The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Absolutely awesome finish!  Westbrook's 3 for the win against the Warriors left only 0.1 sec on the clock this time (2 weeks ago he drained what we thought would be the winning 3 against the Warriors with under 3 sec to go until Iguodala hit a crushing jumper from the side at the buzzer to steal the victory)!

Anyways, I made the trip over to see last night's game (my first Thunder game).  Great crowd and fantastic pre and post game atmosphere inside and outside.  Most noticeable was the chance to witness and experience the positive effects created by the critical mass of 18,000 + fans for 41 home games and a half dozen or so playoff games.  The high volume of both foot and vehicle traffic in Bricktown for game nights on top of what would be in the area on a non-event night is so very impressive.

I like what is evolving organically here in Tulsa downtown.  However, the crowds out and about in downtown OKC dwarf those downtown here although Tulsa is definitely on an upward trajectory.   I'm aware of the fact that the ambitious MAPS program in OKC that led to most of their downtown redevelopment is a good 10 years or more ahead of similar initiatives in Tulsa.  I'm also mindful that Tulsa has several other notable entertainment districts outside of downtown (some folks like to party in their 'hoods which is also a good thing), although OKC has a few other areas as well.

From my observations based on the few times I've been to downtown OKC, it appears as though many more residents there are comfortable going downtown for enjoyment.  I'm sure that many of those residents probably developed such a comfort by being a part of the critical mass of fans attending Thunder games.  Many of these folks are not your urban by choice, creative, artsy, yuppie, hipster, empty nester.....typical downtown catalysts.  But they have been coming in droves from all over to partake in all that downtown OKC has to offer.  I don't doubt that many of these same people were once naysayers who wouldn't be caught dead downtown.  But now they're part of that critical mass owed in good measure to the Thunder, and over time their minds were changed and a new found pride in their town had developed within (several told me as much).  Believe me, that hoop crowd was eclectic and electric!  White, black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, Middle Eastern, Hindu, other foreigners, old, young, straight, LBGT, country, rockers, hip hoppers, handicapped, etc.....and a good representation of all.  What I didn't really notice was a bunch of VIPs, wannabes, and limos and that was a good thing!  Oklahoma is for real!

I know that most on this forum are tireless ambassadors and supporters of downtown.  We certainly need all of our downtown catalysts to continue championing living, working, shopping, and playing downtown.  However, going forward Tulsa will need more of everyone else to play (hopefully shop too) downtown if it truly desires to once again claim a successful vibrant and sustainable core.  Tulsa, your mission should you decide to accept it is to create and cultivate a critical mass downtown.  Unless a tornado levels Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Thunder aren't coming to Tulsa temporarily or otherwise.  However, prospective employers, educational and healthcare institutions might be willing.  Pro soccer and who knows maybe an urban concept for that Tulsa outlet mall with sidewalk entrances and real store fronts downtown could be a big hit....Just a few thoughts, I know there are others!







 

Durant, Jackson and  Westbrook caught fire last night against Minnesota which is a team that the Thunder has had match-up problems with in the past.

Approving the Vision 2025 sales' tax to build the BOK Center and ONEOK ballpark was the best investment Tulsa could make.  You'll see more private investment in downtown Tulsa as a result of building those two structures.  Your private investment will probably triple what you collected with the approval of the Vision 2025 initiative.

The Brady District & Blue Dome areas will see more development as time moves on.

When the Vision 2025 sales tax is ready to expire; Tulsa will be ready to approve continuation of the tax without raising taxes.  This momentum will allow you to build other structures because the voters will have seen the quality of the projects they approved.

Tulsa will certainly be ready for a new or renovated soccer stadium at Drillers Park. 

I was really impressed with the architecture of the BOK Center by Cesar Pelli.

(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVVMuEIr2CblHgXxZ8G7s5HEZX40s_ddDsH1IWzcVfutE_UU0D)(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQpzD68fWG_7nBdT95cE2Q7Ze0wQ2_k7TQEsQiGCecedHtfJbR-)(https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRylE5a2UhdDc8DqiP7tFH1E77JfDfqiR_9ws44eFYViTt5BJOc)(https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtLGLvQNCpfHxfiXJjyJCV3p0oxZKf8f_iWwLaywRJj01i_70SUA)

Why do you feel compelled to post on TulsaNow? You don't live here and don't know what is going on. You post all the time in the OKC blogs. Are you just that bored that you feel the need to weigh in on other cities?

Vision 2025 had nothing for the ONEOK ballpark. If you lived here you would know that.

OKC has some very slow nights, too...like when there are no games.  And if Tulsa has a BOK event, it gets very similar crowds.  Where are those other OKC areas you are talking about?  I am there enough (too much) to make it a good to know thing....

Pro soccer is still a hard sell here.  Small groups of intensely loyal fans.  Another generation of kids and soccer moms likely to be needed before big expectations are realized there.

T started out 10 years or so after OKC but we really aren't that far "behind" at all.  The biggest difference is the pro NBA team.  Everything else OKC has is on a par with things that Tulsa has - not equal, but equivalent.    And we have a certain, undefinable "something" that makes Tulsa (and northeast Oklahoma) a more 'attractive' place to live.  Of the people I work with (and have worked with in the past), invariably, the central OK residences who look here are much more likely to move here than the northeast OK residences who look there are likely to move there.  By many times over.

Just from my own experience as a Diamondbacks fan, and having moved to Phoenix in their inaugural season, OKC is still in the "honeymoon" phase with the Thunder, and yes they have been good, partly because it was an existing team with potential, and a change of venue can energize a team, but if they have a couple of bad seasons, the sound you will hear is not cheers, but the sound of people breaking their ankles jumping off the band wagon.

The Diamondbacks had a rocky start, but went on to win the World Series in their forth year, followed by a decent season, and then came the fire sale of players to get the payroll under control with the bonuses that were to be paid out. In '05, '06, and '07 you could show up at the box office 45 minutes before first pitch, and get free tickets to box seats from season ticket holders that just did not want to go to a game. Being so close to the Rockies, Padres, Dodgers, and all of the Cub's fans, you could go to a game and there were more opposing team fans than D'backs fans. Going into their 17th season, they are finally developing a real fan base.

It will be interesting to see how the fan base really develops for the Thunder.

As with any comparison, "Your mileage may vary, professional driver on a closed course."

I don't know much about OKC.  Been there less than a handful of times since I moved here this year.  But in response to the question about other areas of OKC, I did stumble upon a nice neighborhood called Mesta Park along with another contiguous perhaps even nicer area.  There appeared to be some neighborhood shops and restaurants on thoroughfares in and around this area that could be of interest.  Had it not gotten dark during my drive through, I would have taken the time to further explore it.  I'll leave it for another time though.  I also saw the Paseo arts enclave.  Another intertesing and eveloving strip is some former automobile row that is rapidly transforming into restauants and shops.  Had coffee there late Sat. afternoon.  I also drove north on either Western I believe or Walker (something starting with a W) and saw a bunch of restaurants and other stuff.

You perhaps know of these areas as you state you are in OKC enough.  For what my limited observations are worth these areas have nothing on or over Tulsa, but I only mentioned them since I was asked.

 

I have driven through Mesta Park before and it is a very nice area.  There are a few of those areas around town - very similar to Tulsa.  There are also some very good museums over in the direction of the race track.  Have only been to one so far and that was quite a while ago - they close too early in the afternoon for most of my days.

