 2016, it was reported that CBS was in negotiations to create a spin-off of The Big Bang Theory centered on Sheldon Cooper as a young boy. The prequel series, described as "a Malcolm in the Middle-esque single-camera family comedy" would be executive produced by The Big Bang Theory co-creator Chuck Lorre and producer Steven Molaro, with The Big Bang Theory co-creator Bill Prady expected to be involved in some capacity, and intended to air in the 2017–18 season alongside The Big Bang Theory.[29][30] The initial idea for the series came from Jim Parsons (who portrays the older Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory), who passed it along to The Big Bang Theory producers.[3] On March 13, 2017, CBS ordered the spin-off Young Sheldon series, which was created by Lorre and Molaro. Jon Favreau directed and executive produced the pilot. Parsons, Lorre, Molaro and Todd Spiewak also serve as executive producers on the series, for Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.[1] On September 27, 2017, CBS picked up the series for a full season of 22 episodes.[31] On January 6, 2018, the show was renewed for a second season.[32]

text: Casting[edit]

text: In early March 2017, Iain Armitage was cast as the younger Sheldon, as well as Zoe Perry as his mother, Mary Cooper. Perry is the real-life daughter of Laurie Metcalf, who portrays Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory.[3] Lance Barber stars as George Cooper Sr., Sheldon's father; he had previously appeared in one episode of The Big Bang Theory.[33] Raegan Revord stars as Missy Cooper, Sheldon's twin sister; and Montana Jordan as George Cooper Jr., Sheldon's older brother. Jim Parsons reprises his role as adult Sheldon Cooper, as narrator for the series.[2] In July 2017, Annie Potts was cast as Meemaw, Sheldon's grandmother.[4]

text: Release[edit]

text: Young Sheldon began airing weekly episodes on CBS from November 2, 2017, after The Big Bang Theory. It premiered as a special preview on September 25, 2017.[2]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Ratings[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Air date
Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)

1
"Pilot"
September 25, 2017
3.8/13
17.21[7]
1.7
5.25
5.5
22.46[34]

2
"Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey
Decimal System"
November 2, 2017
2.2/8
12.66[8]
1.1
3.89
3.3
16.74[35]

3
"Poker, Faith, and Eggs"
November 9, 2017
2.2/8
12.39[9]
1.2
4.07
3.4
16.47[36]

4
"A Therapist, a Comic Book, and a Breakfast
Sausage"
November 16, 2017
2.0/8
11.83[10]
1.2
3.54
3.2
15.37[37]

5
"A Solar Calculator, a Game Ball, and a
Cheerleader's Bosom"
November 23, 2017
2.6/11
11.43[11]
1.3
4.10
3.9
15.53[38]

6
"A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac"
November 30, 2017
2.1/8
12.11[12]
1.0
3.60
3.1
15.71[39]

7
"A Brisket, Voodoo and Cannonball Run"
December 7, 2017
2.2/8
12.49[13]
1.1
3.71
3.3
16.20[40]

8
"Cape Canaveral, Schrödinger's Cat, and Cyndi Lauper's Hair"
December 14, 2017
2.0/8
11.64[14]
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

9
"Spock, Kirk, and Testicular Hernia"
December 21, 2017
1.8/8
11.32[15]
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

10
"An Eagle Feather, a String Bean, and an Eskimo"
January 4, 2018
2.6/10
14.70[16]
1.1
3.73
3.7
18.43[41]

11
"Demons, Sunday School, and Prime Numbers"
January 11, 2018
2.6/10
14.17[17]
1.1
3.81
3.7
17.99[42]

12
"A Computer, a Plastic Pony, and a Case of Beer"
January 18, 2018
2.4/9
13.33[18]
1.2
4.04
3.6
17.37[43]

13
"A Sneeze, Detention, and Sissy Spacek"
February 1, 2018
2.3/9
12.92[19]
1.3
4.03
3.6
16.95[44]

14
"Potato Salad, a Broomstick, and Dad's Whiskey"
March 1, 2018
2.1/8
12.42[20]
1.3
4.30
3.4
16.72[45]

15
"Dolomite, Apple Slices, and a Mystery Woman"
March 8, 2018
2.1/9
12.52[21]
1.2
4.09
3.3
16.61[46]

16
"Killer Asteroids, Oklahoma, and a Frizzy Hair Machine"
March 29, 2018
2.0/9
11.91[22]
1.2
4.06
3.2
15.97[47]

17
"Jiu-Jitsu, Bubble Wrap, and Yoo-Hoo"
April 5, 2018
1.9/8
11.66[23]
1.2
4.02
3.1
15.69[48]

18
"A Mother, A Child, and a Blue Man's Backside"
April 12, 2018
1.9/8
11.70[24]
1.1
3.67
3.0
15.37[49]

19
"Gluons, Guacamole, and the Color Purple"
April 19, 2018
1.9/8
11.67[25]
1.1
3.89
3.0
15.56[50]

20
"A Dog, A Squirrel, and a Fish Named Fish"
April 26, 2018
1.8/7
11.15[26]
1.0
3.62
2.8
14.78[51]

21
"Summer Sausage, a Pocket Poncho, and Tony Danza"
May 3, 2018
1.9/8
11.67[27]
1.2
3.76
3.1
15.44[52]

22
"Vanilla Ice Cream, Gentleman Callers, and a Dinette Set"
May 10, 2018
2.2/9
12.44[28]
1.1
3.96
3.3
16.41[53]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 76% approval rating with an average rating of 6.81/10 based on 41 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Young Sheldon's appealing cast and relatable themes bring a fresh—and overall enjoyable—perspective to its central character's familiar story."[54] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 63 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[55]

text: Notes[edit]

text: A ^ revealed in the episode "Vanilla Ice Cream, Gentleman Callers, and a Dinette Set".


