If we are gonna talk about being salty, if OKC wins the title this year, I will probably not see sunlight for three weeks. Being a Seattle Sonics fan, I'm probably gonna be a mix of anger and sadness. I don't have a problem with the players at all. Shit, Durant is super fun to watch. He scores like The Iceman, but has a bit more size. It's just collectively, I have a hard time actually rooting for them.
Fans of the Thunder should be happy, I would be if I was on the other side. It's just me being upset. The Sonics could have been running the West. I remember watching Durant's first buzzer beater back in Seattle.
3rd game of the season. In retrospect, I should have accepted that we were bad but I still had hope that early in the season. Double OT, Damien Wilkins (Dominique's kid) was on that game. So at the inbounds play, I kinda thought that since he was hot they might go to him. But, Kevin catches it top of the arch and launches one and hits it. I literally told myself, "You just witnessed his first game winner." I can't speak for anyone else, but there was something about seeing that happen that made me think that we had something going on. Seattle probably didn't fuck up the draft that year. Also that year, Kobe and the Lakers were in Seattle and local Seattle media asked him about defending Durant. KD at the time played sometimes at the 2-guard his rookie season. Kobe said something to the effect of his height being a problem.
Look now, he led the Thunder to a 2nd straight Conference Final. In Game 4 against the Lakers when KD hits that three, then Kobe misses the first shot then releases the ball late for the 2nd shot at the end of that game. Kinda symbolic, right? I don't think Kobe is anywhere near prepared to pass the touch, but maybe (I know its premature and Kobe is gonna play angry next year) Durant might have staked claim to the West.
OKC should be happy. The state only had college sports to get behind. Now they have a championship contender with a franchise-altering player? They should be ecstatic. That doesn't mean I can't still be bitter.
Oh, if OKC does win, and they beat Wade and the Heat to do it (Wade is my favorite player in the league), that would be something fierce.