Sonics headed to Oklahoma City: Will you be a Blazers fan?

Sonics headed to Oklahoma City: Will you be a Blazers fan?

Kevin Durant has a new home in Oklahoma City. Getty Images

With the city of Seattle settling its dispute with the Sonics ownership over the remaining two years on the KeyArena lease today, it is now certain that the team will be moving to Oklahoma City and Seattle, for the first time in 41 years, will be without a professional basketball franchise. The first question: Who will you root for?

For those of us living in and around Seattle, there has never been such a choice - you wore green and gold and that was the end of it. However, with the less than congenial terms upon which Clay Bennett and company will be departing, it does not seem likely that many will embrace the Oklahoma City team.

My instincts are pointing south, about 150 miles down I-5, where a young Portland Trailblazers team is set to become a legitimate competitor in the Western Conference.

With Seattle-area products Brandon Roy and Martell Webster holding prominent roster spots, it would seem that the transition to Blazers fan would be easier than most.

Roy starred at Garfield High and spent four years at the University of Washington, where he led the team to consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances. In the two years since, Roy has won the 2006-2007 Rookie of the Year award and earned an All Star spot in 2007-2008. With the additional fact that Roy is a just plain likeable player, it seems natural for Seattle basketball fans to cheer on their native son.

The same is true for Webster, who played his high school ball at Seattle Prep and actually signed with UW before being selected sixth in the 2005 NBA draft.

Additionally, Roy and Webster are coached by none other than "Mr. Sonic" himself, Nate McMillan, who many Seattleites will remember from better days in Seattle basketball history.

If the Seattle blood is not enough for you, don't forget that the Blazers also hold last year's No. 1 pick in Greg Oden and, with the NBA's youngest lineup, are a team clearly headed in the right direction - something that cannot necessarily be said for our departing Sonics.

Perhaps, you are fed up with the NBA in general and plan to limit your fanhood to college and high school ball (in which case I couldn't blame you), but it may be worth considering our Oregon neighbors - they are not the "Jail Blazers" of yesteryear.

Posted by at July 2, 2008 7:12 p.m.
Category: Sports

Comments

#146422

Posted by unregistered user at 7/3/08 1:02 a.m.

Allright, I'm from Oregon. We have a healthy rivalry when it comes to college football...let's keep it that way. But when it comes to pro baseball, we don't have a team to call our own. Most of us go for the Mariners in a big way. Same goes for pro football and the Seahawks. Furthermore, when I visit the Seattle area, I usually come away impressed...love the town, the people and the culture.

What is happening to your Sonics is a crime. They're Seatlle all the way. The owner should be lynched for taking your team away. Serious. But, since it's gonna happen, let me be the first to extend the olive branch...at least in pro bball. When football season starts, we start in at it again, but hop on this horse that is going to bring several NBA championships to the Northwest. Hey...we'll share.

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#146558

Posted by unregistered user at 7/3/08 10:17 a.m.

I've been a fan of Northwest sports all the way, so I've been already rooting for the Blazers as well as the Sonics, but that is still gonna hurt to lose the Sonics also because I was looking forward to the Northwest rivalry that could've been in the coming years between the #1 & #2 picks of the rookie class of 2007 Oden & Durant plus its always good to have another team nearby to root for if the other isn't having a very good season. I grew up on the Sonics especially during the Payton, Kemp, George Karl days those were the best, but I also knew we were headed downhill when Karl got fired, how often is a team gonna find a coach to take them to win a championship right away? I was happy enough that Karl was at least getting us into the playoffs every year, after that we just fell apart.

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#146970

Posted by unregistered user at 7/3/08 2:52 p.m.

the blazers should try to schedule a game in seattle next season, i am sure it would be well attended. however, i doubt the nba would be ok with that.

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#147071

Posted by unregistered user at 7/3/08 5:39 p.m.

It's so sad that Seattle and Mr. Schultz didn't do a better job of supporting the Sonics. I hope OKC will be able to regenerate the Sonics into a championship team. Long live the SONICS

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#147413

Posted by unregistered user at 7/5/08 10:30 a.m.

Why not go into mourning and support no particular NBA team. The Sonics are a memory that will not be replaced by another team. I don't blame the new owners or Schultz. The NBA said a new arena was required and they still say it. Neither owner could get the legislature or city to develop a plan. They will have to change their ways or the NBA will never return. It isn't the popular thing to say, but sticking your head in the sand doesn't change anything, either.

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#158390

Posted by unregistered user at 7/30/08 8:44 p.m.

the nba is losing money fast. Seattle was just a classic example of how people embody a team, treat it as if they own it and then the owners play cat and mouse. Let's blame the politicians the tax payers, but the truth is that they make us pay all these taxes to build stadiums and then raise the price of admission...I'd rather watch a college or high school game....oh yeah....Seattle's fans have always had a connection to the Blazers, i guess now it's the only connection to pro bball we've got....

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