document_title: Seattle SuperSonics

question_text: where did the seattle supersonics get their name

question_tokens: where did the seattle supersonics get their name

root

text: Seattle SuperSonics

text: Franchise history[edit]

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2016)

tag: table

text: Team creation[edit]

text: On December 20, 1966, Los Angeles businessmen Sam Schulman and Eugene V. Klein and a group of minority partners were awarded an NBA franchise for the city of Seattle. Schulman would serve as the active partner and head of team operations. He named the SuperSonics after Boeing's recently awarded contract for the SST project, which was later canceled.[9] The SuperSonics were Seattle's first major league sports franchise.

tag: p

text: Beginning play in October 1967, the SuperSonics were coached by Al Bianchi and featured All-Star guard Walt Hazzard and NBA All-Rookie Team members Bob Rule and Al Tucker. The expansion team stumbled out of the gates with a 144–116 loss in their first game, and finished the season with a 23–59 record.[10]

text: 1968–1975: The Lenny Wilkens era[edit]

text: Hazzard was traded to the Atlanta Hawks before the start of the next season for Lenny Wilkens. Wilkens brought a strong all-around game to the SuperSonics, averaging 22.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game for Seattle in the 1968–69 season. Rule, meanwhile, improved on his rookie statistics with 24.0 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game. The SuperSonics, however, only won 30 games and Bianchi was replaced by Wilkens as player/coach during the offseason.

text: Wilkens and Rule both represented Seattle in the 1970 NBA All-Star Game, and Wilkens led the NBA in assists during the 1969–70 season. In June 1970 the NBA owners voted 13–4 to work toward a merger with the ABA;[11] SuperSonics owner Sam Schulman, a member of the ABA–NBA merger committee in 1970, was so ardently eager to merge the leagues that he publicly announced that if the NBA did not accept the merger agreement worked out with the ABA, he would move the SuperSonics from the NBA to the ABA. Schulman also threatened to move his soon-to-be ABA team to Los Angeles to compete directly with the Lakers.[12] The Oscar Robertson suit delayed the merger, and the SuperSonics remained in Seattle. Early in the 1970–71 season, however, Rule tore his Achilles' tendon and was lost for the rest of the year.

text: Arrival of Spencer Haywood[edit]

text: Wilkens was named the 1971 All-Star Game MVP, but the big news of the season came when owner Sam Schulman managed to land American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year and MVP Spencer Haywood following a lengthy court battle (see Haywood v. National Basketball Assn.). The following season, the SuperSonics went on to record their first winning season at 47–35. The team, led by player-coach Wilkens and First Team forward Haywood, held a 46–27 mark on March 3, but late season injuries to starters Haywood, Dick Snyder, and Don Smith contributed to the team losing eight of its final nine games; otherwise, the 1971–72 team might very well have become the franchise's first playoff team.

text: For the 1972–73 season, Wilkens was dealt to Cleveland in a highly unpopular trade,[13] and without his leadership the SuperSonics fell to a 26–56 record. One of the few bright spots of the season was Haywood's second consecutive All-NBA First Team selection, as he averaged a SuperSonics record 29.2 points per game and collected 12.9 rebounds per game.

text: 1975–1983: The championship years[edit]

text: The legendary Bill Russell was hired as the head coach in the following year, and in 1975 he coached the SuperSonics to the playoffs for the first time. The team, which starred Haywood, guards Fred Brown and Slick Watts, and rookie center Tommy Burleson, defeated the Detroit Pistons in a three-game mini-series before falling to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games. The next season, the SuperSonics traded Haywood to New York forcing the remaining players to pick up the offensive slack. Guard Fred Brown, now in his fifth season, was selected to the 1976 NBA All-Star Game and finished fifth in the league in scoring average and free throw percentage. Burleson's game continued to strengthen, while Watts led the NBA in both assists and steals and was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team. The SuperSonics again made the playoffs, but lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games in spite of strong performances from both Brown (28.5 ppg) and Burleson (20.8 ppg) during the series.

text: Russell left the SuperSonics after the 1976–77 season, and under new coach Bob Hopkins the team started the season dismally at 5–17. Lenny Wilkens was brought back to replace Hopkins, and the team's fortunes immediately turned around. The SuperSonics won 11 of their first 12 games under Wilkens, finished the season at 47–35, won the Western Conference title, and led the Washington Bullets three games to two before losing in seven games in the 1978 NBA Finals. Other than the loss of center Marvin Webster to New York, the SuperSonics roster stayed largely intact during the off-season, and in the 1978–79 season they went on to win their first division title. In the playoffs, the SuperSonics defeated the Phoenix Suns in a tough seven game conference final series to set up a rematch with the Washington Bullets in the finals. This time, the Bullets lost to the SuperSonics in five games to give Seattle its first, and only, NBA title. The championship team roster included the powerful backcourt tandem of Gus Williams and Finals MVP Dennis Johnson, second year All-Star center Jack Sikma, forwards John Johnson and Lonnie Shelton, and key reserves Fred Brown and Paul Silas.

text: The 1979–80 season saw the SuperSonics finish second in the Pacific Division to the Los Angeles Lakers with a strong 56–26 record. Fred Brown won the NBA's first three-point shooting percentage title, Jack Sikma played in the second of his seven career All-Star Games for Seattle, Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson were both named to the All-NBA Second Team, and Johnson was also named to the All-NBA First Defensive Team for the second consecutive year. The SuperSonics made it to the Western Conference Finals for the third straight season, but lost to the Lakers in five games. It was the last time that the backcourt of Williams and Johnson would play together in SuperSonics uniforms, as Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns before the start of the 1980–81 season and Williams sat out the year due to a contract dispute. As a result, the SuperSonics fell to last place in the Pacific Division with a 34–48 mark, so far the only time they have ever finished in last place. Williams returned for the 1981–82 season, and Seattle managed respectable 52–30 and 48–34 records during the next two years.

