Monday Bolts – 12.14.09
Darnell Mayberry with an interesting story from last night: “With his exploits, James had transformed the gentleman
seated in the high-priced seat from fiery foe to friendly fan. For three quarters, the man offered his best Jack Nicholson, mercilessly heckling Cleveland’s superstar forward. No. 23 in the wine and gold even jawed back, on one trip down court appearing to annoyingly mouth the words, ‘Sue me.” But the fan slowly became a witness. James ended the first half by scoring each of the Cavs’ final 12 points. He had two three-point plays, a jump hook off the glass from the right block and two rim-rocking dunks. Twelve minutes later, James ended the third period in even more spectacular fashion, burying a barrage of deep 3-pointers en route to scoring Cleveland’s final 10 points of the period. By then, James had the middle-aged man fawning over his feats. Just before James inbounded the ball near the fan at the start of the final period, the man extended a closed fist. James graciously bumped knuckles. Durant, noticing the exchange while wrangling with his shoe laces, furrowed his brow then took exception. “You supposed to be on our side,” Durant said, pinching a piece of his white Thunder jersey. “What kind of fan are you?”
Mayberry also asked Tim Legler some questions: “DM: You mentioned Chris Bosh. Do you think a big-name free agent like Bosh could be convinced to sign in a market like Oklahoma City? TL: There are certain guys that I don’t think there is anyway Oklahoma City as a market would have a chance to land a player like that. I don’t think Chris Bosh is in that category. He just spent his whole career up in Toronto. Toronto’s a great city, but in terms of NBA marketing appeal it’s not up there. It’s in Canada. He’s been up there and he’s been happy for the most part until this year. So I think Chris Bosh is a little different. His character and the things that are important to him are not the same things that’s important to some of the other marquee players. So I don’t think it’ll be out of the question that Oklahoma City can make a run at Chris Bosh. I know they’re in a good situation as far as the cap. They’re not going to get LeBron James. They’re not going to get Dwyane Wade. You have to start thinking about who else could have the kind of impact on our team that we need that can get us over the hump. To me, Chris Bosh is the perfect fit. If I were them I’d do everything I could to target him. I’m not saying you’re going to get him. Everybody’s saying he’s going to end up in Miami. But you never know. I think he could fit in well in a market like Oklahoma City and be happy there.”
Kevin Durant’s Giving Tree is tomorrow. Don’t forget.
Jalen Rose on the Thunder: “I appreciate what the Thunder have done as far as building a team through the draft. They have four players who can really play. That is why they are in position, as a young team, to be as exciting as it gets. I refer to Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and James Harden as the “Core Four.” Westbrook is a combo guard who can shoot and handle; like a lot of young guys, he needs to tighten up his decision-making. Green can switch out and guard four different positions. He is strong and tough and doesn’t need the ball to be effective. And Harden is a silky smooth lefty. He is crafty, and he can knock down the 3 or slash and get to the basket.”
John Krolik of Cavs: The Blog with some reaction: “What this team needs is a playmaker who can be consistent. Westbrook has all the talent in the world and will be a very solid player in this league for a long time, but he can’t be counted on to be the primary playmaker night in and night out, and Harden isn’t ready to fill that gap yet. If he can come into his own and balance out what Westbrook brings in the backcourt, the Thunder are going to flat-out start humming offensively.”
I found this hilarious last night when I saw it live. LeBron eating a Thunder fan’s French fries:
LeBron on the French fry eating: “There wasn’t nobody sitting there,” James said, explaining that he hadn’t taken the fry from the Durant fan. “The French fries had their own seat.”
I really have no idea what Jenni Carlson is writing about here: “As a squad with plenty of stars in the making, Oklahoma City will soon find itself in the same place as Cleveland. It will need to sign Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, then not long after, Russell Westbrook. It will need to find the bucks to cement the franchise’s foundation. It will be a tall task, but if Cleveland can sign LeBron during the offseason, it will seem much more possible. If the Cavs can do it, then the Thunder can, too. Granted, LeBron wouldn’t be the first superstar to stay in one of the NBA’s smaller cities. Tim Duncan is in San Antonio. Dwight Howard is in Orlando.” How are these situations even remotely related?
Kevin Durant wants you to send in your pictures to his website. Do it.
You’ve got to read this Q&A with Brad Keller from some Seattle Weekly writer: “SW: Do you think it would be fitting punishment for you to be locked in an empty KeyArena alone for 41 days per year, to remind you of the heartbreak that thousands of Seattleites experienced as a result of the Sonics leaving town? BK: There is nothing that would be fitting, because there is nothing that would warrant anything of that nature. SW: Well, you helped the team leave town. BK: I represented a client that had a dispute with the city. We had a showdown in the courtroom, and the result of that was, by agreement, the team was permitted to relocate. SW: Do you consider yourself to be the ultimate villain in the Sonics’ defection to Oklahoma City? BK: I consider myself to have been a lawyer that represented a client.”
Aubrey McClendon has gotten his dunes sold: “A conservation group has signed a deal to buy 171 acres of Lake Michigan shoreline sand dunes in Saugatuck for $19 million from Aubrey McClendon, co-owner of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Officials for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan said Thursday the deal had been approved by its board. The Grand Rapids-based group has been working with The Nature Conservancy and the city of Saugatuck to acquire the property.”
Interesting video from reader Johnny. Basically watch as Jeff Green gets caught ballwatching. These are the ways teams can torch you from outside.