 

Tulsa is a very clean and attractive city.  

I really miss the charm of the old Camelot Inn; attended many conferences there.  Tulsa lost an icon with historic value.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=aBzQTD8iigo[/youtube]

Tulsa's Camelot Inn

You  probably stumbled upon two areas in OKC; the Plaza District and an area called the Classen Curve.  These areas are within a two-mile radius of the Paseo Arts District with Classen Curve further north on Western Avenue.

I appreciate your pics of Tulsa, they are great. 

This former jewel in the Camelot looked amazing in its hey day.  Exactly where was it located in Brookside?

I-44 & Peoria

Took these about six years ago, right before the Camelot came down.  It's a shame it got into such disrepair.  I can still remember Riverside airport using it as a landmark for airplanes coming in over the radio towers.  "Fly to the Camelot"...

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=66518760@N00&q=camelot

These are nice pictures of the hotel.  From the exterior 6 years ago, it appeared as salvageable.  However, the video stated that it has rotted inside for the most part and that asbestos abatement had been going on for some time so that was sad for such a landmark.

From your pics, it looks as if there was a Churches Chicken located on the NW corner where there is a QT today, is this correct?  Across the street is the strip plaza with the Chinese restaurant on the NE corner.  I know there is another strip center on the SE corner. So was the hotel on the SW corner?  I'm scratching my head on what's on that corner right now, is the a Baum's near?

I gleaned some of those other pics, and there are some spectacular sunsets of that dairy in the Pearl district with downtown in the backdrop and also some good shots of the BOK center when it was under construction.

Yes, I tried to document the construction of the MotherShip.  I was a bit more optimistic on the arena than many on here.  I'm glad to see it has done as well as it has and continues to do so, over five years later.  Most of these pictures were taken with an old Fujufilm point and shoot.  I've graduated up now to a true DSLR but haven't done much photography lately.  I have a new Nikon coming next week, so I'm sure I'll be getting out more later.

It was where the Quik Trip is now...actual building front sitting right where QT is.

If you go to Google Earth and use the 'time' function on the top tool bar, you can scroll back and see the Camelot up to about 2005.  Then 2010, the lot is empty.

I went into the place for the last time just a little while before it closed and was boarded up.  It was a mess then.  Very humid (they weren't running the A/C properly so they could save some money), so it smelled like mold.  Dark, dank, depressing.  They had some very dark red/burgundy carpet that was very thick and plush and amazing to walk on...when new and in good shape, it would almost make me rethink my aversion to carpet!
 

?

Wrong.  TULSA'S SOCCER DADS would beg to differ.

The Roughnecks generation of soccer kids are now in our 30's, 40's, and many of us are now in our 50's.

We had a crowd of nearly 5,800 for a Tuesday night game last summer.

We had a crowd of 3,761 to watch our first year hometown amateur team play the Liverpool Warriors of Dallas (Plano) on the same Saturday night in June when both the Drillers and Shock were simultaneously playing home games at their superior taxpayer funded facilities at OneOk Park and the BOk Center.

THE TIME IS NOW.  The only question beyond that is whether we'll be a USL Pro affiliate of Sporting KC or take the field as an independent NASL club.
This could happen as soon as 2015, but definitely within the next 2-4 years.

(http://tulsaroughnecks.com/images/6b7b0124660d4e8e52863359345fce36.jpg)

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/08/18/nbc-telecast-of-swansea-city-manchester-united-posts-highest-overnight-rating-in-u-s-history-for-premier-league-opener/198140/

   NBC Sports Group’s three live opening-day Premier League telecasts averaged a .5 overnight rating – up 67% from last season’s opening Saturday three-game average (.3 average for one match on ESPN and two on Fox Soccer)
Washington, D.C. topped all U.S. markets for local ratings of NBC’s Swansea City-Manchester United telecast.
Following is the top ten:

Washington, D.C. (2.2)
Tulsa (1.9)
Austin (1.8 )
Seattle (1.4)
Buffalo (1.4)
Los Angeles (1.2)
Philadelphia (1.0)
Cincinnati (1.0)
Orlando (1.0)
Hartford/New Haven (0.9)

Better to go NASL independent, if at all possible.

Portland Trailblazers are for real.  The Thunder had a great game statistically against the Blazers and these guys proved that they can counter against some good teams.  They have beaten Chicago, Golden State, L.A. Lakers, Indiana and OKC in the past two weeks.

Aldridge has to be one of the top center in the NBA this year.

It will be interesting to see how they do against Indiana and OKC on the road.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:10081713&startTime=00:00



Let's hope that Tulsa can get back into the NASL  All signs point toward 2015 or 2016.  There's a possibility that San Antonio could be moving on to the MLS.

Thunder's Westbrook hasn't skipped a beat.

ESPN NBA:  http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10149197&ex_cid=espnapi_public (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10149197&ex_cid=espnapi_public)

Those are decent numbers for soccer.  But what does the NBA do right down the road a little bit?

Or OU games...OSU...Texas...Tennessee....

And NFL...well, even Oakland averages 50,000.

Professional curling gets 280,000 per season in Edmonton (record year - 2005), while Calgary got 250,000 in 2009.

Just not quite there yet to be "pro"....or considered real mainstream.

Why on earth would you try to compare the Tulsa Athletics to the Thunder, Sooners and Cowboys?  

My attendance numbers are for our first year NPSL amateur club playing their home games at 15th & Yale.
Comparing an amateur soccer team's attendance to the NBA or college football is wholly inappropriate and more than a little silly.

Try comparing apples to apples, please...

NBA and NHL Get the Boot: MLS Is the 3rd Most Attended Sports League in America
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1290390-nba-and-nhl-get-the-boot-mls-is-the-3rd-most-attended-sports-league-in-america'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average_attendances_of_professional_sports_teams_in_the_United_States_and_Canada

The first year Tulsa Athletics average attendance last summer:  3,066 fans per game (putting us either at the top or just short of Chattanooga's numbers in a 61-team league).
The 2013 Tulsa Drillers: 5,704 per game at their brand new downtown ballpark.
The Tulsa Shock:  averaged between 4,800 and 5,200 per game over the past few years at the state of the art BOk Center.
The Tulsa Oilers:  4,166 per game at the BOk Center.
The Tulsa 66ers:  an average of around 2100? per game at the Spirit Bank Events Center, built at a cost of $50 million.

A few hours after watching coverage of Sporting KC winning MLS Cup at their sold out soccer specific stadium, I stood at 7th & Frankfort wondering what it would have been like to have had that final in downtown Tulsa and why we didn't seize the opportunity back when we had several real honest-to-goodness chances to get into MLS.  http://tulsanow.org/index.php/2005/12/in-the-mood-to-help-fund-a-downtown-soccer-stadium/

The first year Oklahoma City FC soccer club that plays in a league similar to Tulsa's drew 1,214 fans per game (yes sports fans, that's less than half the number of fans we drew last summer)

Yet, OKC is getting this in 2014... http://www.energyfc.com/en/home.html#0
...and this in 2015... http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=5055

Looky!  An OKC Energy FC soccer scarf spotted in Stilly...
(https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/p480x480/1471125_429331820527400_1079910990_n.jpg)

Apples to apples, huh?  I might say something similar about your comparisons of shooting sports fans to criminals.


