2008 is a year that Seattle basketball fans will never forget. It was a year of promise and potential but also a year of pain and betrayal. We had great young talent and the Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant but it was never meant to be. Most of us already knew that we would never get to know the young squad and the fate of the team had already been decided by Crooked Clay Bennet and Slippery Stern. Those crooks got away with the greatest robbery since D.B. Cooper got away with all that cash and just as quickly as D.B. jumped out of that plane the Seattle Supersonics along with their 41 year history was gone.
Just a short 170 miles to the south of Seattle on I-5 is what was once a great Pacific North West Rivalry between the Sonics and the Portland Trail Blazers. A lot of great memories and epic battles between some great teams but now Portland is the closest thing to NBA Basketball that Seattle has. And wouldn’t you know who’s coming to the PNW tonight but the OKC Thunder. That’t right this is more than a battle between the Western Conference 2 & 3 seeds, it goes much deeper than that. There are sure to be a few extra Portland fans cheering on the Trailblazers but they won’t be wearing black and red. They will be wearing green and gold. Real Fans Don’t Forget.
Just a short 170 miles to the south of Seattle on I-5 is what was once a great Pacific North West Rivalry between the Sonics and the Portland Trail Blazers. A lot of great memories and epic battles between some great teams but now Portland is the closest thing to NBA Basketball that Seattle has. And wouldn’t you know who’s coming to the PNW tonight but the OKC Thunder. That’t right this is more than a battle between the Western Conference 2 & 3 seeds, it goes much deeper than that. There are sure to be a few extra Portland fans cheering on the Trail Blazers but they won’t be wearing black and red. They will be wearing green and gold. Real fans don’t forget.
Sonics fans will be all over the Moda Center wearing classic Kemp and Payton throwbacks with a few Durant jerseys among others. The signs will be epic and are sure to let the NBA and the Thunder organization know that we are still here and we have not forgotten. I’m also sure that Russ will find himself at the receiving end of a few chants that Sonics fans have been brewing up just for him. Not so long ago he “allegedly” passed Gary Payton for most points in franchise history. last time I checked The Glove never played in OKC and Russ never set foot on the court in Key Arena. Russ may have the most points in Thunder history but GP is still our guy. Not now Russ,Not Ever…Real Fans Don’t Forget.
Portland has been a tough place for road teams to play this year but something tells me this particular crowd at the Moda Center will be a little more motivated, a little louder, and a little more emotionally charged than most Thursday night games. The Sonics fans are coming to town because Real Fans Don’t Forget.
This Thursday night game will also be nationally televised on TNT. The TNT broadcast tonight is sure to reference the Sonics and their past.
Charles will bring up that there needs to be basketball back in Seattle and that no team should have to suffer the betrayal that Seattle suffered and that the NBA was wrong to erase the 41 year history. The in game announcers will make a comment about the Sonics jerseys in the stands and every year that Seattle is without basketball it gets a little bit louder. Seattle is ready for the NBA to right the wrong from 2008 and bring basketball to Seattle. But until it does Sonics fans everywhere will be cheering against whoever is playing the Thunder because Real Fans Don’t Forget.
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