text: In 1981, the Sonics also created the Sonics SuperChannel, the first sports subscription cable service.[14]

text: 1983–1989: A period of decline[edit]

text: In October 1983, original team owner Sam Schulman sold the SuperSonics to Barry Ackerley, initiating a period of decline and mediocrity for the franchise. 1984 saw Fred Brown retire after playing 13 productive seasons, all with Seattle. His career reflected much of the SuperSonics' history to that time, having been on the same team roster as Rule and Wilkens during his rookie season, playing a key role on Seattle's first playoff teams, and being the team's important sixth man during the championship series years. In recognition of his many contributions to the team, Brown's number was retired in 1986. Lenny Wilkens left the organization following the 1984–85 season, and when Jack Sikma was traded after the 1985–86 season, the last remaining tie to the SuperSonics' championship team (aside from trainer Frank Furtado) had been severed.

text: Among the few SuperSonics highlights of second half of the 1980s were Tom Chambers' All-Star Game MVP award in 1987, Seattle's surprise appearance in the 1987 Western Conference Finals, and the performance of the power trio of Chambers, Xavier McDaniel, and Dale Ellis. In 1987–88, the three players each averaged over 20 points per game with Ellis at 25.8 ppg, McDaniel at 21.4, and Chambers at 20.4. In the 1988–89 season, with Chambers having signed with Phoenix, Ellis improved his scoring average to 27.5 points per game and finished second in the league in three-point percentage. The SuperSonics finished with a 47–35 record, and made it to the second round of the 1989 playoffs.

text: 1989–1998: The Payton/Kemp era[edit]

text: The SuperSonics began setting a new foundation with the drafting of forward Shawn Kemp in 1989 and guard Gary Payton in 1990, and the trading of Dale Ellis and Xavier McDaniel to other teams during the 1990–91 season. It was George Karl's arrival as head coach in 1992, however, that marked a return to regular season and playoff competitiveness for the SuperSonics. With the continued improvement of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, the SuperSonics posted a 55–27 record in the 1992–93 season and took the Phoenix Suns to seven games in the Western Conference Finals.

text: The next year, 1993–94, the SuperSonics had the best record in the NBA at 63–19, but suffered a first round loss to the Denver Nuggets, becoming the first #1 seed to lose a playoff series to an 8th seed. The Sonics moved to the Tacoma Dome for the 1994–95 season while the Coliseum underwent renovations and went on to earn a second place 57-25 record. Again, the Sonics were eliminated in the first round, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers in four games. The team returned to the rebuilt Coliseum, renamed KeyArena for the 1995–96 season.

text: Perhaps the strongest roster the SuperSonics ever had was the 1995–96 team, which had a franchise best 64–18 record. With a deep roster of All-NBA Second Team selections Kemp and Payton, forward Detlef Schrempf, forward Sam Perkins, guard Hersey Hawkins, and guard Nate McMillan, the team reached the NBA Finals, but lost to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in six games. Seattle continued to be a Western Conference powerhouse during the next two seasons, winning 57 games in 1996–97 and 61 games in 1997–98 for their second and third straight Pacific Division titles. At the end of the 1997–98 season long-time Sonic and defensive specialist Nate McMillan retired, and disagreements with management led Karl to end his tenure as head coach despite him winning the 1997-98 Coach of the Year. He was replaced by former Sonic Paul Westphal for the 1998–99 season.

text: 1998–2008: A decade of struggles[edit]

text: The 1998–99 season saw the SuperSonics again descend into an extended period of mediocrity. Westphal was fired during the 2000–01 season and replaced by then-assistant coach Nate McMillan on an interim basis, eventually losing the "interim" label the next year. The 2002–03 season saw All-Star Gary Payton traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, and it also marked the end to the SuperSonics 11-year streak of having a season with a winning percentage of at least .500, the second longest current streak in the NBA at the time.

text: The 2004–05 team surprised many when it won the organization's sixth division title under the leadership of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, winning 52 games and defeating the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs and advancing to the 2005 Western Conference Semifinals where the Sonics would proceed to lose in 6 games to the established trio of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginóbili and the San Antonio Spurs, who would later go on to defeat the Detroit Pistons in the 2005 NBA Finals. This appearance also marked the last time that this incarnation of the SuperSonics would make the playoffs. During the off-season in 2005, head coach Nate McMillan left the Sonics to accept a high-paying position to coach the Portland Trail Blazers. After his departure, the team regressed the following season with a 35–47 record.

text: 2007–08: Arrival of Kevin Durant[edit]

text: On May 22, 2007, the SuperSonics were awarded the 2nd pick in the 2007 NBA draft, equaling the highest draft position the team has ever held. They selected Kevin Durant from the University of Texas. On June 28, 2007, the SuperSonics traded Ray Allen and the 35th pick of the 2nd round (Glen Davis) in the 2007 NBA draft to the Boston Celtics for rights to the 5th pick Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West. On July 11, 2007, the SuperSonics and the Orlando Magic agreed to a sign and trade for Rashard Lewis. The SuperSonics received a future second-round draft pick and a $9.5 million trade exception from the Magic. On July 20 the SuperSonics used the trade exception and a second-round draft pick to acquire Kurt Thomas and two first-round draft picks from the Phoenix Suns.[citation needed]