Seems like there may just be too much disagreement in the sport of soccer to move ahead very quickly - could be the source of your frustration....they can't even agree on the size of the field.

There's always curling!  But they can't seem to agree either....

Proof positive that you're a total moron.

I'll be rooting for the people who mow their own grass... not the sports bureaucrats who will bring a poorly designed soccer field to ONEOK Park.

Ahhh, yes...reverting to name calling...the last plaintive bleat of those who can think of no coherent response.  Like the people who go all 'soccer' in a basketball thread....

And remind us again how mowing one's own grass relates to either basketball OR soccer?  Well, since you have once again slid into the murky morass of personal attack, I guess I can join you there and just chalk it all up to a typical characteristic of those soccerscum.  (You do remember your pivotal moment of ignorance, don't you??  One of many...one in particular back in February.)

How's that?  Down close enough to your level yet??

 ::)

The good people at the Tulsa Athletics mow their own grass.

All you care about is your "guns-on-demand" political position, which is the only reason you have for posting your anti-soccer bull mularkey.

Simple, eh?

Serge Ibaka's two blocks on Joakim Noah, followed by a Kendrick Perkin's rebound and pass to K.D. with 2:50 left in the 2nd quarter leading to a fast break sparked by a Durant 3-pointer deflated the injury plagued Chicago Bulls en route to 107-95 victory.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YhI7bml7-g&feature=player_detailpage[/youtube]

The incredible play of Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW8_uELD7Fs&feature=player_detailpage[/youtube]

This kid is a rising star.

NBA All Star Ballot voting link:  http://allstarballot.nba.com/ballot?referrer=asb14_nbadrd&cid=asb14_nbadrd (http://allstarballot.nba.com/ballot?referrer=asb14_nbadrd&cid=asb14_nbadrd)

But do they bag their grass?


The amazing thing is, I am not anti-soccer...I am anti-ignorant, uniformed, low, sloping brow mentalities that irrationally attack an entire family of sports enjoyed by tens, if not hundreds, of millions,  based on the actions of a handful criminals and other mental defectives.  I don't base my thoughts about soccer based on the criminal rioters who seem to wreak havoc way to often, especially at championship events.  They, too are just criminals who don't embody the sport as enjoyed by millions of non-criminals.

Simple?  Well, in keeping with your history....  Why, yes,...you are!!

If you'd like to have a discussion about gun control, please start your own thread in the politics section.

 (https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSkIGxlbt6Ny22fdWSXyweWnft5WN-szhq6cjzlnGk9kLuPcwEC4w) San Antonio Spurs


San Antonio Spurs?  This team just doesn't seem to play the disciplined type ball in which they take over games like they use to play en route to four NBA championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007).

Houston Rockets just defeated the San Antonio Spurs 111-98.  Spurs are having problems with the more elite teams in the NBA.  Two home losses to Houston and home losses to Pacers & Thunder.

Spurs are 10-4 @ home and  12-3 on the road.

http://espn.go.com/nba/standings (http://espn.go.com/nba/standings)

Listed below are some key impact players on NBA teams who could be out for an indefinite period of time.

This has been an unusual year for NBA player injuries:

Eastern Conference

Al Horford, Atlanta
Brook Lopez, Andrei Kirilenko, Brooklyn
Rajon Rondo, Boston
Brendan Haywood, Charlotte
Derrick Rose, Chicago
Chauncey Billups, Detroit
Zaza Pachulia, Carlos Delfino, Milwaukee
Carmelo Anthony, New York
Jason Richardson, Philadelphia
Glen Rice Jr., Al Harrington, Washington


Western Conference

Devin Harris, Dallas
JaVale McGee, Danilo Gallinari, Denver
Jermaine O'Neal, Golden State
Omer Asik, Houston
Reggie Bullock, L.A. Clippers
Kobe Bryant, Steve Blake, Steve Nash, L.A. Lakers
Quincy Pondexter, Marc Gasol, Memphis
Ronny Turiaf, Minnesota
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
Emeka Okafor, Phoenix
Carl Landry, Sacramento

Basketball Injury News and Analysis - Rotoworld.com (http://www.rotoworld.com/teams/injuries/nba/all/)

Actually, I was talking with Rookie about OKC activities and just made a small comment in reply to one of his about soccer - as a very small side note - as soccer should be in a basketball thread (and perhaps elsewhere, given it's small North American presence compared to sports like curling?).  Perhaps you missed that whole concept in Thread Posting 101...?


Perhaps an overly defensive posture on soccer is an "overcompensating" reaction?  Not just limited to people with their big guns, I guess....

Happy New Year, anyway!!

^  More nonsense.  ^   ::)

It's courteous to stay on topic as you post on threads; unfortunately, non conformity will always be a challenge throughout life.   We have to work among ourselves to maintain topic flow in the continuity of civil discourse.   We're all in this place we call the United States; it's a blessing when we all work together.  We live in a great country in which freedom of speech is taken for granted. You never stop learning...

We are thankful for having a forum like Tulsa Now with the caliber of posters who frequent this message board.

Stay positive and be courteous to those who post; we share this message board and value it as a vehicle in which we can express ourselves in exercising the freedoms this country has permitted us to enjoy. 

 


Happy New Year fellow posters! I've learned a lot from posting and reading views contributed by those who cultivate this forum. 

I don't get you Laramie.

You don't live or work here. Yet you are always telling us how good we are and how someday we might get a team as wonderful as your OKC Thunder. You constantly try talking about the NBA on a Tulsa forum, then post pictures about Tulsa icons.

Why do you post on TulsaNow?

I think I have mentioned in the past that one of my "guiding lights" is the Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Perhaps the corollary would be an additional guideline - Do unto others as they do unto you.

I haven't check your posts specifically, so am wondering if there was a similar admonishment to the soccer guy in past posts involving much less than civil discourse?

Catchy comeback!  Much like a 14 year old junior high girl....

^ Another personal attack ^

My views on soccer have nothing to do with my views on gun control, politics, religion, or basketball.
And I don't have the time to respond to every bit of soccer trolling nonsense you spew forth on this forum.

Have a nice day.

Laramie is just overcompensating for OKC because the only thing people know about OKC is the Thunder and a bunch of street racing rednecks on Discovery Channel.

Gotta try to catch up.... in quantity and lack of quality...


Oops...was that another one?  Naw....

But it's getting boring.  Lack of challenge.

How did this guy slip through the radar of so many NBA teams in the 2009 NBA draft? 

He was the 7th draft pick in the 2009 NBA draft selected by the Golden State Warriors.  The same year the Thunder selected James Harden; Timberwolves chose Ricky Rubio and the  Clippers picked OU's Blake Griffin as the No. 1 pick in the overall draft.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Stephen_Curry_2.jpg/225px-Stephen_Curry_2.jpg)http://www.nba.com/playerfile/stephen_curry/ (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/stephen_curry/)
Stephen Curry

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/James_Harden.jpg/225px-James_Harden.jpg)
James Harden


(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Ricky_Rubio-MN_v_DET.jpg/225px-Ricky_Rubio-MN_v_DET.jpg)
Ricky Rubio

Minnesota had a chance to draft Rubio along with Curry; instead they went with Johnny Flynn, he was the sixth draft pick in the 2009 NBA draft.

