Jack Sikma
The center with the signature blonde perm and unblockable turnaround shot who anchored Seattle's only NBA championship team.
Born 1955 (age 71)·American basketball player-coach·Birthday: November 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jack Sikma redefined what was possible for a big man in the NBA. Drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, the 6'11" center from Illinois Wesleyan quickly became the perfect interior complement to the team's flashy backcourt. He was far more than a traditional post player; Sikma possessed a guard's passing vision and developed a deadly, high-release turnaround jumper that became his trademark. His cerebral play was the steady backbone of the Sonics' 1979 championship run. After a celebrated tenure in Seattle that included seven All-Star appearances, he finished his career with the Milwaukee Bucks, mentoring a young generation of players. Decades after his retirement, his influence was formally recognized with his enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame, cementing his status as one of the game's most skilled and innovative centers.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jack was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jack Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Jack's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an NBA championship as the starting center for the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979.
- Selected as an NBA All-Star seven consecutive times from 1979 to 1985.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
- Led the NBA in free-throw percentage (.922) during the 1987-88 season, a rarity for a center.
Did You Know?
His distinctive blonde perm hairstyle became a famous part of his image during his playing days.
He is one of only five players in NBA history to record over 1,000 career steals and 1,000 career blocks.
After retiring, he served as an assistant coach for several NBA teams, including the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors.
He was known for his exceptional outlet passing, often throwing full-court passes to trigger fast breaks.
“A big man's job is to make the game easier for everyone else.”