text: In 2008, morale was low at the beginning of the SuperSonics season as talks with the City of Seattle for a new arena had broken down. The Sonics had gotten a franchise player with second overall pick in the NBA draft with Durant. However, with the Allen trade the Sonics did not have much talent to surround their rookie forward, as they lost their first eight games under coach P. J. Carlesimo on the way to a 3-14 record in the first month of the season. Durant would live up to expectations, as he led all rookies in scoring at 20.3 ppg and won the Rookie of the Year. However, the Seattle SuperSonics posted a franchise worst record of 20-62. It would end up being the final season in Seattle as Bennett ended up getting the rights to move the team after settling all the legal issues with the city.[15]

text: Relocation to Oklahoma City[edit]

text: From 2001 to 2006, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz was the majority owner of the team, along with 58 partners or minor owners, as part of the Basketball Club of Seattle LLP. On July 18, 2006, Schultz sold the SuperSonics and its sister team, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)'s Seattle Storm, to the Professional Basketball Club LLC (PBC), a group of businessmen from Oklahoma City for $350 million.[4] The team relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, and now plays as the Oklahoma City Thunder.

text: In 2006, after unsuccessful efforts to persuade Washington state government officials to provide funding to update KeyArena, the Basketball Club of Seattle LLP, led by Howard Schultz, sold the team to the Professional Basketball Club LLC (PBC), an investment group headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett. The purchase, at US$350 million, also included the Seattle Storm WNBA franchise. Schultz sold the franchise to Bennett's group because they thought that Bennett would not move the franchise to Oklahoma City but instead keep it in Seattle. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett was quoted as saying, "I think it's presumptuous to assume that Clay Bennett and his ownership group won't own that Seattle team for a long, long time in Seattle or somewhere else. It's presumptuous to assume they're going to move that franchise to Oklahoma City", Cornett said. "I understand that people are going to say that seems to be a likely scenario, but that's just speculation."[16]

text: After failing to persuade local governments to fund a $500 million arena complex in the Seattle suburb of Renton, Bennett's group notified the National Basketball Association (NBA) that it intended to move the team to Oklahoma City[17] and requested arbitration with the city of Seattle to be released from the Sonics' lease with KeyArena.[18] When the request was rejected by a judge, Seattle sued Bennett's group to enforce the lease that required the team to play in KeyArena through 2010.[19]

text: NBA owners gave approval of a potential SuperSonics' relocation to Oklahoma City on April 18 in a 28–2 vote by the league's Board of Governors; only Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks and Paul Allen of the Portland Trail Blazers voted against the move. The approval meant the Sonics would be allowed to move to Oklahoma City's Ford Center for the 2008–09 season after reaching a settlement with the city of Seattle.[20]

text: On July 2, 2008, a settlement was reached that allowed the team to move under certain conditions, including the ownership group's payment of $45 million to Seattle and the possibility of an additional $30 million by 2013 if a new team had not been awarded to the city. It was agreed that the SuperSonics' name would not be used by the Oklahoma City team and that the team's history would be shared between Oklahoma City and any future NBA team in Seattle.[21][7][22] The team began play as the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2008–09 NBA season, after becoming the third NBA franchise to relocate in the past decade. The two previous teams to relocate were the Vancouver Grizzlies, which moved to Memphis, Tennessee and began play as the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2001–02 NBA season; and the Charlotte Hornets, which moved to New Orleans and began play as the New Orleans Hornets for the 2002–03 NBA season.

text: In months prior to the settlement, Seattle publicly released email conversations that took place within Bennett's ownership group and alleged that they indicated at least some members of the group had a desire to move the team to Oklahoma City prior to the purchase in 2006. Before that, Sonics co-owner Aubrey McClendon told The Journal Record, an Oklahoma City newspaper, that "we didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here", although Bennett denied knowledge of this.[23] Seattle used these incidents to argue that the ownership failed to negotiate in good faith, prompting Schultz to file a lawsuit seeking to rescind the sale of the team and transfer the ownership to a court-appointed receiver.[24] The NBA claimed Schultz' lawsuit was void because Schultz signed a release forbidding himself to sue Bennett's group, but also argued that the proposal would have violated league ownership rules. Schultz dropped the case before the start of the 2008–09 NBA season.[25]

text: In 2009, Seattle-area filmmakers called the Seattle SuperSonics Historical Preservation Society produced a critically acclaimed documentary film titled Sonicsgate – Requiem For A Team that details the rise and demise of the Seattle SuperSonics franchise. The movie focuses on the more scandalous aspects of the team's departure from Seattle, and it won the 2010 Webby Award for 'Best Sports Film'.[26]

text: Possible new franchise[edit]

text: Sacramento Kings[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: In 2011, a group of investors led by Valiant Capital Management hedge fund founder Christopher R. Hansen spoke with then-Seattle mayor Mike McGinn about the possibilities of investing in an arena in hopes of securing an NBA franchise and reviving the SuperSonics.[27] An offer was made by McGinn to Hansen to obtain ownership of KeyArena for little to no money to aid in his efforts.[28] As KeyArena was deemed unacceptable by the NBA and barely breaking even in operation, the facility would likely have needed to be leveled and a new one built on the site. Determining there were transportation concerns in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood around the Seattle Center, Hansen declined in favor of building a new arena at another location.[citation needed]

text: Hansen began quietly purchasing available land near Safeco Field in Seattle's SoDo industrial neighborhood, at the southern end of what was designated a Stadium Transition Overlay District housing both Safeco Field home of the MLB's Seattle Mariners and CenturyLink Field home of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and MLS's Seattle Sounders. A short time later, Hansen presented to McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine the proposal for a basketball, hockey, and entertainment arena at the SoDo site. McGinn employed a stadium consultant on the city's behalf to study the viability of such a project. Local media took notice of the land purchases and began to postulate that it was for an arena. Rumors of meetings between McGinn and Hansen's investment group began to circulate in late 2011 and were finally acknowledged in early 2012.[citation needed]

