Domantus Sabonis: Gonzaga

This coming from a non-Prestette, Sam Presti did really, really good with this trade. Without a single draft pick he traded a player in Serge Ibaka who wasn’t happy with his shrinking role and landed a very good combo guard still on his rookie contract, a crafty vet big who can score and has natural offensive instincts, and the 11th pick in the draft who will become the heir to Nick Collison.

If you didn’t see Sabonis play much this season at Gonzaga rest assured Presti landed a heck of a player who will grow into a good professional player within a year or two–maybe even sooner.

I was still kind of moping around after the Game 6 meltdown, but not anymore. I can’t wait to see these three new players in October. Sam Presti did a helluva job is all I can say. Durant would be silly to not at least come back for one year and see how it all fits. Plus, all three of these guys are high basketball IQ players.

Victor Oladipo Indiana Hoosiers Highlight Mix

Oh, boy. I’m pretty sure Billy Donovan can find a role for Victor. Wasn’t that Draymond Green in a Michigan State jersey? Hmmn. Note to KD—we have Oladipo, the Warriors have the dipshit who was dumb enough to punch LeBron in the balls leading the Finals 3-1. Just a thought. Will Draymond be with Steph and Klay presenting the Warriors sales pitch for KD?

 

Serge Ibaka — Thank You

As a Thunder fan/blogger–I can say with certainty Thunder fans are some of the best in the NBA. We will all miss Serge Ibaka, but it’s a professional sport and nothing stays stagnant.

Serge Ibaka is not only a good player, but a very good dude who was loved and embraced by Thunder fandom.

Oklahoma City has been blessed to have really good guys in our city representing us night in and night out. Serge Ibaka couldn’t have been any better or any nicer to our community. A class guy all the way through.

I love the fact he didn’t take any crap from Blake Griffin and he was the first Thunder player wanting to fight Artest after the cheap shot elbow to Harden.

Did Steven Adams make Serge Ibaka expendable? Probably, yes. Such is the business of professional sports.

But Serge Ibaka will always be a player loved in Oklahoma City for all of the good things he did both on and off the court. Unlike the piece of shit Reggie Jackson who I’d piss on in the blink of an eye—Serge Ibaka is a player I’ll miss.

Best of luck to Serge Ibaka with the Orlando Magic. Hope only the best for you.

 

 

Thunder Trade Ibaka to Orlando on Draft Night

Sam Presti traded Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic for Victor Oladipo (combo guard), Ersan Ilysova (versatile big), and Domantas Sabonis (rookie big). Three good players who will make the Thunder better—especially with Victor Oladipo giving them a two-way combo guard who can help the team in a myriad of ways.

Ibaka had a great run in OKC, but when you really think about the advances Steven Adams made as a player this season it’s a trade which makes sense for OKC.

So…finally the type of two guard in Oladipo I’ve been wanting the Thunder to get since the departure of Harden. A  tough, smart, hard-nose player who can help the Thunder in multiple ways.

Plus, with Ilyasova the Thunder get a versatile offensive big who will help immediately, plus another very promising big in Sabonis who should fit seamlessly into Nick Collison’s role once Nick retires.

Sam Presti can’t do much more than this to put Kevin Durant in a position to win a championship. Good trade for OKC.

Dustin Johnson Wins U.S. Open at Oakmont

Very, very cool when an elite athlete finally crosses that last mental hurdle and proves he or she is the one of the very best at what they do. Unlike past tough finishes for Dustin Johnson in majors he stuck a six iron from a 190 feet and closed the door on his first major win on the tour.

This should have happened long ago, but kudos to Johnson for never giving up and showing the world he’s one of the best golfers on the planet.

Hope Durant and Westbrook were watching this.

Since I’m to assume LeBron James, Doris Burke, and Tyron Lue are still crying somewhere in Oakland—I think I’ll wait till tomorrow for my Game 7 recap.

I’m happy for the sports fans in Cleveland to finally be having a championship celebration after fifty-two years of waiting.

