Monday Bolts: 5.29.17

Happy Memorial Day, friends. Please be safe if you’re out and about.

ABC News on how Memorial Day has lost its true meaning: “By the early 20th century, the holiday had evolved to honor all military members who died in service. Some veterans say Memorial Day began to be watered down more than four decades ago when Congress changed the date from its traditional May 30 to the last Monday in May to give people a three-day weekend. Arguing that transformed a solemn day of remembrance into one associated with leisure and recreation, veterans groups have long advocated a return to May 30.”

NPR says Memorial Day is not the day to say thanks: “As most people are aware (or should be), Memorial Day and Veterans Day serve different purposes. Veterans Day is to honor the service of people who have worn the uniforms of the armed forces. Memorial Day is intended to remember those who died while serving. Visconti encourages those who want to say supportive words to a veteran to recognize “that the person may have friends who died in combat.” As far as saying thank you goes, “I don’t need to be thanked for my service,” he tells NPR’s Michel Martin. “I think it’s become kind of a platitude, toss-away thing to say.”

Hoops

Tim Kawakami with a great/excruciatingly painful look back at Game 6 of last season’s Western Conference Finals: “And those were probably the exact details necessary to draw Kevin Durant from the Thunder to the Warriors in July, which ended the Thunder’s tenure as a chief NBA title contender and kept the Warriors from having to decide whether to pay Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli large long-term dollars, among many other developments. Did the Warriors sense the weight of all of this, even before Game 6 against Durant’s Thunder a year ago? “Somewhere in the back of your mind you’re definitely thinking, ‘hey, if we lose this, there’s no shot (at Durant),” Draymond Green recalled recently.”

Enes Kanter is a wanted man in Turkey: “Turkish prosecutors have sought an international red notice — a request for foreign governments to locate and arrest an individual — from Interpol, according to the Daily Sabah. Interpol officials would have to approve the red notice — which is hardly a given — and even if one is issued, Kanter’s arrest and extradition from the U.S. appears to be unlikely. Under federal law, an Interpol red notice alone isn’t sufficient grounds for an arrest. Turkey would need to submit a diplomatic request for Kanter’s apprehension under the terms of the current extradition treaty between the two countries. Turkey is then required to also produce not only the arrest warrant, but also a statement of facts and evidence to justify an extradition.”

Nick Collison is clear: Enes is not a terrorist. (TMZ) “We got the Oklahoma City Thunder power forward out at Catch in Weho Friday night … he tells us Kanter’s an awesome dude and — despite not knowing the full story with Turkey — he’s convinced the terrorism accusations are B.S. “He’s a great guy.”

Brett Dawson on Dougie McBuckets fitting in OKC: “I’ve always really loved the Thunder,’ said McDermott, who grew up in the Midwestern college towns where his father, Greg, coached basketball, and rooted for the team from the time it relocated from Seattle to OKC. “I always wanted to play here.”

Sports Illustrated on the NBA’s MVP problem: “Remember that crazy season when Russell Westbrook averaged a triple double and James Harden almost did the same thing? Oh right … that was this year. When either Westbrook or Harden walks on stage to accept the MVP award at the NBA Honors event on June 26, neither will have played in over a month (two months in Westbrook’s case).”

NewsOK on the Thunder’s draft options: “The Thunder could look for a shooter like Duke’s Luke Kennard. It could grab a scoring wing like Terrance Ferguson, an American high school star a year ago who spent the past season in Australia. It could take a versatile frontcourt athlete like Oregon’s Jordan Bell. Perhaps a player like Duke’s Harry Giles or Indiana’s OG Anunoby — both top-15 caliber prospects — slides due to injury concerns, giving the Thunder a crack at a high-potential draftee.”

Russ passes on the rompers for men trend: “I don’t wear rompers, man,” Westbrook said. “I just be chillin’, bro.”

Russ has cool friends: