The 1995–96 NBA season was the 28th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Sonics acquired Hersey Hawkins from the Charlotte Hornets. After two consecutive playoffs appearances losing in the first round, the Sonics played their best basketball posting a 14-game winning streak between February and March. The team won 30 of their 36 games after the All-Star break to finish the regular season with a franchise best 64–18 record, surpassing the record from the 1993–94 season, and earned their third number one seed in the Western Conference in franchise history. Shawn Kemp and Defensive Player of the Year, Gary Payton were both selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game.

Led by Kemp and Payton, the SuperSonics defeated the Sacramento Kings three games to one in the first round, despite losing Game 2 on their home floor. In the semifinals, they swept the 5th-seeded and reigning champions Houston Rockets in four straight games to advance to the Western Conference Finals, where they defeated the Utah Jazz in seven games to reach their first NBA Finals since 1979, where they would face the Chicago Bulls. After an 0–3 start in the series, Seattle managed to win their next two home games, but eventually lost the series in Game 6 in Chicago. Following the season, Ervin Johnson signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets, and Vincent Askew was traded to the New Jersey Nets.

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