There’s a very clear moral to this story…if you have a team down 3-1 and are going back to your home court to ostensibly close out the series—there is no reason in hell to give LeBron a reason for caring by clipping his balls in front of the world. Plus, it became apparent in the last three games Andrew Bogut is somewhat needed by the Warriors.

Anyway, nice to see Dustin exorcize the demons and hope he wins some more majors down the road.

 

 

Making of OJ Hits the Mark

I very much enjoyed all five segments of the film. Such an American tragedy the tale of O.J. Simpson. From meager beginnings to the height of wealth, fame, and adoration the story of his fall is epic in terms of human storytelling.

This wasn’t a story of compelling courtroom drama. Unless you’re just incredibly dense…he did it. He murdered these two people to the extent of overkill.

But more to the point, it’s story of one human’s journey from the bottom to the pinnacle to hell with all of us watching.

Most compelling stories are fairly simple with an intriguing central character. This one is no different.

Two thumbs up to the 30/30 film making crew at ESPN for producing a movie which once again reminds us it’s the human factor in our sports stories which should always remind us to never put athletes on a pedestal above the rest of us.

They’re human just like us.

Dustin, Draymond, and OJ Simpson

A great deal going on sports related this Father’s Day week-end. We get the final episode of the Making of OJ Simpson documentary on Saturday night. I’ve enjoyed it. Forgot had bad Marcia Clark and Chris Darden were in ‘prosecuting’ the case. I’m in complete agreement with Vince Bugliosi in giving them both an F-.

On the golfing front, Dustin Johnson once again finds himself in the lead at the U.S. Open. Hope for his sake he has a happier 72nd hole this time around.

And, of course, we’ve got Game 7 looming on Sunday evening from Oracle as the Warriors seek to avoid becoming the first team in NBA history to choke on a 3-1 Finals lead. In all candor, this series has done little for me. The games have lacked competitive drama, been one-sided, and how ironic would it be if the whole series turned on Draymond Green cupping LeBron between his legs. Not a classic Finals from my standpoint.

Some great sports stuff this week-end, plus Oklahoma State playing in the College World Series in Omaha. Plus, it’s Father’s Day.

Can’t believe I’m writing this but if Game 7 turns out to be another dud—then I’m going the Making of OJ Simpson > NBA Finals as far as viewing entertainment.

 

OJ Simpson 30/30 Documentary

Have to admit I’ve been watching the ESPN film on the double murderer OJ Simpson. It’s kept my interest more from a standpoint of the racial history of Los Angeles than of the trial itself. It was never a trial with Simpson being tried for the horrific murders of Nichole Simpson and Ron Goldman, but rather a trial of the Los Angeles police department being tried for years of racial bias towards blacks.

It should have been an easy conviction, but instead Simpson walked after brutally murdering two young people in the primes of their lives.

I’ve read several books on the trial, but the best is by former prosecutor later turned criminal defense lawyer Vince Bugliosi. In my lifetime, there’s probably never been a better prosecutor than Bugliosi. One of the great courtroom minds of our time.

If you think OJ Simpson didn’t murder those two people then I have no idea what I could possibly write to change your mind. My guess is you’ve probably got a Trump yard sign about to be planted in your yard—so what could possibly be my hope in changing your mind.

Interestingly, there was a picture of Simpson and Trump together in Simpson’s home amidst all his other pictures of him interacting with prominent whites. In hindsight…you’d have to give OJ the edge in size of ego because he actually did murder two people, left his blood all over the murder scene, basically confessed, almost committed suicide — yet walked.

Like when Trump says he could shoot someone in broad daylight and wouldn’t lose any of his core supporters.

Anyway, for anyone interested in the law and the facts of the case this is pretty good.

A Very Tough Sunday in America

No one in America understands domestic violence as well as Oklahomans from the Murrah Building bombing tragedy in the 90’s. What happened today in Orlando was clearly domestic violence as this ‘person’ was born in New York and raised in Florida. Thought for the politicians who are owned by the NRA…maybe being able to get this type of weapon in a week’s time shouldn’t be available to the public as an option. Very, very tough day for the families of the victims.

America is praying with you. Hang in there.