Laramie, the #7 pick is still in the lottery.  In this case, it wasn't exactly under the radar.  The 1st four teams selected mainly on the basis of need.  Blake, Harden, and Tyreke Evans have all worked out very well.  Hasheem Thabeet, oh well there is always going to be some team hoping that they can turn a 7'3" project into the next Kareem.  The Timberwolves were really the team that passed on Steph by taking 2 PG's at #5 and #6, R. Rubio and  J. Flynn, respectively, and apparently missed the mark with both.  Rubio is a good passer but an absolute awful shooter. Curry for as great as he is on offense, isn't giving you anything on the defensive end (nor does most of his teammates). So while the Warriors are an exciting bunch to watch, don't expect to see them playing too far into June. 

Stephan Curry is having a great year, but Ricky Rubio ain't been bad. He is in the top five among Point Guards in assists and points and is the best in the league in rebounds and steals at his position.

Rubio is among the elite in the NBA when it comes to a pure point guard.  He is very methodical when it comes to breaking down the defense.  

Thunder's Westbrook is not a true point guard; however, he does complement the pieces and deficiencies OKC currently have in place.

Rubio is not an elite PG, and not in the top 5 or 10 best at the position (exclusive of injured D. Rose and just returning R. Rondo). While he has good stats for assists, steals, and rebounds, his overall play is not as impressive as that of the leaders.  Off the top of my head he is not in the class of C. Paul, S. Curry, T. Parker, J. Wall, D. Lillard, T. Lawson, K. Irving, and D. Williams.  I could go on.   His team was predicted to be a playoff team this season and started out promising, and they have underperformed to this point in large measure due to his inability to score (either won't or can't get going offensively).  His shooting is so horrific that defenders just leave him alone to double other players.  Little JJ Berea gives much more of an offensive punch coming off the bench.  Rubio is currently the subject of a lot of trade rumors, but has been difficult to unload.  As the #5 overall pick and the 1st PG taken in the 2009 draft, more was expected of him and he has not lived up to the hype.  Not only did the T-Wolves take him and Flynn as PG's with the #5 and #6 picks, they also took another PG Ty Lawson with the #18 pick in the same draft!  They traded him right away to the Nuggets where he's worked out great.  Did they trade the wrong guy out of the 3?

Good points, you're very knowledgeable about the NBA.

I have Paul, Rubio, and Westbrook on my fantasy basketball roster. I compare the stats of all players by position and make many roster moves per season looking for the hot player.  You guys watch basketball and compare other skills besides stats. All I care about is production.

Rubio is a top five point guard this year in almost every category.

Stats are math, not opinion.

Agree,  Rubio's' stats are impressive...

That was my point about Rubio being more of a pure point guard than Westbrook.   Rookie Okie and I were discussing the elite status.  One source I checked had Rubio at 16 among the top 30 point guards in the NBA.  Post Westbrook, most NBA teams are shifting toward a point guard who is a shooter as well as a distributor.

http://www.complex.com/sports/2013/10/nba-point-guard-rankings-2013-14/ (http://www.complex.com/sports/2013/10/nba-point-guard-rankings-2013-14/)

My overall assessment of Rubio; he is a pure point guard.  I'm was surprised hearing that Minnesota T-Wolves might be trying to unload him.  Rubio is on the books making roughly $3.7 million.  He (Rubio) wants to play for New York, Chicago or Los Angeles.  It's not likely that he's going to get into any of these markets anytime soon.

Rubio is probably a good fantasy pick.  It just doesn't jibe with reality.   I believe some of what makes Rubio a good fantasy pick also heightened the buzz around him at draft time that led the T-wolves to overreach for him in their selection.  On top of that he opted not to join the team until 2 seasons later (maybe he knew he wasn't ready).  

I agree stats are math, but when used effectively they can help us understand weaknesses or areas of opportunity for improvement.  His shooting is poor, scoring is paltry and both have declined in his 3 seasons.  When opponents are doubling and tripling K-Love at his expense, he simply must up his offensive game.

Now with Westbrook, the fantasy is the REALITY!

AND THE THUNDER JUST COMPLETED A FANTASY LIKE FINISH OF THE TRAILBALZERS 105 - 97!!! Talking about some payback!  Another 40+ night (46 points) for the league's MVP K.D.!

Rubio a good guy...

http://deadspin.com/ricky-rubio-practices-bounce-passes-with-little-girl-du-1506336074?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Rubio started playing professional basketball in 2005 with the Spanish ACB League at age 14. 

He is currently on the books for $3.7 million annually with the Timberwolves.  His stats are not all that impressive; however IMHO he is a true point guard.  Through 41 games he currently logs 31.4 MPG, averages 8.6 PPG, 85% FTM, 8.2 APG, .371 FTP, 2.7 TOPG.

MPG=minutes per game
PPG=points per game
FTM=free throws made
APG=assists per game
FTP=free throw percentage
TOPG=turnovers per game
 


 

Rubio also rarely turns the ball over averaging less than 2.4 per game. Curry is over 4 per game and Westbrook is over 4.4.

Rubio also leads the league at his position for steals per game at 2.7 per game. Curry is 1.9 and Westbrook is 1.8.

Point guard play ain't all about points scored. Half the turnovers and 50% more steals is worth noting.

Don't get me wrong, I love Westbrook and Curry is a beast, but you guys act like Rubio is cat food.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1942347-nba-all-star-reserves-2014-full-roster-list-and-analysis-for-east-and-west (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1942347-nba-all-star-reserves-2014-full-roster-list-and-analysis-for-east-and-west)

More like cat smoot than cat food is what comes to mind. 

RR is alright, just saying what others have stated in that he is somewhat disappointing from all of the hype.  PG guard play isn't all about points but his scoring needs to rise since his team is underachieving.  Again, due to his offensive deficiencies teams totally ignore him as a threat to shoot and score, and double and triple his teammates.  He isn't even a threat if and when he is in the lane near the basket. He'll just go underneath the goal or run the baseline and pass it back out.  If Curry and Wesbrook consistently give me 20+ points a night as they do, I can live with 4 turnovers because they are delivering solid productivity.  Westbrook is hustling and really getting after it, so his highly energized style of play and athleticism may lead to a turnover here or there.  He is often willing to take more risks which lead to an occasional turnover, but more often than not his extra efforts create advantages for him and his teammates. 

Stats can be effective when they are used to improve a situation (and apparently RR and his operatives aren’t using them for said purpose), otherwise they can be meaningless.

Westbrook hasn't played for a month and his team is playing better without him. How valuable can he be?

Million dollar question?  It's going to be tough for a small market team like OKC to resign Kevin Durant, Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb and  Thabo Sefolosha for the upcoming seasons.  Will there be enough money to retain what Westbrook's market may demand?   

You will see when he returns.  Clearly the 2nd best player on the team, and inarguably one of the league's 10 best.  With him, OKC could/ should be favored to win the NBA title this year.  Without him, those odds are lessened.  What we're witnessing now in addition to Durant's MVP in the bag performance is the other players feeding off his play and improving their own.  The Thunder definitely need to get as much out of everyone, but it will not be enough without Westbrook if they get into June.  The further a team goes in the playoffs, it will need consistent production from its stars because the role players (especially the inexperienced) will not always step up and be counted on under the mounting pressure.  If the Thunder make it to the finals against either the Pacers or Heat more than likely, they will be facing extremely tough defenses.  Westbrook could be the x-factor when Durant is doubled or tripled and the other teammates don't respond.  Westbrook is a fearless warrior who is not afraid of pressure.  I've not seen him freeze up.  His previous finals experience will be to the Thunder's advantage.

