1 of 13 | Former NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf speaks during his No. 22 Washington Huskies jersey retirement ceremony at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle on Saturday Feb. 28, 2026. (Ivy Ceballo / The Seattle Times)
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By
Percy Allen
Seattle Times staff reporter
For an afternoon, the former Sonics stars were together again to watch their old teammate — the one who performed the tasks that didn’t always draw attention — finally and fully step into the spotlight.
This was Detlef Schrempf’s day.
Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Sam Perkins sat courtside Saturday and watched as Schrempf’s No. 22 was unveiled in the Alaska Airlines Arena rafters.
Perhaps Washington athletic director Pat Chun put it best during the jersey retirement ceremony when he said: “Detlef, on behalf of the University of Washington we can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done. You are a pioneer and global icon in the sport of basketball.
“You are a legendary Seattle SuperSonic, but the most important thing to us, you’ll forever be a Washington Husky.”
There’s hardly any gray in his close-cropped blond hair and the 63-year-old Schrempf still looks like the 6-foot-10 forward who carried Washington to back-to-back Pac-10 titles and two NCAA tournament appearances in the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons.
Dressed in a sharp gray suit with purple pinstripes, Schrempf was the main attraction of a halftime ceremony during Washington’s 90-73 loss to Wisconsin and returned to the court where he became a fan favorite and one of the greatest players in program history.
“Who would have imagined that a skinny, shy kid from Leverkusen, Germany would come to the United States and one day have his jersey raised to the rafters at the place he fell in love with?” he said. “I am very fortunate to share this moment with my family, my wife Mari, my sons Alex and Michael. It’s been quite a journey. Amazing.”
During a five-minute speech in front of 8,755, Schrempf thanked his German youth basketball coach Otto Reintjes, Centralia High coach Ron Brown and Washington Huskies coach Marv Harshman.
Schrempf acknowledged Husky legends who played before him, including Steve Hawes, Lorenzo Romar, James Edwards as well as Leteia Hughley and Karen Murray, who starred for the UW women’s team.
With Schrempf leading Washington in scoring, rebounding, assists and free-throw percentage, the Huskies reached the Sweet 16 in 1984 and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament the next year.
During his four-year tenure (1981-85), UW went 81-42.
“We were good,” Schrempf said. “We had a good team culture. We supported each other and a lot of us are still in touch, which says a lot. … We had the right chemistry. We had the talent. We were all proud to be Huskies.”
After acknowledging Clay Damon, Pete Shimer, Flosi Sigurdsson and Paul Fortier, Schrempf got emotional while paying homage to former teammates Christian Welp and Alvin Vaughn, who died in 2015 and 2023, respectively.
In addition to his former UW teammates, Schrempf thanked friends who joined him in pickup games.
“I was a little notorious for creating havoc all over the city,” he said smiling. “You guys know who you are: TK, JR and Bubba. Without you I wouldn’t be the same player. Thank you.”
Before leaving the court, Schrempf made one last tribute.
“I want to highlight some people that never get the spotlight and have dedicated their lives to this school and its students,” he said. “People like Chip Lydum and Tom Long. They’ve been here for more than 40 years. … And the heart and soul of Husky Nation — most of us wouldn’t have made it through school without her love, passion and guidance — Gertrude Peoples. These are the stars that make Husky Nation great. They’re special.”
From left to right in the rafters, the UW men’s retired jerseys include Isaiah Thomas (2), Brandon Roy (3), Schrempf (22), Bob Houbregs (25) and Welp (40).
“Dawgs for life,” Schrempf said. “I appreciate y’all coming here and showing your support. Continue that support. We need it especially during times like this. I appreciate you. Our community and Husky Nation always show up.
“Thank you so much and go Dawgs.”
Percy Allen: pallen@seattletimes.com. Percy Allen is a sports reporter for The Seattle Times, where he writes about the University of Washington Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams and the Seattle Storm.
