I Need a Team
When I moved from New York back to my hometown of Seattle a couple of months ago, there was a very quiet, optimistic side of me that had visions of being able to — for the first time in my lifetime — regularly attend Sonics games at KeyArena. I shouldn’t have even let my hopes get that high. About 24 hours after I touched down, the City of Seattle reached a litigation settlement with Sonics’ majority owner Clay Bennett, and the franchise I’d followed since I was six years old and my father took me to a Sonics/Lakers game (where I asked him why Sedale Threatt grabbed the rim when he shot the ball) was leaving.
Now that the ex-Sonics have gone to Oklahoma City and given themselves a makeover as the Thunder — and since Seattle won’t be getting an NBA franchise any sooner than about 2012 (which will inherit the Sonics name, history, logo and colors) — the ‘08-09 season is approaching and I don’t have a team. Lately I’ve been asking friends and fam to help me adopt a franchise while the Sonics don’t exist, and now I’m taking it to you guys, the readers.
Obviously, the Thunder are out of the question. I’d rather give Bennett a right cross than pretend to root for his shitty team in his ‘bama town. I can’t in good conscience root for the Celtics (too many d-bag fans), Lakers (too many fake fans), Suns (too many whiny fans) or Mavs (I can’t stand certain people in their organization). Raptors, Sixers and Jazz fans kind of scare me; I don’t know if I want to get on that bandwagon if it means I have to get jumped out when it’s time to leave. And as much as I like some of the players on their rosters, the Hawks, Clippers, Warriors, Bobcats, Hornets, Bulls (sorry LeKeith), Magic, Wolves, Nets, Nuggets, Heat, Wizards, Bucks and Kings just don’t do anything for me in that regard.
So that leaves just a handful of realistic candidates:
GRIZZLIES
Of all the NBA franchises that might relocate to Seattle someday, the Grizzlies are the front-runner. Owner Michael Heisley wants to sell (he damn near sold to Christian Laettner a while back, which would have immediately put the Grizzlies out of the running for me), the fans aren’t filling the arena, and the team stinks. I’m cool with Rudy Gay and he’s one of my favorite players to watch, I like O.J. Mayo’s game, I feel like I kind of discovered Hamed Ehadadi (Dime #43), and if Memphis pulls off the Zach Randolph trade, they’ll have another one of my favorite players in the League.
SPURS
Anyone who’s ever read my work on this site or sat through a basketball argument with me knows how much I like the Spurs. Partially because I tend to side with teams/players who are unjustly hated-on and partially because I appreciate the way they play basketball, the Spurs have been my go-to playoff team since the Sonics fell out of contention. Tim Duncan is one of my favorite players of all-time and, I still contend, the best player in the world over the last decade. Bruce Bowen is my one-man basketball instructional tape, I might be the only non-celebrity I know who likes watching Tony Parker play, and Kurt Thomas gave Seattle a good half-a-season before being dealt to San Antonio.
PACERS
From 1994 to 2005, Reggie Miller was my favorite NBA player, even moreso than GP and Kemp, and the guy who’s primary traits (shooting, testicular elephantitis) I’d most want to add to my game. I haven’t paid much attention to Indiana since Reggie retired and Larry Bird started copying Isiah Thomas‘ GM style, but I could go back for a few years. Danny Granger is a good dude and a solid player, as is T.J. Ford, and Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert is involved. But I’m gonna need Marquis Daniels to stop dressing like an ’80s jazzercise instructor on the court.
KNICKS
Living in New York, you can’t help but follow the Knicks, and getting to go to 41 home games a year on my Dime press pass was an added bonus. Over the last two years I’ve gotten to know and befriend people who work for the Knicks, I’ve been in the locker room, and they have a couple of Seattle guys in Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford. They also have Pat Ewing Jr. from the Hoyas, but former Sonic Jerome James being on the roster is a big strike against New York. I also really hate watching Mike D’Antoni and his ref-baiting, whiny-pants antics. He’s worse than Duncan with that.
TRAIL BLAZERS
Yes, they are the nearest NBA team to me. Yes, they have Seattle natives Brandon Roy (my Little League teammate) and Martell Webster (my fiancee’s cousin) and are coached by “Mr. Sonic” Nate McMillan (my little brother’s idol). Yes, I’m cool with Channing Frye. And yes, the Sonics/Blazers rivalry wasn’t nearly as heated for the majority of my formative years as it was back in the day. All that, and it still feels strange throwing allegiance behind Portland.
PISTONS
Like the Spurs, I think it’s a shame that more people don’t respect and appreciate Detroit’s success over the years. At the same time, even I have to admit I’ve fallen asleep during a Pistons game or two. But Rodney Stuckey is a Seattle kid, Juan Dixon is one of my favorite players/people in the League, and for whatever reason I have a soft spot for Kwame Brown. On the negative side, I really can’t see myself rooting for Rasheed.