A lot of this will hinge on Durant.  Many insiders who are close to him believe he wants to win more than be paid the king's ransom that Brooklyn, the Lakers or other suitors will dangle in front.  So the current indicators point to him remaining with the Thunder.  The Lebron James model of sacrificing salary for success has now been well proven, so it might make sense to follow that here as well.  Most teams can no longer afford to retain all of their core (not necessarily star) players in any sized market over multiple seasons, so it likely isn't possible or necessary to sign each of the other 3 you mention. 

Remember the Thunder couldn't resign Harden after 2012, but now have completely overcome that loss (mainly the disruption in chemistry that it caused).  Last year some observers said the team was no longer championship caliber, but now in just the 2nd season since his departure they are definitely back to the upper echelon.  Understand the priorities for signing are Durant and Westbrook, continue to run a class organization, keep doing the best to manage the rest, and the Thunder should remain successful.  Keep in mind, good players would like come to play with Durant no matter where he is or lands, so it may not be as difficult to acquire and maintain talent (to offset players lost to free agency) in OKC as it might appear given the small market size.

Thunder 120 - Nets 95!  Go Thunder! Go Thunder!

Good 120-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Interesting point Rookie Okie: Jackson's height is becoming a concern because he has trouble passing the ball when trapped by a double-team as was seen in the Thunder-Heat game on Wednesday night.

Critics will be putting Westbrook under the microscope when he returns to see if the team plays better with him.  Thunder plays better with Durant, Westbrook & Jackson on the floor.

Reports are that the Thunder made $30 million last year season (2012-12); however, the owners were hemorrhaging money after purchasing the team from Starbucks' magnet Howard Schultz group losing nearly $60 million before relocating from Seattle.

We'll see how much they value the potential of winning an NBA championship vs. the financial aspects of the bottom line on the books...

I have done well in Vegas this week betting on the Thunder. The NBA is covering my blackjack losses.

Curry is keeping me in profit tonight.

Think big and aim high.

The Thunder can also keep you fed these days.  White Flag has been offering up free burgers when the Thunder score over 105 points in a game.  I don't know how many burgers WF has given out during the past month with this promotion since they've been scoring like crazy.  But it will be interesting to see if and how much longer WF can continue the promotion.

"As evidence, Stern pointed to the number of international players entering the league, specifically from Africa. Indeed, the NBA's growth in popularity internationally is a key reason the league could support not only one or two additional teams but potentially several more."

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10447496/nba-world-talent-pool-support-nba-expansion (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10447496/nba-world-talent-pool-support-nba-expansion)


Previously, there had been talk of adding two to possibly as many as six franchises to the current 30 NBA with a 32-36 team format.  The new commissioner isn't to keen on expansion or relocation.  Could Memphis & New Orleans be among current NBA markets with relocation in mind?

Most of what's been in the press about expansion-relocation has been centered around markets like Kansas City, Las Vegas, Louisville, Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Richmond, Seattle, St. Louis and Vancouver B. C.

St. Louis (Hawks to Atlanta), Kansas City (Kings to Sacramento), Vancouver (Grizzlies to Memphis) and Seattle (Supersonics to OKC) are among former cities which would get a second look for possible expansion and/or relocation.

There are some current cities struggling to support their NBA franchises like New Orleans and Memphis.  Memphis has the Memphis State basketball in the same market as does Louisville with the University of Louisville in their market.

The KFC Yum Center does have its concerns:  http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/02/controversy-in-louisvilles-lease-with-the-yum-center/ (http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/02/controversy-in-louisvilles-lease-with-the-yum-center/)

Louisville is the currently the best equipped city to handle expansion with the KFC Yum Center which could be retrofitted for the NBA with a reduced size of 20,000 placing it among the largest NBA arena.

Las Vegas has been one of those cities in which the Fab Four (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) Leagues have avoid in the past because of the gambling element.

Seattle comes into the mix with big money behind a privately funded arena which would require a two tenant (NBA-NHL) occupancy moving forward.  The NHL isn't looking to expand or relocate at the current time.

Missouri:  Kansas City & St. Louis are considered overextended markets at this time.    Denver is an overextended market doing great supporting MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL & MLS.  Missouri's two largest cities does possess facilities which could easily accommodate the NBA.

Vancouver, B.C.  could the NBA return to this area of the Pacific Northwest?

Virginia:  Norfolk-Virginia Beach (1.7 million) and Richmond (1.3 million) has been somewhat on the NBA's radar; these areas are less than 100 miles apart.  There is no current arena in any of these areas which could support an NBA franchise.

The NBA has rejected the idea of the San Jose, CA market getting an NBA franchise although it has a facility; because of its proximity to current NBA franchises in Oakland-San Francisco (Warriors) and the Sacramento Kings in that valley.  Yet, California maintains that should the Kings attempt to exit, San Jose, Anaheim and San Diego would attempt to lure the Kings to those cities.  There is no current facility in San Diego capable of long-term housing of an NBA or NHL franchise.

Where would be the best markets for the NBA to possibly expand or relocate?  Is there dark-horse city on the NBA's horizon like Albuquerque, Mexico City or Omaha in the mix?

George Kaiser buys Thunder stake

Tulsa businessman George B. Kaiser is the newest co-owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder after buying out the ownership interest of Tom Ward.


http://newsok.com/george-kaiser-buys-thunder-stake/article/4056832 (http://newsok.com/george-kaiser-buys-thunder-stake/article/4056832)

 


Papanikolaou played for FC Barcelona Basquet last season and averaged 6.9 points in 25 minutes per game. He has won two Euroleague titles.

This offseason, the Rockets lost forward Chandler Parsons in free agency to the Dallas Mavericks and replaced him with Trevor Ariza.

Rockets sign Kostas Papanikolaou to two-year, $4.8 million deal - NBA - SI.com (http://www.si.com/nba/2014/09/23/rockets-sign-kostas-papanikolaou-two-year-contract)

Tyler Pleiss, a Thunder draftee, will spend the upcoming season in Barcelona...  ...Thunder intend to bring the center to Oklahoma City for the 2015-16 season

Too skinny. He will never score ten points in a game in the NBA.

I am willing to bet that if you are interested.

Thanks, RecycleMichael for calling that to my attention.

Hornets are back!!!

There's a spray for that.
 
 :D

Anyone know if excursion trains from Sapulpa to MWC will be running this year for Thunder games?

Eastern Flyer (877) 726-7245

There's a new passenger rail service connecting the Oklahoma City
  metro and Tulsa. The "Eastern Flyer" is presented by Iowa Pacific
  and Stillwater Central Railroad and it will run between Midwest City
  and Sapulpa.
 
 The first trip is slated for February 9, followed by additional
  trips on Feb. 15 and 23, 2014. Train departures from Sapulpa are at 8
  a.m., returning to Sapulpa at 6:30 p.m. Packages and fares start at
  $70 per adult and $64 per child.

Here's a link:  http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3270231 (http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3270231)

That would be awesome if that news story weren’t nine months old.  Unfortunately, the newest news on it is from last Feb.

