I won't root for them until Seattle gets their NBA team back, simple as that. Also I don't like Russell Westbrook, I think he's very overrated.
I live in Seattle. I agree with this stance. I want to root for the THunder (I love Durant and obviously have a soft spot for Perk), but it would kill my friends out here who were hardcore Sonics fans. Seeing the thunder win a title just a few years after Oklahoma stole them from Seattle would be incredibly depressing.
I moved out here in 1995 when I was about 13 years old. This was right before everyone had personal computers and the internet. The Celtics stunk and I was in the dark about what they were doing aside from maybe checking the newspaper. So I was a huge Sonic fan for a few years (Pitino coming on board coincided with us finally getting the internet... from that point on I either watched the Celtics on TV or listened to every game via internet radio). My dad and I pretty much had season tickets and the Sonics were contenders. They made it to the finals against Jordan. It was terrific. So you gotta realize that my peers out here grew up rooting for an awesome Sonic team that just kept falling short year after year after year. Most of them were in complete denial about the Sonics leaving until they had already left. This would just kill them. My best is 29 and he had been going to games with his dad since he was 3 years old. He was obsessed with the Sonics. He's the type of guy who literally sheds tears when his team loses a big game... or at the very least locks himself in his room and refuses to do anything for a day. If the Thunder win a title he might jump off the space needle.
Also, the fans in Oklahoma are the least deserving group of fans in the league. None of them had to root for a struggling team. It's their 4th year and every year has been sugar and fluff. The heck with them.
I'm summarizing a point made by an old Sonics employee in this fantastic Sonics article
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2012/05/03/confessions-of-a-sonics-employee-howard-schultz-was-cheap-cared-about-rich/
Seattle fans have the right to be angry that their team got hijacked. But one important thing to remember is that it was the OKC owner who brought in the strong management team that has turned this team into a contender.
Yes, Durant was a layup for them, but Westbrook and Harden were both picked well before they were initially projected and Ibaka was a diamond in the rough.
I don't see an indication that previous management would've been capable of making similar decisions. In fact, the loss of their team kind of supports that they weren't.
So again, I understand being upset about the ways things played out but I don't think it's right to project the thoughts that 'this would be our team if they were still in Seattle.'
Nah bro. Nah.
Kevin Durant played in Seattle his rookie year. I use to work with the guy who edited the SOnics Gate documentary... supposedly management wouldn't allow Durant to to interviews his rookie year. Reason being, they didn't want the fans in Seattle to fall in love with him and the team. My buddy and I went to Durant's first ever home game.... we knew what was up. That team let Lewis walk (smart move), but dumped Ray Allen 5 years early for a project (Jeff Green). They were TRYING to lose so that they could make their path to Oklahoma easier. Ray and Durant could have made some noise together.
Look... Kevin Durant is that team. Dude is an MVP candidate. And he played his rookie season for the Supersonics before that team was robbed. I'm not buying the argument that they drafted WEstbrook and Harden and thus Oklahoma deserves this. That seems out of touch. Westbrook and Ibaka was drafted by the Sonics. And why are we so certain that those were the best moves? Say a different management group was there. Say they also decided to dump Ray for the Jeff Green pick. Big deal... Durant would STILL be there unquestionably. Everyone knew Durant was going to be a phenom. That was a no-brainer pick. ANY management group would have taken Durant. No question. Then in 08... they took Westbrook with the #4 pick. Big deal... Kevin Love went #5. Eric Gordon went #7. Brook Lopez went #10. Put any of those with Durant instead of Westbrook and you still have a contender. You're forgetting who is the superstar of that team... Kevin Durant.
In 09 they Take James Harden #3. Big deal. Tyreke Evans was picked #4. Rubio was taken #5. Steph Curry was taken #7. Brandon Jennings was taken #10.
In other words... pick any two players (Love and Curry... Gordon and Rubio... Lopez and Evans) and stick them next to Kevin Durant and you have a contender. This bogus idea that Oklahoma management put that team together and thus Seattle has no reason to be upset is RIDICULOUS. They stole Kevin Durant (a franchise PHENOM) away from Seattle. I can't root for them.
Topic: Why I can't root for the OKC Thunder (Read 20712 times)