Excellent press conference. It seems like a lifetime ago OKC was winning an overtime thriller at Orlando in Billy Donovan’s first return to the state of Florida as the head coach of the Thunder. So much has transpired since then not only with the Thunder, but with Oklahoma City as well.
The oil industry cratered with the price of oil hitting $20 a barrel which in turn caused layoffs, uncertainty, and massive budget deficits for the state of Oklahoma. The tragic deaths of Ingrid Williams and Aubrey McClendon followed by the shooting death of Dion Waiter’s younger brother came in a surreal wave which cast a gloom on the season. Yet, here they are, not only standing, but one game removed from advancing to the NBA Finals by taking out two historic ball clubs in the Spurs and Warriors.
You have to live here in OKC to understand what this team has grown to mean for not only the local community, but the state as a whole. Probably much like the feel the Green Bay Packers have created and maintained in Wisconsin over the years.
There’s a subtle beauty to it which big market people either miss or don’t take the time to fully appreciate.
So here they are….Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Billy Donovan, and Sam Presti one game removed from a return trip to the NBA Finals which most thought would be in 2013 before the James Harden trade and the subsequent knee injury sustained to Russell Westbrook via Patrick Beverly. Or in 2014, when Serge Ibaka went down and had to play injured in the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs. Or last season when a swath of injuries took out a season which never really even started and gave the city Reggie Jackson’s unpleasant exit from the team.
Harden and Jackson both made hasty exits from this year’s playoffs in the first round with the Rockets and Pistons. Neither team was even a blip of a realistic contender. Neither opted to be Manu Ginobli and play for championships and create a championship legacy. To each their own. That’s why it’s called free agency.
But if you’re a Thunder fan and you’ve lived this it puts a lump in your throat to have seen all this team has gone through and is one game removed from returning to the NBA Finals.
I guess you’d have to live in a smaller market to fully appreciate it.