I’ve wanted to do this all season, but wanted to wait until the proper spot. This might be the time. The other day I was writing about OKC’s lack of mentally tough players, but that’s just not right what I wrote and as I thought about it later wanted to come back and clarify things.
You will never see a more mentally tough, smart basketball player than Nick Collison. The quintessential pro. Collison has been a fixture of smarts, toughness, skill, and stability since the team’s move from Seattle. I don’t per se have a favorite Thunder player, but what Nick Collison has done for this city and team are basically immeasurable.
Nick Collison is as tough as they come. Whether taking a charge or tackling Yao Ming to stop an easy layup, Nick Collison is right there with Durant and Westbrook as far as what he’s meant to this city over the years.
A very tough, unselfish, versatile player. People talk about Harden and 2012, but don’t kid yourself–Nick Collison and Harden were pure magic running their two man game off the Thunder bench. Two players who understood ball movement and creation of space with or without the ball.
I think both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook would agree when they have sons–they’ll want him to play the game the way Nick Collison has played it.
Nick Collison will always have a place in the hearts of Thunder fans.