ROCKETS
Love T-Mac, Mutombo is a G’town alum, Aaron Brooks is a Seattle kid (went to my old high school), I’m cool with Ron Artest, and Brent Barry is a former Sonic. Then there’s the entertainment value of, over an 82-game schedule, watching Chuck Hayes shoot a couple dozen free throws. And I wouldn’t feel bad dumping the Rockets when the Sonics come back; I wouldn’t be any more of a rent-a-fan than the thousands of Chinese who love Yao so much they blindly vote for Shane Battier to be an All-Star starter.
CAVALIERS
Trust me, this has nothing to do with jumping on the LeBron bandwagon. When I was growing up, the Seahawks were terrible, and hardly any kids I knew rooted for them. Left to find our own NFL teams, I gravitated towards the Browns. That Cleveland connection puts the Cavs on my radar, plus my brother-in-law is a lifelong Cavs fan. The team also has a few former Sonics (Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Eric Snow for the time being). And it’ll be a true test of loyalty if I stick around after ‘Bron walks away in two years.
So that’s where I’m at. Training camp is right around the corner, and I want to complete this adoption process before the games start to count. Feel free to help a fan in need …
September 18th, 2008 at 10:08 am
yugo says:
get a team that won’t break your heart a second time.
Knicks ain’t goin nowhere.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Craig says:
testicular elephantitis is the funniest thing ive heard in a long time
you got some badass reasons to be a portland fan, so why dont you try to suffer from the testicular elephantitis for a little bit until someone moves to seattle?
September 18th, 2008 at 10:10 am
dukesman2000 says:
The Knicks, baby…Cause, only when you have reached the depths of hell can you fully appreciate the heights of heaven, brother. Not this year but the Knicks are on their way.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:14 am
A-Slam says:
AB, I’m definately feelin Portland for you, I mean yes it would be feel weird Pledgeing Allegiance to one of your most heated rivalries. Heck, I’m a Suns fan, and that would probably be like me becoming a fan of the Lakers or Spurs. But what’s not to like about this Portland team? they have a great future in the making with a lot of potential and many glue guys. Unlike other teams this team is not a cocky one, they’re all just committed to winning. I know Memphis is your front-runner but I feel that that’s a team that is still trying to find their identity and still may be a year or two in the rebuilding process.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Benoit Benjamin says:
Go with the spurs man, they have a certain international flavor, you already know they’ll get to the playoffs and be legit, and there aren’t so many fans of the spurs, it’s always to be part of the happy few. you can’t do wrong with them.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Benoit Benjamin says:
that’s nice to be part of the happy few. Sorry.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Sam I Am says:
Go with the Blazers…
If not the Wolves (cuz they rock)
Seattle is sooo boring tho. I went on a trip 6 years back and gosh all I saw was chiropractors and coffee shops.
What can one do for leisure ?
And I’m not hating just ignorant, please advise out of curiousity
September 18th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Prof. TX says:
You aren’t just looking for a team, but one that isn’t going to be frustrating in some way. That doesn’t mean you have to pick the one most likely to win it all, just one that won’t be aggrivating. Memphis and Indiana will be in tank mode early this year. The Knicks will too, but that’s just what their normal game looks like. Pistons are starting to decline so it’s a weird time to start being a fan. Being a Cleveland fan mostly just means being a LeBron fan, and that team will be in trouble if he leaves.
No offense to those team’s fans, just one guy’s view here.
Go with Spurs if you think they aren’t old and on a down slope. Go with Blazers if you are ok with your team being about young talent and a good future, but maybe not going very deep in the postseason right now. Or you could go with the Rockets. They have a mix of different pieces and styles, but the constant health concerns give the fans a higher heart rate every time McGrady or Yao falls and doesn’t get up fast enough.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:46 am
smity far away says:
The Chuck Hayes free throw clip is THE funniest NBA basketball clip of all time…
September 18th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Bondzai007 says:
I think it comes down to 3 teams…
Grizz - Only because they might end up in Seattle.
Knicks - Because you’ve already got a lot invested in them.
Blazers - They are now your “home” team.
September 18th, 2008 at 11:06 am
chiaki says:
you should go with the blazers.. a team with good character.. they also have a lot of history against your sonics.. the team will be very interesting for you in the coming years..
September 18th, 2008 at 11:07 am
d says:
I’ve got to say you go with Portland. They’ve got a young and exciting core, a great coach, and a few guys that are good, but don’t get the respect they deserve (Steve Blake instantly comes to mind). Plus they’re in your neck of the woods. Go with Portland! you can’t hate them. they’re rebuilding hard!