NBA Draft 2015

Thunder select Cameron Payne of Murray State:

(http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/37/25/64/8215819/3/628x471.jpg)
Left handed, H: 6' 2" W: 183 lbs., point guard, could be good replacement for D. J. Augustin.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Cameron-Payne-70346/ (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Cameron-Payne-70346/)



Billy Donovan's challenge will be to take this young man to the next level.

     October: 2 GP:   1 home/1 away

          November: 16 GP:  10 home/6 away
          December:  15 GP:  9 home/6 away

          January:  16 GP:  7 home/9 away
          February:  11 GP:  6 Home/5 away

          March:  16 GP:  7 home/9 away
          April:  6 GP:  1 home/5 away

April:  First 4 of 6 games on the road (Houston, Denver, Portland & Sacramento); then home against Los Angeles, close out the season @San Antonio.

Nationally televised:  ESPN: 10 - NBA  TV (blacked out):  9 - TNT:  9 - ABC - 5  (24 nationally televised games).

          Turner Media NBA version:  http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/media/2.0/teamsites/thunder/ThunderBroadcastSked-201516.pdf (http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/media/2.0/teamsites/thunder/ThunderBroadcastSked-201516.pdf)

          ESPN version:  http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/okc (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/okc)

Great loud crowd last night (17,978) at the BOK Center for the Thunder-Mavericks preseason exhibition game.   The loudest I've witnessed for a Thunder preseason game since the team's relocation from Seattle to Oklahoma.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400830115 (http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400830115)

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Orlando Magic | October 30, 2015 | NBA 2015-16 Season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oqywv_wzWBw

Great overtime win by Thunder over the Magic in the season's first week.

This young Orlando Magic team will be a wrecking crew in the Eastern Conference

Pat Riley praises Stephen Curry-Klay Thompson tandem, sees 'dynastic' potential in Golden State Warriors (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14203719/pat-riley-praises-stephen-curry-klay-thompson-tandem-sees-dynastic-potential-golden-state-warriors)


The Splash brothers are on fire!

LeBron James criticized President Trump on Monday, accusing him of trying to divide the country by using sports as his
focal point.

The new Los Angeles Lakers star said Trump created a wedge by capitalizing on the controversy surrounding former San
Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem.

“[Trump is] dividing us and what I've noticed over the last few months,” James told CNN before the official opening of his
I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. “He's kinda used sport to kinda divide us, and that's something that I
can't relate to because I know that sport was the first time I ever was around someone white and I got the opportunity to
see them and learn about them and they got an opportunity to learn about me and we became very good friends.”

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2018/07/31/lebron-james-accuses-trump-using-sports-to-divide-nation.html

                                          Thunder introduces Chris Fisher as new TV announcer:  https://newsok.com/article/5609522/thunder-introduces-chris-fisher-as-new-tv-announcer (https://newsok.com/article/5609522/thunder-introduces-chris-fisher-as-new-tv-announcer)

     Chris Fisher Joins Thunder Broadcast Team on Fox Sports Oklahoma: https://youtu.be/LWIq1Y4aWF0

     Thunder 2018-19 Regular Season Schedule:  http://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder (http://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder)

Oklahoma City Thunder ownership group:  The Professional Basketball Club, LLC https://www.nba.com/thunder/ownershiphttp://

 

ESPN NBA Thunder: http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder (http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder)              

ESPN and NBA TV to bring fans all 83 games from MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019

Official Release | June 21, 2019
Eastern (Standard) Time on ESPNU.
Friday, July 5

Below is the complete schedule for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019.

Cox Pavilion
3 p.m. – Croatia vs. Detroit (NBA TV)
5 p.m. – Cleveland vs. Minnesota (NBA TV)
7 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Dallas (NBA TV)
9 p.m. – Golden State vs. Charlotte (NBA TV)
11 p.m. – San Antonio vs. Orlando (NBA TV)

Thomas & Mack
3:30 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia (ESPN2)
5:30 p.m. – China vs. Miami (ESPNU)
7:30 p.m. – Chicago vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN)
9:30 p.m. – New Orleans vs. New York (ESPN)
11:30 p.m. – Denver vs. Phoenix (ESPN)

Saturday, July 6
Cox Pavilion
3 p.m. – Utah vs. Oklahoma City (NBA TV)
5 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. Atlanta (NBA TV)
7 p.m. – Indiana vs. Memphis (NBA TV)
9 p.m. – Houston vs. Dallas (NBA TV)
11 p.m. – China vs. Sacramento (NBA TV)

Thomas & Mack
3:30 p.m. – Detroit vs. Portland (ESPNU)
5:30 p.m. – Philadelphia vs. Boston (ESPN)
7:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers vs. LA Clippers (ESPNU)
9:30 p.m. – Washington vs. New Orleans (ESPN)
11:30 p.m. – Golden State vs. Toronto (ESPN)

Sunday, July 7
Cox Pavilion
4 p.m. – Croatia vs. Brooklyn (NBA TV)
6 p.m. – Orlando vs. Denver (NBA TV)
8 p.m. – Miami vs. Utah (NBA TV)
10 p.m. – Portland vs. Houston (NBA TV)

Thomas & Mack
3:30 p.m. – Charlotte vs. San Antonio (ESPN2)
5:30 p.m. – Atlanta vs. Minnesota (ESPN2)
7:30 p.m. – Cleveland vs. Chicago (ESPN)
9:30 p.m. – Phoenix vs. New York (ESPN)
11:30 p.m. – LA Clippers vs. Memphis (ESPN2)

Monday, July 8
Cox Pavilion
3 p.m. – Philadelphia vs. Oklahoma City (ESPNU)
5 p.m. – Detroit vs. Indiana (ESPNU)
7 p.m. – Toronto vs. Milwaukee (ESPNU)
9 p.m. – Minnesota vs. San Antonio (ESPNU)
11 p.m. – Charlotte vs. China (ESPNU)

Thomas & Mack
3:30 p.m. – Dallas vs. Sacramento (NBA TV)
5:30 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Washington (NBA TV)
7:30 p.m. – Boston vs. Cleveland (NBA TV)
9:30 p.m. – Chicago vs. New Orleans (NBA TV)
11:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State (NBA TV)

Tuesday, July 9
Cox Pavilion
4 p.m. – Orlando vs. Miami (ESPN2)
6 p.m. – Utah vs. Portland (ESPN2)
8 p.m. – Boston vs. Denver (ESPN2)
10 p.m. – Houston vs. Sacramento (ESPN2)

Thomas & Mack
3:30 p.m. – Oklahoma City vs. Croatia (NBA TV)
5:30 p.m. – Atlanta vs. Indiana (NBA TV)
7:30 p.m. – Memphis vs. Phoenix (NBA TV)
9:30 p.m. – Toronto vs. New York (NBA TV)
11:30 p.m. – Washington vs. LA Clippers (NBA TV)

Wednesday, July 10
Cox Pavilion
3 p.m. – Detroit vs. Philadelphia (NBA TV)
5 p.m. – Chicago vs. Charlotte (NBA TV)
7 p.m. – Miami vs. Minnesota (NBA TV)
9 p.m. – Phoenix vs. San Antonio (NBA TV)
11 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. China (NBA TV)

Thomas & Mack
3:30 p.m. – Dallas vs. Croatia (ESPNU)
5:30 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Orlando (ESPNU)
7:30 p.m. – New Orleans vs. Cleveland (ESPN2)
9:30 p.m. – New York vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN2)
11:30 p.m. – Denver vs. Golden State (ESPNU)