text: At that time, rumors that Hansen would begin pursuing a vulnerable franchise to relocate to Seattle began making the rounds. Most of the discussion centered on the Sacramento Kings, a struggling franchise that had been trying to put together a plan to replace the aging Sleep Train Arena, then called the Power Balance Pavilion, for years with no luck. While Hansen had not spoken in public about his desires or pursuits for a specific team, the rumors were rampant enough that Think Big Sacramento, a community action group created by Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson to develop solutions for the Kings, composed an open letter to Hansen asking him not to pursue the city's team.[29] Meanwhile, negotiations between McGinn, Constantine, and Hansen continued on development of a memorandum of understanding that would lay out the relationship for a public-private partnership on the new arena.[citation needed]

text: On May 16, 2012, after coming to agreement, McGinn, Constantine, and Hansen presented the proposed Memorandum of Understanding to the public.[30] McGinn and Constantine had insisted on a number of protections for the citizens of Seattle and King County, specifically that no public financing on the project would be committed until Hansen and his investors had secured an NBA team to be primary tenant. The MOU proposal included a financial model that made the project "self-financed", in which no new taxes would be levied to provide funds and city bonds issued would be paid back by taxes and revenue generated solely by the new arena. The proposal was turned over to the Seattle City Council and the King County Council for review and approval.[citation needed]

text: The King County Council voted to approve the MOU on July 30, 2012, adding amendments that provided for work with the Port of Seattle, securing the SuperSonics naming rights, offering reduced price tickets, support for the Seattle Storm WNBA franchise, and require an economic analysis.[31] The approval was also on the condition that any changes made by the Seattle City Council, which still had yet to vote on the proposal, would need to be voted on and approved separately. The Seattle council had announced that morning that amendments of their own were intended and negotiations began.[citation needed]

text: Hansen and the Seattle City Council announced on September 11, 2012, a tentative agreement on a revised MOU that included the county council's amendments and new provisions, specifically a personal guarantee from Hansen to cover not only cost overruns of construction of the new arena but to make up any backfall for annual repayment of the city bonds issued.[32] To address concerns of the Port of Seattle, the Seattle Mariners, and local industry, a SoDo transportation improvement fund to be maintained at $40 million by tax revenue generated by the arena was also included. Also, all parties agreed that transaction documents would not be signed and construction would not begin before the state required environmental impact analysis was completed. By a vote of 7–2, the Seattle City Council approved the amended MOU on September 24, 2012.[33] The King County Council reviewed the amended MOU and voted unanimously in favor of approval on October 15, 2012.[34] The final MOU was signed and fully executed by Mayor McGinn and Executive Constantine on October 18, 2012, starting an effective period of the agreement of five years.[citation needed]

text: In June 2012, it was revealed that Hansen's investment partners included then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and brothers Erik and Peter Nordstrom of fashion retailer Nordstrom, Inc.. Peter Nordstrom had been a minority owner of the SuperSonics under Howard Schultz's ownership. Wally Walker, former Sonics executive, was also later revealed to be part of Hansen's group. On January 9, 2013, media reports surfaced regarding the imminent sale of majority ownership of the Sacramento Kings to Hansen, Ballmer, the Nordstroms, and Walker for $500 million to relocate to Seattle as early as the 2013–14 NBA season.[35][36][37]

text: On January 20, 2013, several sources reported that the Maloof family had reached a binding purchase and sale agreement to sell Hansen and Ballmer's ownership group their 53% majority stake in the Kings franchise, pending approval of the NBA's Board of Governors.[38] The next day, the NBA, Hansen, and the Maloofs all released statements announcing the agreement, which also included the 12% minority stake of owner Robert Hernreich, and based the sale price on a team valuation of $525 million.[39][40][41] Sacramento mayor Johnson offered a quick rebuttal to the announcement, stating that the agreement was not a done deal and that Sacramento would have the opportunity to present a counteroffer to the NBA.[citation needed]

text: David Stern, then NBA Commissioner, confirmed on February 6, 2013, that the Maloofs had filed paperwork with the league office to officially request relocation of the Kings from Sacramento to Seattle on behalf of the potential new ownership group.[42] Johnson, with guidance from Stern and the NBA league office, began to assemble an alternative ownership group that would keep the Kings in Sacramento and aid in getting a new arena constructed. On February 26, 2013, the Sacramento City Council voted to enter into negotiations with an unnamed group of investors revealed two days later to be headed by grocery magnate and developer Ron Burkle and Mark Mastrov, founder of 24 Hour Fitness. An initial counteroffer presented to the NBA by this new group was deemed "not comparable" as to merit consideration.[43] Burkle eventually left the group because of a conflict with other business interests, but offered to be primary developer of lands around the planned downtown location of the new arena to aid in city council passage of public funding for the project.[44] Mastrov took a backseat to Vivek Ranadivé, founder and CEO of TIBCO and a minority owner of the Golden State Warriors, brought in to assemble a stronger group of investors.[45] Others, including Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm, Sacramento developer Mark Friedman, former Facebook executive Chris Kelly, and manufacturer Raj Bhathal, were added to the group to address team ownership and arena investment.[citation needed]

