Kevin Durant has a new home in Oklahoma City. Getty Images
With the city of Seattle settling its dispute with the Sonics ownership over the remaining two years on the KeyArena lease today, it is now certain that the team will be moving to Oklahoma City and Seattle, for the first time in 41 years, will be without a professional basketball franchise. The first question: Who will you root for?
For those of us living in and around Seattle, there has never been such a choice - you wore green and gold and that was the end of it. However, with the less than congenial terms upon which Clay Bennett and company will be departing, it does not seem likely that many will embrace the Oklahoma City team.
My instincts are pointing south, about 150 miles down I-5, where a young Portland Trailblazers team is set to become a legitimate competitor in the Western Conference.
With Seattle-area products Brandon Roy and Martell Webster holding prominent roster spots, it would seem that the transition to Blazers fan would be easier than most.
Roy starred at Garfield High and spent four years at the University of Washington, where he led the team to consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances. In the two years since, Roy has won the 2006-2007 Rookie of the Year award and earned an All Star spot in 2007-2008. With the additional fact that Roy is a just plain likeable player, it seems natural for Seattle basketball fans to cheer on their native son.
The same is true for Webster, who played his high school ball at Seattle Prep and actually signed with UW before being selected sixth in the 2005 NBA draft.
Additionally, Roy and Webster are coached by none other than "Mr. Sonic" himself, Nate McMillan, who many Seattleites will remember from better days in Seattle basketball history.
If the Seattle blood is not enough for you, don't forget that the Blazers also hold last year's No. 1 pick in Greg Oden and, with the NBA's youngest lineup, are a team clearly headed in the right direction - something that cannot necessarily be said for our departing Sonics.
Perhaps, you are fed up with the NBA in general and plan to limit your fanhood to college and high school ball (in which case I couldn't blame you), but it may be worth considering our Oregon neighbors - they are not the "Jail Blazers" of yesteryear.
Posted by unregistered user at 7/3/08 1:02 a.m.
Allright, I'm from Oregon. We have a healthy rivalry when it comes to college football...let's keep it that way. But when it comes to pro baseball, we don't have a team to call our own. Most of us go for the Mariners in a big way. Same goes for pro football and the Seahawks. Furthermore, when I visit the Seattle area, I usually come away impressed...love the town, the people and the culture.
What is happening to your Sonics is a crime. They're Seatlle all the way. The owner should be lynched for taking your team away. Serious. But, since it's gonna happen, let me be the first to extend the olive branch...at least in pro bball. When football season starts, we start in at it again, but hop on this horse that is going to bring several NBA championships to the Northwest. Hey...we'll share.