Thursday, July 11
Cox Pavilion
6 p.m. – Indiana vs. Toronto (NBA TV)
8 p.m. – Oklahoma City vs. Portland (NBA TV)
10 p.m. – LA Clippers vs. Sacramento (NBA TV)

Thomas & Mack
6:30 p.m. – Washington vs. Atlanta (ESPN2)
8:30 p.m. – Houston vs. Utah (ESPNU)
10:30 p.m. – Memphis vs. Boston (ESPN2)

Friday, July 12 – Consolation
Consolation games will take place at the below times and locations:
Cox Pavilion: 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack: 4:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, July 13 – Consolation and Quarterfinals
Consolation games will take place at the below times and locations:
Cox Pavilion: 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. (NBA TV)
Quarterfinal tournament games will take place at the below times and locations:
Thomas & Mack: 4:30 p.m. (ESPN), 6:30 p.m. (ESPN), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN), 10:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Sunday, July 14 – Semifinals
Semifinal tournament games will take place at the below times and locations:
Thomas & Mack: 6 p.m. (ESPN2) and 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

Monday, July 15 – Championship
Thomas & Mack: 9 p.m. (ESPN)

NEW YORK – The matchup between New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and New York Knicks guard-forward RJ Barrett – two of the top three picks in NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm – highlights the 11-day, 83-game schedule for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019 in Las Vegas. Williamson and the Pelicans face Barrett and the Knicks on Friday, July 5 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Every MGM Resorts NBA Summer League game will air live on television for the second straight year, with ESPN networks and NBA TV combining to televise a record number of games.

Williamson, the No. 1 pick in NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm, returns on Saturday, July 6 to face Rui Hachimura and the Washington Wizards at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. Hachimura became the first Japanese-born player selected in the first round by an NBA team when the Wizards picked him ninth in NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm.

MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019, which features all 30 NBA teams and the Chinese and Croatian National Teams, will tip off with 10 games on July 5 and continue through Monday, July 15 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The first day of action will include five games on NBA TV and a tripleheader on ESPN.

The event opens with all 32 teams playing four preliminary games each. The top eight teams are then seeded in a tournament, which culminates with a Championship Game on July 15 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Teams that do not qualify for the tournament will each play a consolation game. Every team will play at least five games and as many as seven at MGM Resorts NBA Summer League.

Last year’s event, won by the Portland Trail Blazers, set records for total attendance, combined viewership across ESPN and NBA TV, and traffic to the NBA’s social and digital platforms, in addition to matching the single-day attendance record.

For the third consecutive year, ESPN will present every game from Las Vegas via the ESPN App, along with 43 games on its linear television networks (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU).

NBA TV, co-managed by the NBA and Turner Sports, will air a record 40 games, beginning with the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League opener when the Croatian National Team, making its event debut, squares off against the Detroit Pistons on July 5 at 3 p.m. ET. NBA TV’s coverage of Day 1 will also feature a 5 p.m. ET game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who selected Darius Garland with the fifth pick in NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm.

The Trail Blazers will begin defense of their MGM Resorts NBA Summer League title against the Pistons on July 6 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU. Later that day, the Atlanta Hawks, who selected Cam Reddish the 10th pick in NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm, will play the Milwaukee Bucks at 5 p.m. ET on NBA TV.

Tickets for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019 are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting NBATickets.com.

(https://www.nba.com/resources/static/team/v2/thunder/NewsRelease-Header-ION-1819.png)

Thunder Announces Summer League Roster

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 1, 2019 – The Oklahoma City Thunder announced its roster today for the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019.

The Thunder’s summer league team will play a minimum of five games and a maximum of seven, starting with four preliminary contests from July 6-11. The top eight teams will then be seeded in the tournament, which starts July 12 and concludes with the Championship Game on July 15. Teams that do not qualify for the tournament will each play a consolation game.

Oklahoma City’s summer league squad includes Thunder guards Deonte Burton and Hamidou Diallo. Thunder rights-held players Devon Hall and Kevin Hervey are also on the roster. Dave Bliss will serve as head coach of Oklahoma City’s summer league team.

Tickets for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019 are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting NBATickets.com. Games can be viewed live on the ESPN networks or NBA TV. Full coverage of the Thunder at Summer League can be found at okcthunder.com, the Thunder Mobile App and on the team’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

The Thunder’s complete Summer League roster and schedule (top post) are as follows:

                         (https://www.nba.com/resources/static/team/v2/thunder/summer-roster-2019.jpg)

Darius Bazley (23rd pick) can't be added to the roster until July 6th, official signing.

Source links: https://www.nba.com/thunder/news/summer-roster-190701 (https://www.nba.com/thunder/news/summer-roster-190701)


   

Oklahoma has supported NBA basketball since (11 years) 2008, 13 counting the NBA Hornets temporary relocation.

Tulsans have purchased a bulk of season tickets in support of Oklahoma's NBA experience.  The Thunder organization plays an annual pre-season game at the BOK Center.




OKLAHOMA CITY, March 21, 2019 – The Oklahoma City Thunder will return to Tulsa, Okla. during the 2019 preseason, the team announced today. The Thunder is set to host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. inside the BOK Center.

This matchup will mark the Thunder’s 11th preseason game in Tulsa and the second time Oklahoma City and Dallas will face off there. These two teams previously met at the BOK Center on Oct. 13, 2015, with the Thunder downing the Mavericks 100-88 in that preseason contest.

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 9, at 10 a.m. on bokcenter.com, starting at $16 per ticket. Fans interested in receiving more ticket information can sign up on the BOK Center website. http://www.bokcenter.com/events/ (http://www.bokcenter.com/events/)

Also Metro Tickets:  http://www.metrotickets.com/tickets/3953186/nba-preseason-oklahoma-city-thunder-vs-dallas-mavericks-tickets-tue-oct-8-2019-bok-center (http://www.metrotickets.com/tickets/3953186/nba-preseason-oklahoma-city-thunder-vs-dallas-mavericks-tickets-tue-oct-8-2019-bok-center)

Let's have some fun:



Report: Oklahoma City Thunder minority ownership stake up for sale:  http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-ownership-stake-sale-aubrey-mcclendon (http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-ownership-stake-sale-aubrey-mcclendon)

Thunder minority owner George Kaiser currently owns 19.23 percent of the team he purchased from Tom Ward.  If Kaiser were to purchase McClendon's 22 percent ($324.5 million.); he would become the majority owner in the franchise.

What would stop a majority owner who controls 41.23 per cent of the franchise from moving the team up the Turnpike to Tulsa?  8)

Correction:  He would not be a majority owner; he would own more of the Thunder than any single investor. Majority owner would have to own more than 50%.