text: Ahead of the annual Board of Governors meeting where they were expected to vote on approval of the sale of the Kings to Hansen and Ballmer's group, as well as the relocation request, members of the NBA owners' finance and relocation committees held a meeting in New York City on April 3, 2013, for the Seattle group and the Sacramento group to each present their proposals.[46] Any vote would only be on the PSA presented by Hansen and Ballmer, and the Sacramento proposal was considered a "backup offer". Coming out of that meeting, the NBA removed the vote from the agenda of the BOG meeting and postponed it for two weeks while information was reviewed. Despite stated desires to the contrary, a bidding war began between Hansen's and Ranadivé's groups, including Hansen raising the team valuation of their offer twice from $525 million to $550 million to $625 million, and Ranadivé offering to forgo the team revenue sharing that has frequently kept smaller market teams like the Kings financially stable.[citation needed]

text: With the meeting of the Board of Governors to vote moved again to mid-May, the groups were asked to make another brief presentation to the full relocation committee on April 29, 2013. The committee voted to recommend rejection of the relocation request to the full board.[47] When the Board of Governors finally convened in Dallas on May 15, 2013, they heard final presentations from both the Seattle and Sacramento groups. The BOG voted 22-8 against moving the Kings from Sacramento to Seattle.[48] As the PSA for the sale of the team was, for all intents and purposes, dependent upon relocation, the NBA rejected the sale without vote.[citation needed]

text: Though initially resistant to the idea, after negotiations, on May 17, 2013, the Maloof family and Hernreich formally agreed to sell their ownership stake in the Kings (65% of the team, valued at US$535 million) to Ranadivé's ownership group.[49] Part of the $348 million purchase was considered paid with a $30 million non-refundable deposit Chris Hansen had paid to the Maloofs to establish their business relationship, though Hansen has no ownership stake in the team.[citation needed]

text: Milwaukee Bucks[edit]

text: In September 2013, then-Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, in line to become the next commissioner upon David Stern's retirement in February 2014, made the announcement that the Milwaukee Bucks would need to replace the aging BMO Harris Bradley Center because of its small size and lack of amenities.[50] The team had recently signed a lease through the 2016–17 NBA season, but the NBA made it clear that the lease would not be renewed past that point. With counties surrounding Milwaukee passing ordinances that they would not approve a regional tax option to fund a new arena, rumors began swirling that owner Herb Kohl would need to sell all or part of his ownership of the team. Though Kohl had repeatedly stated he would not sell to someone intent on moving the Bucks out of Wisconsin, many[who?] had pegged the team as a likely potential candidate to move to Seattle.

text: On April 16, 2014, it was announced that Kohl had agreed to sell the franchise to New York hedge-fund investors Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens for a record $550 million. The deal included provisions for contributions of $100 million each from Kohl and the new ownership group, for a total of $200 million towards the construction of a new downtown arena.[51] During sale discussions, it was revealed that Hansen and Ballmer had expressed interest in purchasing the team for more than $600 million but had not made a formal offer because of Kohl's insistence that the team stay in Milwaukee.[52]

text: Atlanta Hawks[edit]

text: On January 2, 2015, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Atlanta Spirit, then-owners of the Atlanta Hawks, would put the team up for sale. Initially, only majority owner Bruce Levenson would put his stake in the team up for sale; however, the remaining minority owners announced that they would sell their stakes as well. On January 6, 2015, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that Chris Hansen and film producer Thomas Tull (the latter a minority owner of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers) would put in separate bids to acquire the Hawks and move them to Seattle. However, the NBA stated that the Hawks were to remain in Atlanta as a condition of their sale; additionally, any attempt to move the Hawks would have incurred a $75 million penalty from the city of Atlanta and Fulton County for breaking the Hawks' lease at Philips Arena before 2017.[53][54] The Hawks were sold to a group led by Tony Ressler on June 24, 2015.[55]

text: Future arena talks[edit]

text: On May 2, 2016, the Seattle City Council voted 5–4 against vacating a section of Occidental Avenue South, which connected property purchased by Hansen and was deemed critical to siting a future arena. The vote was seen as a significant setback to the memorandum of understanding between Hansen, the city and King County, which runs through November 2017.[56] On October 25, 2016, Chris Hansen announced he will fund the arena without public funding.[57]

text: On November 14, 2016, Seattle Seahawks' quarterback Russell Wilson announced that he would be investing in the NBA arena effort.[58]

text: Season-by-season records[edit]

text: Home arenas[edit]

text:
KeyArena (formerly Seattle Center Coliseum) 1967–1978, 1985–1994, 1995–2008
The Kingdome 1978–1985
Tacoma Dome 1994–1995 (During KeyArena Remodel)

text: Uniforms[edit]

text: The Seattle SuperSonics' first uniforms had "Sonics" displayed in a font that was also used by the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings). The road jerseys were green and had the lettering displayed in yellow coloring, where the home uniforms were white and had the lettering green. In 1995, the SuperSonics changed their uniforms adding red and orange, removing yellow, to their new jerseys that would last six seasons. It displayed the new Sonics logo on the front and their alternate logo on the shorts. The home uniforms had green stripes on the right side of the jersey and shorts, while the green road jersey had red stripes.

