The Gut Punch
Growing up in the 90’s, I was surrounded by Chicago Bulls fans everywhere. All of my friends loved Michael Jordan. Everyone would always practice the MJ fadeaway. Every pose of his was seen in school on a daily basis. I couldn’t stand it. I never wanted to be a part of the bandwagon even as a young kid. I was drawn to the Seattle Sonics. I was mesmerized by Gary Payton’s defense. Shawn Kemp’s athleticism still blows me away to this day (see GIF). The Sonics were my team. At the age of 8, my heart was ripped out when the Bulls beat the Sonics in the Finals. I knew all my friends were going to be bragging about another ring for the great Michael Jordan.
Flash forward twenty years. The Sonics are now the Thunder. A team was built through the draft and were lucky enough to pair up to superstars once again. It was Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. I loved it. I’d watch every game. I would check Daily Thunder every day. I felt like I was best friends with Royce Young since I read every article of his. I made my fiancé watch the games with me too. We made the trip to Oklahoma City for opening night against the Spurs. I grew to love this team.
The injuries prior to this year that ruined their chances to get to the Finals always irked me. But I understood that was how things can go sometimes. After game 1 of round 2 against the Spurs, I thought it was over. Can this be it? Will Durant leave? My mind was racing. And then the Thunder took over. Billy Donovan hit his coaching stride. The team played their best stretch of basketball that I can remember. They were the best team. They took down the Spurs and had the Warriors in their sites.
The first four games of the Warriors series went as well as any Thunder fan could have wanted. They were clicking and dominated the Warriors. Game 6 is going to be the game every Thunder fan remembers for the rest of their life. What if they won? What if Klay didn’t make every damn shot in that 3rd quarter? What if the Thunder closed the fourth quarter? Things did not work out for the Thunder. But they were so close. It was right there. One step away. After the series, I was not even upset. All I could think was just wait until next year Steph. The Thunder will come back stronger than ever.
The Warriors had become America’s team. The new bandwagon team to jump on. Lebron had become the villain. Steph was the golden boy who could do no wrong. I would see kids everywhere with Steph clothes and sneakers. At my gym, they would be chucking up half court shots pretending to be Steph. It was just like Jordan when I was a kid myself. I saw the similarities between the Sonics and the Bulls in the 90’s.
2017 was going to be the year the Thunder took down the Warriors. Donovan would have a year to get ready for them. Russ and KD would close out the fourth this year. I was so ready for it. I wanted to see them win. These two stars deserved one. And then on July 4, 2016, Durant broke the hearts of Thunder fans. He chose to leave Oklahoma City and go to Golden State. He was going to join the enemy. The team that eliminated the Thunder in the playoffs.
The decision didn’t seem real to me. I couldn’t believe it. I always knew there was a chance he could leave. After seeing Durant play and how he acted for years around the organization, I just didn’t think he had it in him to leave. He wanted to go to the team with Curry who everyone loves. He wanted to join Klay who single-handedly knocked them out of the playoffs. He wanted to be with Draymond who was the most hated player in Oklahoma City. He left a team that was built around him. He left an organization that did everything possible for him. He left a city that loved him.
Durant is still one of my favorite players and always will be. He always said the right things and performed to MVP levels on and off the court. The Thunder became the Thunder because of him. The franchise will be known as the what could have been franchise for years to come. I will be looking back on 2017 wondering what they could have done. Now we will never know.
