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From what I gleaned last night in LA…I would say minus Austin Reaves late in the game….the Lakers are done. As in finished except for Austin. They quit and the Denver Nuggets remain the Laker’s Daddy to an even greater scale than last season when they swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

A note of caution to you OKC Thunder fans who already have the young Thunder in the NBA Finals…the Nuggets are peaking just right as we hit the goal acheiving portion of the ‘real’ NBA season.

You can hand out a litany of NBA regular season awards like I did last week on my blog, but from now moving forward this is when it matters. This is when we see the real basketball souls of players and coaches alike. As in…who really wants it most, and it appears to me Denver very much wants a repeat on this group’s legacy resume.

Don’t get me wrong, I think when the Thunder keep all their white guys on the bench minus Chet they’re special. But basketball is like life in essence. That being, sometimes you need to fail and get knocked on your ass before you realize what it really takes to acheive your ultimate goal.

And in this case… that goal is simply winning the O’Brien Trophy. Nothing else matters. This is about winning from this point moving forward.

I put this video up this morning because I thout both Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter were special last night on the road. Aaron went for 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Michael hit every clutch shot while Jamal played what I would desribe as a ‘quiet’ game after Monday night’s iconic game winner in Denver.

As a fan of Western Conference basketball it would appear to me we are about to have some incredible matchups in the next round as Denver, OKC, Minnesota, and the winner of the Dallas-Clippers advance to the semi-final round. I mean…this should be must see for real NBA fans. I can’t wait. I’m now in a locked in state of mind here at the blog. Locked and loaded…so to speak. Let’s go.

If you want the white boy baby food Thunder bullshit….this ain’t the place. That place would be the Daily Thunder.

It’s supposd to rain tomorrow in Oklahoma…so I’m going go do my workout early wearing my Jamal Murray jersey and then settle for a double dip of OKC at New Orleans and Boston at Miami.

Have a phenomenal NBA Saturday as the journey continues.

MJ

It usually takes me about two days to decompress from leaving Denver of the United States of America to adjust to the Donald Trump Banana Republic of Oklahoma. So…. I’m not quite there just yet, but almost. Sunshine and good music help the transition. Both in abundance today in Deer Creek as I mentally prepare to mow the mini-ranch before the rains get here on Saturday.

I wouldn’t say Oklahoma with their book burning Secretary of Education Ryan Walters is quite there with Hitler and Himmler just yet, but he and his boy Kevin Stitt have definitely taken the state of education in Oklahoma to places even Mary Fallin could have imagined.

It is what it is though, bruhs. Deal with it.

I’m resting here at the Deer Creek mini ranch today a couple of weeks before the wife and I hit the road to the Deep South for about ten days of the Gulf coastline starting in eastern Mississippi and ending up somewhere around Clearwater. I’ve always wanted to do this. We’ve traveled pretty much all of Florida previously. This should be cool.

This is something I really wanted to do before Integris hosts a special month of of activities during National Cancer Survivors Week. I didn’t do this last year, but I think I can handle it this time. I’ve experienced a lot of human journey survival skills since then. I think I can handle this before we hit the dog days of July when we hope to hit Wyoming in July and Seattle in August.

This is something all planned out in my mind. Call it the Michael Jackson Bucket List Tour … if you know what I mean. Probably…. Mexico in September might be nice…maybe Cozumel would be nice. Their drug cartel thing isn’t a concern…my skin and my manner will keep me safe. Hell…I probably have a better chance of being shot in Oklahoma in a 7-11 parking lot by a Proud Boy or Oath Keeper as they fight to take their country back since since they’re too fucking lazy to do the hard work to live the American Dream.

Truth hurts….stupid lazy white people. I mean, I worked and paid my way thrpugh college at night school, while working harder tha an illegal immigarnt during the days. I wouldn’t write this shit if I hadn’t lived it. Lazy, momma boys people are not in my inner circle.

October…somewhere near Ashville, North Carolina. A little combination of maybe a four day modest hike somewhere and prime fall foilage observation.

November…..I’m not sure just yet. Maybe an OU road game in the SEC. If Trump wins th election then may just be what I need to get done. You know…kind of like the Von Trapp family in the Sound of Music just before they escape Austria to get to Switzerland.