text: The final SuperSonics uniforms were worn from the 2001–02 NBA season through the 2007–08 NBA season. They were commissioned by owner Howard Schultz for design by Seattle design agency Hornall Anderson. The home jerseys were white with green and gold trim, displaying "SONICS" across the chest. Road uniforms were dark green with white and gold accents, with "SEATTLE" across the chest. The alternate uniform was gold with green and white trim, again with "SONICS" arched across the chest. These uniforms were a nod to a similar style worn from the 1975–76 season through the 1994–95 season.[59]

text: Rivalries[edit]

text: The SuperSonics were traditional rivals with the Portland Trail Blazers because of the teams' proximity; the rivalry had been dubbed the I-5 Rivalry in reference to Interstate 5 that connects the two cities, which are only 174 miles apart. The rivalry was fairly equal in accomplishments, with both teams winning one championship each. The all-time record of this rivalry is 98–94 in favor of the SuperSonics.[60][61][62]

text: The SuperSonics were rivals of the Los Angeles Lakers, particularly due to the teams' longstanding pairing in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The Lakers' sustained success meant regular season games often impacted NBA Playoffs seedings, with the teams matching up head-to-head for numerous playoff battles.[63][64]

text: Players[edit]

text: Retired numbers[edit]

text:
Seattle SuperSonics retired numbers

No.
Player
Position
Tenure
Date

1
Gus Williams
G
1977–1984
March 26, 2004

10
Nate McMillan
G
1986–1998 1
March 24, 1999

19
Lenny Wilkens
G
1968–1972 2
October 19, 1979

24
Spencer Haywood
F
1971–1975
February 26, 2007

32
Fred Brown
G
1971–1984
November 6, 1986

43
Jack Sikma
C
1977–1986
November 21, 1992

Bob Blackburn
Broadcaster
1967–1992

text:
1 Also head coach from 2000 to 2005.
2 Head coach during 1969–1972 and 1977–1985.

text: Basketball Hall of Famers[edit]

text:
Seattle SuperSonics Hall of Famers

Players

No.
Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

19
Lenny Wilkens 1
G
1968–1972
1989

44
David Thompson
F/G
1982–1984
1996

33
Patrick Ewing 2
C
2000–2001
2008

24
Dennis Johnson 3
G
1976–1980
2010

2
20
Gary Payton
G
1990–2003
2013

30
Šarūnas Marčiulionis
G
1994–1995
2014

24
Spencer Haywood
F/C
1970–1975
2015

Coaches

No.
Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

—
Bill Russell 4
Head coach
1973–1977
1975

—
K. C. Jones 4
Head coach
1990–1992
1989

—
Lenny Wilkens 1
Head coach
1969–1972
1977–1985
1998

text: Notes:

text:
1 In total, Wilkens was inducted into the Hall of Fame three times – as player, as coach and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
2 In total, Ewing was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
3 Inducted posthumously.
4 Inducted as player. Never played for the SuperSonics.

text: FIBA Hall of Famers[edit]

text:
Seattle SuperSonics Hall of Famers

Players

No.
Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

30
Šarūnas Marčiulionis
G
1994–1995
2015

text: Coaches[edit]

text:
Coaching history

Coach
Seasons active

Al Bianchi
1967–1969

Lenny Wilkens
1969–1972

Tom Nissalke
1972–1973

Bucky Buckwalter
1972–1973

Bill Russell
1973–1977

Bob Hopkins
1977

Lenny Wilkens
1977–1985

Bernie Bickerstaff
1985–1990

K. C. Jones
1990–1992

Bob Kloppenburg
1991

George Karl
1991–1998

Paul Westphal
1998–2000

Nate McMillan
2000–2005

Bob Weiss
2005

Bob Hill
2006–2007

P. J. Carlesimo
2007–2008

text: General managers[edit]

text:
GM history

GM
Seasons active

Don Richman
1967–1968

Dick Vertlieb
1968–1970

Bob Houbregs
1970–1973

Bill Russell
1973–1977

Zollie Volchok
1977 (or 1978)[citation needed]–1983

Les Habegger
1983–1985

Lenny Wilkens
1985–1986

Bob Whitsitt
1986–1994

Wally Walker
1994–2001

Rick Sund
2001–2007

Sam Presti
2007–2008

text: High points[edit]

text: Individual leaders[edit]

text:
Single Game Records

Category
Player
Statistics
Date

Points
Fred Brown
58
March 23, 1974

Rebounds
Jim Fox
30
December 26, 1973

Assists
Nate McMillan
25
February 23, 1987

Steals
Fred Brown
Gus Williams

10
December 3, 1976
February 22, 1978

text:
Single Season Leaders

Category
Player
Statistics
Season

Points
Dale Ellis
2,253
1988–89

Points per game
Spencer Haywood
29.2
1972–73[65]

Rebounds
Jack Sikma
1,038
1981–82

Rebounds per game
Spencer Haywood
13.4
1973–74

Assists
Lenny Wilkens
766
1971–72

Assists per game
Lenny Wilkens
9.6
1971–72

Steals
Slick Watts
261
1975–76

Steals per game
Slick Watts
3.18
1975–76

text: Franchise leaders[edit]

text: Points scored (regular season) (as of the end of the 2007–08 season)[66]

text:
1. Gary Payton (18,207)
2. Fred Brown (14,018)
3. Jack Sikma (12,258)
4. Rashard Lewis (12,034)
5. Shawn Kemp (10,148)
6. Gus Williams (9,676)
7. Dale Ellis (9,405)
8. Xavier McDaniel (8,438)
9. Spencer Haywood (8,131)
10. Tom Chambers (8,028)
11. Ray Allen (7,237)
12. Detlef Schrempf (6,870)
13. Dick Snyder (6,507)
14. Derrick McKey (6,159)
15. Lenny Wilkens (6,010)
16. Bob Rule (5,646)
17. Vin Baker (5,054)
18. Sam Perkins (4,844)
19. Nate McMillan (4,733)
20. Dennis Johnson (4,590)
21. Lonnie Shelton (4,460)
22. Ricky Pierce (4,393)
23. Brent Barry (4,107)
24. Tom Meschery (4,050)
25. Hersey Hawkins (3,798)
26. Michael Cage (3,742)
27. Eddie Johnson (3,714)
28. John Johnson (3,608)
29. Slick Watts (3,396)
30. Al Wood (3,265)

