Highlights And Lowlights Of Dale Ellis' Career As Sonic

-- The Dale Ellis saga since his trade from Dallas:

-- July 23, 1986: Traded to Seattle from Dallas.

-- Nov. 10, 1986: Arrives in Seattle for first season with the Sonics.

-- May 5, 1987: Wins NBA most-improved award for largest one-season leap in scoring average. Sonics go to Western Conference finals as Ellis helps defeat Dallas and Dick Motta, and Houston. Arrested in Houston with Kevin Williams in disco scuffle.

-- November 1987: Contract renegotiations fail with Sonics, who match Alton Lister's $1.2 million contract. Ellis is paid $325,000 for the year, and complains about how team is treating him.

-- Nov. 20, 1987: Wrecks loaned BMW on I-5 Saturday night after Milwaukee game and abandoned abandons it. Car shop owner, later says that Ellis refused to pay $6,900, and that insurance company rejected the claim, saying it had cancelled Ellis' policy because of his driving record prior to accident.

-- Jan. 9, 1988: Scores then-career-high 47 points in victory against San Antonio in Coliseum.

-- Jan. 22, 1988: Equals career high of 47 points, against Pistons, as Sonics win club-record 17th straight game at home.

-- March 1, 1988: Monique Ellis, Dale's wife, and Bobby Jo Lister get into fight outside of Sonic locker room that police broke up. Incident report filed for assault on Monique's sister.

-- May 7, 1988: Sonics eliminated in first round of playoffs by Nuggets as Ellis is held to 20.8 points per game, five below his season average.

-- Oct. 1988: Holds out from training camp, then signs six-year, $7.3-million contract that makes him second-highest paid guard in league behind Michael Jordan.

-- Jan. 1, 1989: Scores 42 points against Lakers, then hits for 49 two days later against King's and is named NBA Player of the Week.

-- Jan. 8, 1989: Arrested on assault charge from allegedly hitting his wife. Also booked for outstanding warrant for arrest for having an invalid driver's license.

Feb. 12, 1989: Starts for Western Conference and finishes third in MVP balloting at his first All-Star game, with 27 points. A day earlier, he won three-point shooting contest.

-- Nov. 4, 1989: Shoots three of 18 from field, one of his worst games in NBA, the beginning of a season-long shooting slump that sends him to worst shooting year since trade from Dallas.

-- Nov. 9, 1989: Playing more minutes, 69, than any player ever, scores a career-high 53 points but the Sonics lose to Bucks in a five-overtime game, 155-154.

-- Jan.1, 1990: Ejected for arguing with offical in game in Dallas, ending his 256-game streak of double-figure scoring.

-- Jan. 9, 1990: Ellis ejected again for arguing, and Sonics (15-16) drop below .500 for first time since Nov. 14.

-- Jan. 11, 1990: Scores 29 points, including 11 in fourth quarter to avenge loss to Mavericks, then gets in car accident at 1:40 a.m. Spends three days in hospital, and is arrested on suspicion of DWI and reckless driving.

-- March 7, 1990: In a news conference, Ellis apologizes ``to all the fans and everyone else for the problems I've caused them.'' following the single-car accident that left him out of the Sonics.

-- March 18, 1990: Misses team flight to the Bay Area and is fined. But catching a later flight, he scores 30 points in a 121-116 win over the Warriors, hitting 11 of 16 field-goal attempts.

-- Oct. 4, 1990: Found guilty of drunken and reckless driving. Ordered to serve one day in jail.

-- Oct. 29, 1990: Spends day in jail.

-- Nov. 21, 1990: Fights teammate Xavier McDaniel outside the Sonics' offices and is suspended for five games.

-- Dec. 12, 1990: Returns to action after missing 17 games with tarsal-tunnel syndrome in his right foot.

-- Feb. 15, 1991: Ellis is traded to Milwaukee for Ricky Pierce.