September 18th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Jim says:
Spurs, man. You are already a supporter, just take the next step. And because you are in the know it won’t be like you are a bandwagon ass cat (see, Pistons don’t want you) because you know they have maybe one run left.
They are always good, no problems off the court ever and a great front office. Times might get a little rough in the next few years but they have always been relevant as long as they have been in the NBA.
Or you could go with the Blazers since they are basically Spurs Jr. with a similar tradition (with this small recent hiccup) and have probably a better 5-7 years ahead of them. And they are close to home. And after that you could start supporting the A’s, the 49ers, the 1980 USSR Olympic Hockey team, and Hugo Chavez.
September 18th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Ian says:
spurs austin
u r a fan in the closet is time to come out and say it cuz everyone else knows it
now only admit to yourself
and u r right about duncan
there was the mikan era the wilt/russell era the kareem era the bird/magic era the jordan era the duncan era
best player since jordan left
September 18th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Coop says:
I’m a Sonics fan (Still am, but not a OKC fan). I’m just going to enjoy good basketball until Seattle gets a new team. I do have an admiration for Portland’s management though, so I hope they do well.
September 18th, 2008 at 11:43 am
steven says:
Keep it Pacific Northwest and take it down I-99. Rip City! At least you can drive to some games and spend the weekend in Portland- which has better food and record stores than Seattle. And then when you realize pdx is boring as hell and has almost no diversity- you’ll be thrilled to drive back to Seattle.
September 18th, 2008 at 11:48 am
ap says:
gotta go w/ an eastern conf team b/c of sonics past and future beefs w/ teams in their conference.
pick a team that you wouldn’t normally. sounds like you like fundamentals (spurs, pistons); pick the hawks, they’ll drive you crazy, but always be on the cusp of exciting. they’re a good rental till memphis moves to seattle. no love lost to stop liking them. and they can shake things up in the east, potentially.
September 18th, 2008 at 11:55 am
nowwhatyo says:
I was having the same dilema since i live in seattle as well and have been a sonic fan forever. I’ve decided, like Coop, that the best thing to do is just enjoy watching good basketball. Rather than root for a specific team, I’ll be rooting for specific players. I’ll basically let my fantasy basketball team dictate who I cheer for. However, I’m sure about 2 months into the season I’ll figure out the team I want to cheer for based on what I’ve seen from there. I usually go for underdog teams who will be fighting for those last couple of spots to make the playoffs.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Big V says:
@Dukesman2000
You hit the nail on the head, chief.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Big Sia says:
Nets all day.
Brooklynnnnnnnn
September 18th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Habitual Line-Stepper says:
Vote Knicks. Yes We Can Austin!
September 18th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
rodnets says:
you should get a team that has the same characteristics than seatlle teams had, fast paced offensive oriented with inexisting centers…that leads you to the knics.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Celts Fan says:
I can see why you hate Celtics fans (though I hope I’m not lumped in there!) Most of them couldn’t have picked out Paul Pierce on the street if he was wearing his jersey 3 years ago. Now they’re all pretending they were there through Waltah McCarty being a “big part of the future” and the horrendous Rick Fox/David Wesley/Todd Day affront-to-the-game-of-basketball years. On top of it, they’re probably the most obnoxious fans in the world (except maybe NYers, but at least you know they know wtf they’re talking about through all the thin years too and aren’t a bunch of dbags pretending they care so they can get drunk and break crap.)
I’d say jump onto Houston. Ok and TX don’t like each other and you can route for them to destroy Clay’s team all year. The Grizz wouldn’t be a bad team to get behind either for reasons you already threw out.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
David Brandon says:
AB,
ok…pull up a chair, man. i’m not gonna keep you long.
1. why you gotta just leave my kings off the list tho?? that was a burn. lol
2. like i told you some months back, if the kings just SUCK this year, i’ma have to take a good look at N.O. cause i love the way they play about as much as you like seeing the spurs. i love seeing the spurs play too. a lot. i remember the finals with detroit and san anton as honestly being one of my favs b/c you had two teams just playin d first and executing on offense. it was like that beautiful monster campaign nike put up… you dont know what the hell youre really lookin at, but its fresh and you keep watching.
3. b/c of the sonics/blazers rivalry in the past, you can’t really go for the blazers man. just one of those things. i know you know all the people there and the fiancee thing and you probably gave joel pryzilla dap one time, but still man. you just cant do it. you dont wanna have your mouth form the word “cavaliers” in two years. detroit already has enough bandwagon fans. houston will rep itself hard…well them and china. memphis is too young and are gonna lose too many games, but should be fun to watch for the highlights. indiana? there’s still a team there?? and the knicks…sigh…they get the jay-z “takeover” treatment and only get half a bar.
guess that makes you a spurs fan.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Joe says:
AB - Come on, join the bandwagon here in Portland my friend. We have been accepting of all Sonics fans since the NBA stole your franchise hit and run style. As far as the rivalry goes, it was more of a sibling rivalry thing. Yes, you always want to beat the hell out of your brother, but you don’t want anyone else doing it. This is like our brother got kidnapped, and we don’t like it any more than you do. Remember, Blazer’s owner Paul Allen was one of only 2 owners to vote against the relocation. We Blazer fans feel the same way, and we have been planning to show our support…booing the OKC team, wearing sonics gear to the first home game vs OKC, etc. We are with you my friend, and we welcome you to join us.
