This happened on March 9th in Boston. I would call it the Thunder’s biggest win in a surprisingly good season of 40-24.
We all thought after Sam Presti dealt Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Jerami Grant the Thunder would unload both Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari and tank as expected.
Never happened. In fact, it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable seasons in the Thunder’s storied brief history of NBA hoops.
After the stunning win in Boston came Rudy Gobert testing positive for Covid-19 in non-science believing Oklahoma City of all places. The regular season was suspended with eighteen games remaining on the schedule.
I had the Thunder at that point getting to 50 or 51 wins as long as Chris Paul stayed healthy.
It was a beautiful basketball season in Oklahoma City. It was lovely. No sulking. No drama. Just smart basketball.
Over four months have passed since the Thunder’s stirring last second win in Boston. It was a win which was a microcoism of the season.
Chris Paul leading and younger players like Dennis Schroder following the team’s MVP can do attitude.
Since that win we as a nation have lost 135,000 people during the Covid pandemic. We suffered the Dow dropping to 18,500 at one point. Oil dropped deep into negative market values briefly. Unemployment soared like during the Great Depression. All the while our insane clown idiot president still behaved as if he never got past the fifth grade.
Fast forward four months. The Thunder just had their third practice in Orlando in Adam Silver’s bubble world.
I don’t know what to think. I really don’t.
One day at a time. One baby step forward. See what happens with our country and hope for the best. Hope other countries will at some point allow Americans to visit their countries again. Steve Bannon and Steven Miller never thought it would end like this with the world’s once greatest country being viewed as the pariah of the world and champions of stupid.
Basketball games at this point seem somewhat anecdotal. Our country will never be the same again. The New Normal will change all of our lives as we struggle to find new ways of doing things….especially in the world of sports.
So as the Thunder prepare to start playing games again in early August my expectations are cautiously pragmatic.
I have no idea what to expect as we move forward with our lives and the thought of the NBA playing in a bubble.
One day at a time.
So I think I’ll gingerly start writing about the Thunder again.