text: Other Statistics (regular season) (as of the end of the 2007–08 season)[66]

text:
Most minutes played

Player
Minutes

Gary Payton
36,858

Jack Sikma
24,707

Fred Brown
24,422

Rashard Lewis
20,921

Nate McMillan
20,462

text:
Most rebounds

Player
Rebounds

Jack Sikma
7,729

Shawn Kemp
5,978

Gary Payton
4,240

Michael Cage
3,975

Spencer Haywood
3,954

text:
Most assists

Player
Assists

Gary Payton
7,384

Nate McMillan
4,893

Fred Brown
3,160

Gus Williams
2,865

Lenny Wilkens
2,777

text:
Most steals

Player
Steals

Gary Payton
2,107

Nate McMillan
1,544

Fred Brown
1,149

Gus Williams
1,086

Slick Watts
833

text:
Most blocks

Player
Blocks

Shawn Kemp
959

Jack Sikma
705

Alton Lister
500

Tom Burleson
420

Derrick McKey
375

text:
Career Leaders

Category
Player
Statistics

Games
Gary Payton
999

Minutes Played
Gary Payton
36,858

Points
Gary Payton
18,207

Field Goals Made
Gary Payton
7,292

Field Goal Attempts
Gary Payton
15,562

3-Point Field Goals Made
Rashard Lewis
918

3-Point Field Goals Attempted
Gary Payton
2,855

Free Throws Made
Jack Sikma
3,044

Free Throws Attempted
Shawn Kemp
3,808

Offensive Rebounds
Shawn Kemp
2,145

Defensive Rebounds
Jack Sikma
5,948

Total Rebounds
Jack Sikma
7,729

Assists
Gary Payton
7,384

Steals
Gary Payton
2,107

Blocked Shots
Shawn Kemp
959

Turnovers
Gary Payton
2,507

Personal Fouls
Gary Payton
2,577

Per-game averages

Category
Player
Statistics

Minutes Played
Spencer Haywood
40.36

Points
Ray Allen
26.44

Field Goals Made
Spencer Haywood
9.72

Field Goal Attempts
Spencer Haywood
21.01

3-Point Field Goals Made
Ray Allen
3.45

3-Point Field Goal Attempts
Ray Allen
8.37

Free Throws Made
Lenny Wilkens
6.25

Free Throw Attempts
Lenny Wilkens
7.99

Offensive Rebounds
Marvin Webster
4.40

Defensive Rebounds
Jack Sikma
8.32

Total Rebounds
Marvin Webster
12.62

Assists
Lenny Wilkens
9.02

Steals
Slick Watts
2.47

Blocked Shots
Alton Lister
2.09

Turnovers
Marvin Webster
3.13

Personal Fouls
Danny Fortson
4.01

Per 48 minutes

Category
Player
Statistics

Points
Ricky Pierce
31.29

Field Goals Made
Xavier McDaniel
12.18

Field Goals Attempted
Walt Hazzard
27.31

3-Point Field Goals Made
Ray Allen
3.58

3-Point Field Goal Attempts
Ray Allen
9.20

Free Throws Made
Danny Fortson
9.44

Free Throw Attempts
Danny Fortson
10.93

Offensive Rebounds
Danny Fortson
6.83

Defensive Rebounds
Jack Sikma
11.56

Total Rebounds
Pete Cross
19.39

Assists
Avery Johnson
13.03

Steals
Slick Watts
4.13

Blocked Shots
Jim McIlvaine
5.38

Turnovers
Mark Radford
6.89

Personal fouls
Danny Fortson
12.38

text: Individual awards[edit]

text: NBA Defensive Player of the Year

text: Gary Payton – 1996

text: NBA Rookie of the Year Award

text: Kevin Durant – 2008

text: NBA Finals MVP

text: Dennis Johnson – 1979

text: NBA Executive of the Year

text:
Zollie Volchok – 1983
Bob Whitsitt – 1994

text: NBA Most Improved Player Award

text: Dale Ellis – 1987

text: J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award

text: Slick Watts – 1976

text: NBA Sportsmanship Award

text:
Hersey Hawkins – 1999
Ray Allen – 2003

text: NBA All-Star Game MVPs

text:
Lenny Wilkens – 1971
Tom Chambers – 1987

text: NBA All-Star Game head coaches

text:
Lenny Wilkens – 1979, 1980
George Karl – 1994, 1996, 1998

text: All-NBA First Team

text:
Spencer Haywood – 1972, 1973
Gus Williams – 1982
Gary Payton – 1998, 2000

text: All-NBA Second Team

text:
Spencer Haywood – 1974, 1975
Dennis Johnson – 1980
Gus Williams – 1980
Shawn Kemp – 1994, 1995, 1996
Gary Payton – 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002
Vin Baker – 1998
Ray Allen – 2005

text: All-NBA Third Team

text:
Dale Ellis – 1989
Gary Payton – 1994, 2001
Detlef Schrempf – 1995

text: NBA All-Defensive First Team

text:
Slick Watts – 1976
Dennis Johnson – 1979, 1980
Gary Payton – 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

text: NBA All-Defensive Second Team

text:
Lonnie Shelton – 1982
Jack Sikma – 1982
Danny Vranes – 1985
Nate McMillan – 1994, 1995

text: NBA All-Rookie First Team

text:
Bob Rule – 1968
Al Tucker – 1968
Art Harris – 1969
Tom Burleson – 1975
Jack Sikma – 1978
Xavier McDaniel – 1986
Derrick McKey – 1988
Jeff Green – 2008
Kevin Durant – 2008

text: NBA All-Rookie Second Team

text:
Gary Payton – 1991
Desmond Mason – 2001
Vladimir Radmanović – 2002