December…this one might be tricky…depending on if the airports have been closed by the Trump crazies depending on how the election went. Hawaii would be nice. Cabo would be cool. Or maybe we should go back to Cozumel and see about buying a house.

I dunno know.

Anyway…nice wins for the Thunder and Tyler Herro’s Miami Heat last night.

I’ll be back tomorrow to blog about Game 3 between the defending champ Denver Nuggets and the LA Lakers.

Eternal peace.

MJ

Well…I’m back from my week in Denver and I feel completely reset and refreshed. Going from Deer Creek, Oklahoma… where there is an apartheid form of government, and then waking up in a democracy like Denver where people actually read books, go to museums, treasure all genres of music, and don’t fill themselves up with shit junk food from the nearest Taco Bell or Carl’s Jr.

I mean…literally… it’s like going from one nation to another. People in Denver don’t listen to shit from the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, Sean Hannity or the New Confederacy’s new No. 1 fuckstick Tucker Carlson.

No …that shit isn’t in Denver. They’re an amalgam of humans more like me…a successful brown person who has lived his life somewhat well and been self accountable and responsible. Not like the fake Trump Christians I see eveywhere around me in Oklahoma. You know, the fakes who buy the Trump Bibles, buy the Trump golden sneakers, and buy the Trump Sex F–king scents for a collective $359.95 and yet don’t even know where in the Bible the Ten Commandments are located.

But enough of that. I actually got to sit on the floor for Game 2 for nothing. Unbelievable. My son got us free comped tickets from the energy company he works for in Denver and via a thank you gift/bonus for all the good things he has done for them we literally sat on the corner on the floor for free. I sat on the seat which literally led into the Laker locker room.

I hope at some point to get one of those pics on my cover page since…. I of course didn’t shame myself by having a Thunder podcast in the long run.

My son also bought me a jersey of my choice for the game as well and paid for picture perfect cold Modelos which were brought to us by a beautiful Hispanic waitress named Maria. This will not be shared with Dr. Showalter…just saying. It can’t get much better than that. I mean…at one point, I thought to myself I was knocking on the front door of Hoops Heaven.

I mean, seriously, I felt like this was God saying to me…”Mike, I’m proud of you. I like how you’ve handled this cancer deal. Is this the way you wanna go out?” No shit. It was that emotional and surreal for me.

Anyway… three days before the game my son asked, ” Which jersey do you want?”

I asked, ” Do you think it would be too audacious of me to where the replica Austin Reaves OU jersey?”

He answered,” You’re not wearing that jersey sitting next to me on the floor. Not a chance.”

So I then responded, ” Maybe an old Nugget powder blue Jamal Murray jersey would be cool.”

He said, “There you go. It’ll be here a day before the game.”

He…being an MBA grad from OU said, ” I know you love Austin Reaves like a second son, but there is just no way in hell you’re wearing that jersey in that seat for this game.”

I replied, “I’m good with it. Besides I have a feeling Jamal will do something clutch.”

So there you go.

Jamal being clutch on my last night in Denver and my ascending to Hoops Heaven much like I did in Game 6 in Oke City when Klay hit those eleven threes when I sat with my Dad on a special night which changed me forever.

Let’s go Nuggets!!!!!

MJ

This will be much tougher than the UConn Huskies’ recent repeat. This will be tough. Winning four series and sixteen games this NBA Playoff season will be tougher than last season.

But here’s what I do know…the Nuggets have the best starting five in the NBA. They have the most effective player in Jokic. They also have a special player in Jamal Murray who has proven this time of the season dosen’t faze him a bit.

Unless Oke City gets to the Western Conference Finals the Nuggets will still have homecourt in the West.

Plus…the Nuggets have Michael Malone. A coach who knows what buttons to push with his players this time of year. I think Reggie Jackson is the key. As in… can he come close to filling the great minutes Bruce Brown gave the Nuggets on their championship run.

We’re getting ready to head out to Denver and spend some time with our grandkids…Robert (4) and Aubrey (3).

