Happy 70th Birthday, Jack Sikma
- Jake C
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Cover photo: Jack Sikma of the Seattle SuperSonics shoots the ball over the Phoenix Suns’ Alvan Adams. Photo credit: Seattle Times
One of the under-appreciated centers of the late 1970s and 80s celebrates a birthday on Nov. 14 as Hall of Fame big man Jack Sikma turns 70.
Born in Kankakee, Ill., Sikma as a 6 foot, 10 inch senior at St. Anne High School led his team to the IHSA state tournament, where they finished fourth.
Sikma played collegiately at Illinois Wesleyan University, a private Division-III school that now plays in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. He is the program’s all-time leader in points (2,272) and rebounds (1,405). He averaged 21.2 points and 13.1 rebounds per game for his collegiate career.
Sikma was drafted eighth overall in 1977 by the Seattle SuperSonics, going to a team that coached by Bill Russell won 40 games in 1976-77. Sikma joined a talented group that included Gus Williams, “Downtown” Freddie Brown, Marvin “The Human Eraser” Webster, and Dennis Johnson. The skilled quartet along with Sikma’s 10.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game won 47 games (42-18 under Lenny Wilkens, who took over for Bob Hopkins) in 77-78 and made the NBA Finals where they lost to the Washington Bullets in seven games. Sikma averaged 13.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in the series.
The 1978-79 Sonics went 52-30 and met the Bullets in the Finals once again, this time winning in five games. Sikma tallied 17 rebounds in Games 4 and 5 of the series and averaged 15.8 points and 14.8 rebounds per game in the series.
Sikma played all 82 games in 78-79, averaging 15.6 and 12.4 rebounds per game. The championship season also marked his first of seven consecutive all-star appearances.
Jack Sikma All-Star Seasons: 1978-79 to 1984-85
1978-79: 15.6 points (46.0% FG, 12.6 FGA), 12.4 rebounds, 36.1 minutes, 82 games, 7th in MVP voting
1979-80: 14.3 points (47.5% FG, 12.1 FGA), 11.1 rebounds, 34.1 minutes, 82 games
1980-81: 18.7 points (45.4% FG, 16.0 FGA), 10.4 rebounds, 35.6 minutes, 82 games
1981-82: 19.6 points (47.9% FG, 14.8 FGA), 12.7 rebounds (9.9 DREB per, 1st), 37.2 minutes, 82 games, 2nd team All-Defense, 9th in MVP voting
1982-83: 18.2 points (46.4% FG, 13.9 FGA), 11.4 rebounds, 34.2 minutes, 75 games
1983-84: 19.1 points (49.9%, 14.1 FGA), 11.1 rebounds, 36.5 minutes, 82 games. 19.1 points per game a career-high.
1984-85: 18.5 points (48.9% FG, 13.9 FGA), 10.6 rebounds, 35.3 minutes, 68 games
Sikma’s 1985-86 season (17.1 points and 9.4 rebounds in 80 games, 34.9 minutes) was his last in Seattle, as he was traded (at his request) in July of 1986. He was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for fellow big man Alton Lister. Sikma averaged 12.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in his first season as a Buck, a campaign that saw him average a double-double for the seventh and final time in his career. In the 1987-88 season, Sikma put together his final highly productive year with 16.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in 82 games, 35.6 minutes per game. His 92.2% shooting from the free-throw line led the NBA that season.
Sikma played three more seasons (80, 71, 77 games) and averaged 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds, 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds, and 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in those seasons.
Over his 14-year career, Sikma played in 1,107 games (985 starts) and averaged 15.6 points and 9.8 rebounds in 33.4 minutes per game. He averaged 16.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in 34.6 minutes per game as a Sonic.
In Seattle/Oklahoma City history, Sikma ranks sixth in games played (715), third in minutes (24,707), fifth in field-goals (4,493) and field-goal attempts (9,359), third in free-throws made (3,044), and fifth in free-throw attempts (3,641). He is the franchise’s all-time leader in rebounds (7,729) and defensive rebounds (5,948).
Sikma was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. He is also a member of the CoSIDA (College and Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-American Hall of Fame (1998), the NAIA Hall of Fame (2012), Small College Basketball Hall of Fame (2017), and Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also part of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament. His No. 43 is retired by the Sonics.
As an assistant coach, Sikma occupied positions on the staffs of the Sonics (2003-07), Houston Rockets (2007-2011), and Minnesota Timberwolves (2011-14).
Sikma also spent time with the Toronto Raptors, aiding their one-time young center Jonas Valanciunas. If you watch Valanciunas play, his shooting motion mirrors that of Sikma’s, who had a trademark motion of keeping the ball high and releasing it over his head.
Seattle, of course, does not currently have an NBA team, though expansion could be leaning that way. Sikma is in the city’s pantheon of all-time sporting greats.
Said Sikma to Sports Illustrated in 2001 of playing in Seattle, “The experience was extra special because of how close I became to the people.”
Happy 70th birthday to one of the unheralded centers of his time and all-time.
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