 
                                                     Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:  https://youtu.be/VmSXpSPBFgQ (https://youtu.be/VmSXpSPBFgQ)

                                                     Danilo Gallinari: https://youtu.be/3CZQbpV4Stc (https://youtu.be/3CZQbpV4Stc)

                                                     Darius Bazley:  https://youtu.be/QrI0aJWwUAs (https://youtu.be/QrI0aJWwUAs)

                                                     Chris Paul: https://youtu.be/sKLHUQqzrQY (https://youtu.be/sKLHUQqzrQY)

                                                      Mike Muscala: https://youtu.be/qAXt1CC5rWs (https://youtu.be/qAXt1CC5rWs)

                                                     Luuentz Dort:  https://youtu.be/XCWPMuwPCw4 (https://youtu.be/XCWPMuwPCw4)

                                                     Kevin Hervey:  https://youtu.be/JK2Vp5KlymI (https://youtu.be/JK2Vp5KlymI)

                                            Thunder Unveils New Uniform in Partnership with Oklahoma City National Memorial

                                                 City Edition is one of four new Thunder uniforms to debut in 2019-20 season

Oklahoma City, Tuesday, July 23, 2019 –The Oklahoma City Thunder today unveiled four new uniforms for the 2019-20 season. The lineup includes a new City Edition designed in partnership with the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. This City uniform aligns with the upcoming 25th anniversary of the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. The Thunder and the memorial worked closely with Nike to embody the spirit of resilience and remembrance to pay respect to the lives lost and all those impacted by the bombing. It also captures the memorial’s mission of educating current and future generations about the Oklahoma City community’s response to the tragedy, with a focus on the Oklahoma Standard of service, honor and kindness.

“April 19th, 1995 changed our city forever. The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum serves our community by helping us remember those lost, yet also tells a story of a city that comes together with compassion,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. “The Thunder is honored to continue to strengthen our relationship with the Oklahoma City Memorial with this endeavor. Additionally, the chance to help further the memorial's efforts around the Oklahoma Standard expands our support beyond that of the uniform. Although the Oklahoma Standard means something unique to everyone individually, raising awareness of its importance and ultimate evolution alongside that of our city is essential. Any progress we can make to help preserve and ultimately further articulate the simple acts of service, honor and kindness that have helped contribute to Oklahoma's community identity is a pivotal aspect to the broader civic impact we envision.”

Thunder Announces Coaching Staff Updates

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 23, 2019 – The Oklahoma City Thunder has named David Akinyooye, Dave Bliss, Mark Daigneault, Brian Keefe and Mike Wilks assistant coaches, it was announced today by the team. They join current Thunder assistant coaches Maurice Cheeks and Vin Bhavnani along with director of quality control Billy Schmidt on Head Coach Billy Donovan’s staff.

“Each of our coaches on this year’s staff has a unique perspective on Thunder basketball that we believe will be a great benefit to our players,” said Donovan. “We are thrilled to welcome Brian Keefe back to the program, and seeing Dave, Mark, David and Mike all rise through our ranks to these positions on our staff is a testament to their hard work and dedication. With Mo, Vin and Billy Schmidt also back for next season, I couldn’t be more excited to get to work with this group.”

Akinyooye (ah-kin-YO-yay) joins the Thunder after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Blue. Akinyooye came to Oklahoma City in 2015 following a one-year stint as an assistant coach in Lyon, France with Asvel Lyon-Villeurbanne Basket.

Prior to his time in Lyon, Akinyooye served as a player development quality assurance assistant with the San Antonio Spurs during their 2013-14 NBA championship season. He began his coaching career in 2012-13 with the New York Knicks in the role of coaching workout associate.

Bliss has been elevated to an assistant coaching position after spending the 2018-19 season as a senior player development coach for the Thunder. Bliss returned to Oklahoma City in 2018 after spending the three previous seasons with the New York Knicks as a player development coach. He previously worked with the Thunder as video analyst/player development coach from 2010-15 and this past month Bliss served as the head coach of the Thunder’s summer league team.

He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at the University of Georgia before transitioning to Virginia Commonwealth University to work as a graduate assistant. Bliss worked under Head Coach Shaka Smart during his time at VCU, helping the team to a 27-9 record. A four-year starter at Georgia, Bliss played a key role as the Bulldogs won the school’s second SEC Conference Tournament Championship in 2008.

Mark Daigneault (DAYG-nalt) joins the Thunder sideline after spending the past five seasons as head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue. He led the Blue to four playoff appearances and holds a career 143-107 (.572) record. Daigneault also served as head coach of the Thunder’s summer league team for three consecutive years (2016-2018).

Under Daigneault’s watch the past five seasons, the Blue has seen eight players called up to NBA rosters and four players signed to Two-Way Contracts. During the 2015-16 season, Daigneault joined Donovan’s Thunder coaching staff midseason after Cheeks was sidelined due to hip surgery. Daigneault came to Oklahoma City after spending his previous four years working under Donovan at the University of Florida, where he most recently held the position of assistant to the head coach. Throughout his four years at Florida, the Gators totaled a record of 120-30 (.800), won three SEC titles and advanced to the Elite Eight each year.

Keefe returns to the Thunder sideline for the 2019-20 season after serving previously in the same capacity for five seasons in Oklahoma City (2008-2013). During Keefe’s previous tenure with the Thunder, Oklahoma City advanced to the postseason five straight seasons, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012.

Entering his 15th NBA season, Keefe spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. Before originally joining the Thunder, Keefe spent two seasons (2005-07) as assistant video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs, winning an NBA Championship as part of Gregg Popovich’s staff during the Spurs’ title run in 2007.

Wilks moves to the Thunder’s bench after spending the previous seven seasons with Oklahoma City as a senior pro evaluation scout. Wilks becomes the second former Thunder player (Royal Ivey) to join the team’s coaching ranks. 

He enjoyed a seven-year NBA playing career where he appeared in 233 games with ten different NBA teams. He holds career averages of 2.5 points, 1.2 assists and 1.0 rebound in 9.6 minutes per game.


Thunder New Release:  https://www.nba.com/thunder/news/release-coachingstaff-190723 (https://www.nba.com/thunder/news/release-coachingstaff-190723)

Darius Bazley has heard the question.

It's almost always the first thing anyone wants to ask the rookie.

"You get some people here and there they'll just ask you about it, 'Yo, like how was it not going to college?'" Bazley told ESPN recently. "I know when I was going through the whole pre-draft process traveling from team to team before we'd go out and work out, [the other players would] all be talking about college. And someone would pop up and say, 'Well, how was it, just sitting out?'"

It was a little more than a year ago when Bazley decided to forgo a scholarship at Syracuse for a potential path to the NBA via the G League. He then opted to skip the G League as well to instead focus on preparing for the draft.

Bazley isn't the first player in the one-and-done era to bypass the traditional college route before entering the NBA. But the Oklahoma City Thunder forward did something almost entirely unprecedented. After his brief flirtation with joining the G League, Bazley signed an endorsement deal with New Balance that included a one-year internship with the Boston-based sneaker company.

During that year, when he wasn't working out at the company's facility in preparation for his eventual jump into the draft, he was immersing himself in the business side of basketball. He spent time working directly with multiple divisions at New Balance, ranging from marketing to apparel to product testing. He was involved in the design process as New Balance built its first basketball performance shoe since the late 2000s, and got an up-close look at the manufacturing process at New Balance's factory.

While some endorsers get a taste of that with their sneaker companies, Bazley got far more up-close experience, not just getting a tour on a quick visit, but having the opportunity to spend days sitting in meetings, doing product testing and contributing in meaningful ways beyond just picking a sneaker he liked.

In true 21st century NBA fashion, Bazley also got to learn about building a personal brand from New Balance's digital and social teams, even using his Instagram account to provide insight into what his internship was like.

Source:  ESPN NBA - https://www.espn.com/nba/ (https://www.espn.com/nba/)