Robert has a big soccer game at Washington Park on Sunday which of course I can’t wait to see in person…while Aubrey has a birthday party to attend. I’m hopeful Robert and I can go over to the public golf course over near the iconic Cherry Hills course and hit our drivers on Saturday. That could be wild.

Of course…being in a ‘real’ NBA city… I’ll be wearing my 2023 Nuggets NBA Championship or my 2022 Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup Championship ball caps all over town for the next week as the NBA playin games are taking place.

We plan on spending lots of time at Bonnie Brae Park and Washington Park running, hiking, biking, and maybe even playing some street hockey on the back patio area at the house…where of course I will be ruthless with Bad Litle Dude.

If there’s time maybe I’ll trek over to the Shoney’s Sooner Sports Bar in downtown Denver and watch one of the playin games. I may not have the energy given we might also go play some Mrs. PacMan over at the University Sports Bar & Lounge.

And of course at least one stop at the iconic Bonnie Brae Ice Cream Parlor.

I can’t wait.

You Thunder fans enjoy and appreciate what your team just did for you. Given the ‘city’ they play in…. finishing first in the West is a remarkable feat. You should just stop there and have the parade right now.

Don’t think I haven’t wondered if the Thunder do somehow win the Championship if the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and other Trump white nationlist groups would crash the parade?

I wonder if OKC can cram a million people into the streets of downtown OKC?

Enough of that.

I’m off.

Enjoy the playin games.

MJ

Both Denver and OKC end up the regular season at 57-25…yet the Thunder will claim the No. 1 seed in the West due to their 3-1 head to head record vs. the defending champ Nuggets this season.

I’m proud of the Thunder. They didn’t sandbag these final five games and won both the Northwest Division and the No. 1 seed in the West. I like what they did even though this puts them clearly in the toughest draw possible to get out of the West and to the NBA Finals.

If the seedings and the playins go as expected the Thunder will now have to possibly conquer either the Warriors or Lakers, the winners of the Clips-Mavs, and the defending champ Denver Nuggets. Twelve games against thoses three teams and those very experienced dudes on all three teams.. We’ll see.

I’m changing my regualr season awards a bit in this manner because the Thunder didn’t sandbag at the end:

MVP: Shai, then Jokic

Coach of the Year: Coach Mark, then Chris Finch

Rookie of the Year: Wemby, then Chet

My Special TSNS Award for being a guy who does it all: JDub, then Naz Reid of the Timberwolves.

I’m proud of the Thunder they were a +17 in games won from last year’s mark of 40-42.

I’m outtta here though for some time in Denver with my granchildren and the playin games in a real NBA city.

Good job, Thunder dudes.

MJ

• Editor’s note: I’m so glad I caught this video of swarmy Little Nick Gallo surrounded by the the Thunder dudes. If ever a picture told it all, this is it. Bravo… LNG.

It’s been a very solid week for me as far as the cancer journey. My labs and my third Pet Scan results pretty much show I’m in a very different place than I was 14 months ago when I weighed 158 lbs. and was crawling to the bathroom. Pretty amazing what happens when you treat your body, soul, and mind with complete respect.

On Wednesday…Dr. Showalter and his practioner revealed all of this to me. They said in essence…”Live hard. Mike. And stay true to this holistic road we’ve outlined for you.”

I nodded and didn’t tell them my hopes of becoming OU’s oldest ever Cheetah-back on defense as a ‘senior’ walkon this upcoming football season. That’s one you keep to yourself. If you know what I mean.

After leaving their office I went over to the beautiful meditation spot just before you reach the Infusion Rooms area on the second floor at Integris Cancer Center.

And I must admit I briefly cried. But it was completely a cry of thanks. My blood guy, Big Mike…the drummer in his band, happened to see me on his break and came over and I told him the news.

He said, ” I thought you were going to die for sure the first time I saw you. This is great. You okay?”

I said,” Yeah… man. I’m just taking the time to take in these past fourteen months. To internalize all of this. To give thanks.”

Big Mike said, “I’m proud of you,” and he then walked back to the lab.

So this was a huge emotional, spiritual week for me. I’ve been watching basketball, but just haven’t felt the need to blog while this was going on in my journey.

Nor has the impulse to write something snarky about Donald Trump and his religous cult followers been something I wanted to blog about.

Congrats to the UConn Huskies and the NC State Wolfpack, who both did a great job in the recent NCAA Tournament. I think every ardent NC State fan has to be immensely pleased with the run their team made this spring. And…I would hope every UConn fan feels glorified by their team being the first mens team since Billy Donovan’s Florida Gator’s to repeat as national champions.

As far Draymond Green and the always semi-dysfuntional Warriors…they’re on fire as we hit the final week-end of the regular season. Two more wins and I would think the Warriors will jump all the way to the 8th seed in the West.

Who would have thought that during this tortuous season of NBA frustration in San Franciso?

When Draymond Green hits five threes in a game it pretty much makes one realize anything is possible.

Have a nice week-end watching the Masters golf Tournament… or just hanging out.

MJ

Given where I am on my journey…I take nothing for granted. Not a day. Not a week. Not a month.

I honestly didn’t know if I’d be around for this week-end a year ago. But here I am feeling like OU’s first ever sixty-six year old Cheetah-Back for the Sooners.

You never know. Little minor miracles do happen ever so often in this very cynical world in which we live.

Obviously…my basketball heart is with the NC State Wolfpack today as they hope to beat the Purdue Boilermakers and make Championship Monday one to remember for the ages.

In 1983, I was twenty-six years old. Jimmy V was the NC State coach as those miracle Wolfpack somehow defeated the ‘unbeatable’ Houston Cougars in perhaps the gretest upset in college basketball history.

I remember crying watching the ending. Storybook and beyond.

Jimmy V, along with Ernie Johnson, unknowingly are my cancer journey mentors.

Near the end…Coach Valvano said, ” If you do four things every day it’s going to be a good day. Do these four things and everything else will take care of itself. Cry, laugh, be kind, and take the time to give thanks for all the wonderful things which have already happened in your journey.”

I try to live that every day.

Go Wolfpack!

Have a beautiful Final Four week-end.

MJ

Before I get into Golden State’s road rout of the Houston Rockets for their 6th straight win…let me set the record straight. This spot on my blog is where I intially intended to recap the Thunder’s road game versus the Boston Celtics.

But little did I know Sam Presti was once again going to shut down SGA and JDub in a game of national marquee value, let alone basically ignore the importance of home court advantage for the upcoming Western Conference Playoff tournament.

But this is on me. It’s on me because I was stupid enough to think the tanking, the sandbagging, and the moonlighting of is this incredibly stupid OKC Thunder fanbase was over after the passage of the shady one billion dollar deal Sam Hinkie-Presti got passed this past fall.

These Thunder dudes have no shame. None at all. The Thunder have three marvelous young stars and what they basically showed me in this self-absorbed rout at Boston is they are tanking/sandbaggging to avoid not only the Lakers’ tandem of LeBron and Anthony Davis, but the revamped Splash Brothers who have basically owned their asses for the past decade or so.

I have no idea how Coach Mark even looks his team in the eye at this point. Not a clue at how he does his pregame motivational talks.. So…I guess this evening in Indianapolis… we’ll see if Shai and JDub are shut down again or if Sam Presti and Group are going to genuinely compete for the No. 1 seed in the West which is still literally up for grabs.

This is one of the reasons I keep my little Thunder underground blog going. That being…because I know there’s not one single writer in this market who on the record evers states an honest comment in any of these regards.. It’s pathetic. A never ending ocean of Little Nick Gallos, Low Energy Royce Youngs, Homer King Michael Cages, Thunder Godfather Matt Pintos, and even Jim Trabers for God’s sake. Pathetic.

Jim Traber should retire and just feed the birds and squirrels in backyard at this point. Real men feed mountain lions, deer, and wild turkeys off their back porch. Seriously.

I’ll be back next Tuesday to further this dialogue as I do not want to take away from my joy of blogging about the streaking Warriors and the impending NC State vs. Purdue national semifinal game.

So…I’ve put the video up above of Golden State’s clutch road win at Houston which I think pretty much puts them in the Play-In Tournment. All Warrior engines are clicking right now as we enter the cusp of goal acheivement. If the Warrior trainer and doctors can keep Draymond medicated properly….there might still be a chance to salvage something here.

Right now emerging superstar Johhny Kuminga and Dario are in the process of healing. The Splash Brothers are back. Klay and Chris Paul have shown extreme professionalism in how they’ve handled themselves this tumultuous season. How they’ve dealt with Draymond’s assortment of mental illnesses.

So…for me tonight it will be full focus on the Warriors at Dallas and a slight glimpse here and there of the Thunder’s game on the road versus Indiana.

I guess even a billion dollars for a new arena doesn’t get real NBA basketball in Oklahoma City.

Pre -Workout music time. This one is rapidly climbing my chart. No country music when it’s this time of the day for me. If only the Thunder took their games as seriously as I take my workouts…they might have something working.

If only the Thunder had just a little bit of this in them…..maybe I could blog about them more than I do. It is what it is.

MJ

As per the norm…Little Nick Gallo leds the way with two questino in this presser in which the Thunder blew a second half lead of 13 points against a Sixer team which was without Tyrese Maxey and was the first game back for Joel Embiid after his his two month layoff from a knee injury.

Nary a question from LNG in regards to the blown lead which in essence dropped the Thunder back down to third place in the West as both Denver and the very gritty Minnesota TWolves without Karl Anthony-Towns both won their games.

It looks like to me both Chet and Lu were rolling their eyes as to the fluffiness of both of LNG’s questions….but it is what it. At least the game was on TNT and viewers got a break from the Thunder televison broadcast crew.

SGA and JDub didn’t play. It makes no sense to me why they were both DNPs on the same night with a game in Boston tonight. The Philly game by far was the more winnable game unless Boston sits their studs tonight in what could be a great game for national viewers who love the NBA.

It’s been a great basketball ride for me of late as the NC State Wolfpack have magically worked their way into this week-end’s Final Four and in my view are at least 1-2.5 favorites in their national semifinals game versus Purdue. I cannot fathom a scenarion in which Alabama would beat UConn.

Golden State with Draymond playing superbly won its fifth straight last night. Austin Reaves’ very hot Lakers won again last night. The Denver Nuggets’ with Jamal Murray sitting won last night. My MVP Anthony Edwards’ Wolves won last night and we as passionate NBA fans are in for a delightful treat as we sit back and see who emerges as the No. 1 seed in the West with home court advanctage in the Western Conference Playoffs.

It will be interesting to see who does and doesn’t play tonight in Boston. This will be another nationally televised game….I’m all in for and very excited about the fact most of the Thunder’s remaining games will be nationally televised as the OKC Thunder Foreman Scotty Network is just about done for the season…of which I give profound thanks.

We are now offically in the goal acheiving portion of the season. This is when I come alive. The games matter.

Enjoy the game. Could be a great one.

MJ

Now that OU is in the SEC and spring football is under way I’m using this as one of my official workout videos before I head over to the Health and Wellness Center.

The transformation in my body since last March when I weighed 158 lbs and where I am now is like night and day. My muscle mass is back….my biceps, my quads, my everythings are pretty much like new. I’m weighing in at around 197 to 200 lbs… and quite frankly, I look like I could play the Cheetah Back position in the secondary for Coach Veneables if he’d consider giving a sixty six year-old Stage Four cancer survivor a look.

Yeah, I mean….several people at the gym have seen me wearing my crimson Oklahoma Football: Play Like a Champion T-shirt and asked which Coach Switzer team I played on?

No kiding.

I just kind of winked and said, ” Several of them in the late 70’s under Coach Switzer and Coach Procter.I alternated with Sonny Brown at the safety position.”

In my mind… I did. If George Costanza can be a marine bioligist I can be a former Cheetah back for OU.

Anyway…it is what it is. I wish I could play for the Sooners, but that’s not happening.

But I love using this video to totally psyche myself out before my workouts.

This is what football looked like when you actually tackle the ball carrier or receiver.

I’m completely over OU not making the NCAA Tournament field and am pretty much amped to see Houston vs. Duke and NC State vs. Marquette tonight as we whittle down the field to our Elite 8.

An Easter song of some sort might be nice.

Have a wonderful Easter week-end.

MJ