Sincerely,
All Blazers Fans
September 18th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
A-Slam says:
Don’t go with the Spurs AB, they’re gettin old. Do you really want to go with a team that will realistically be rebuilding in about 3 or so years
September 18th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Picking teams is all about location/geography man. Like here in the Bay Area if the niners were to leave I’d automatically have to start rooting for the Raiders. No matter how much of a rival they are of my current team they are still local. Same if the Warriors left I’d have to go with the Kings.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Three Stacks says:
Screw the NBA, support the Storm with all your might.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
SayItAintSo says:
AB, this is EASY! As a fellow Seattlite and a die-hard Husky…you go with the Blazers all day and all the way.
B-Roy is easily my favorite player and its not even because of our shared alma mater or his on court skills. He is just a stand up guy.
His charisma and good character is reflected throughout the overwhelming majority of the entire roster (as well as in the coaching staff). In addition to being ‘buena gente’ the blazers are a solid team who aren’t great yet. They are still (however slight it may be) underdogs who need to grow and need support.
You root for them and you’re still rooting for the Pacific Northwest, the northern I-5 corridor, the so-called rainiest region in America.
You can’t go wrong with Portland. They are the bandaid…nay, the black and red suture for your bleeding green and yellow heart that was so mercilessly ripped out of your chest by Clay.
Rep the 503 until the 206 is back on it’s feet.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
iain. says:
Austin, if you played with Brandon Roy when you were a kid, your a sh*tload younger than I guessed you were. Now im even more surprised you like the Spurs hahaa
September 18th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
len-e says:
the grizz will be fun to watch for years to come and the balzers will dominate one day - so that would be a bandwagon-jump.
blazers tho
September 18th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Meica says:
I have to agree with most people here: go with Portland. They’re an exciting young team, they have a lot of Seattle blood, and they’re the closest thing to actually representing where you live and where you call home. And hell, maybe you can sneak in a few games down in Oregon while you wait for the Grizzlies to head back up to the Northwest where that name actually made some sense (just be thankful you’ll get your old awesome Sonics jerseys and not the ugliest sports uniforms of all time no matter how many times they change them up).
September 18th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
it aint easy bein green says:
wow celts fan… …wow. i take it you must be from like nh or ri or somthing. thats pretty harsh, puttin us all in one basket like that.
@austin - “d-bags” reaalllllyy.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Kevin says:
In this order:
1. Portland
2. Toronto
3. Houston
3. Detroit
5. San Antonio
Good luck!
September 18th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
parinaz suns says:
even though im a suns fan i wouldnt wish it upon anybody. im not that quick to jump on portland bc greg oden still hasnt played a single nba game yet and who knows how is health is. i would say new orleans i think they are one of the best/most enjoyable teams to watch
September 18th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
rean pogi says:
blazers, knicks, mavs. give ‘em a chance
September 18th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Austin Burton says:
Thanks for all the suggestions, people. Keep ‘em coming.
@Celts Fan & It Ain’t Easy — Not every C’s fan I know is a d-bag, but there are a ton of them out there, and they only get worse when the team is good.
@iain — I’m 26. B-Roy and I were on the same football team, and I was starting over him at running back until the time I hurt my hip, missed a game and he scored 3 TD’s in my place. By the time I came back I had to switch positions if I wanted to play.
@Meica — I never thought about that, but the Grizzlies name does make a lot of sense up here. Man, those old Vancouver unis were disgusting.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Celts Fan says:
@It Ain’t Easy, not saying everyone by any means. I just remember that for a decade plus, while we sucked, I couldn’t give away the season tickets when pops and/or I couldn’t go. Now, the same people that’d only go after asking, “Who are they playing?” are claiming they’ve been down forever. Again, I’m talking mainly people my age (25) and under, who didn’t see Bird and them to fall in love with that team. I know it’s not always smart to buy season tix to a team that stinks - they’re expensive! - but when people are literally turning down free tickets multiple times over many years, then suddenly claim they’ve been huge fans forever once KG comes aboard, that crap wears on the real fans among us. I have no problem w/ the bandwagon jumpers (and enjoy the hell out of the drunken dbags breaking stuff) both make being a fan fun, just saying that THOSE are the kind of people that make outsiders hate the city of Boston and think we’re all dbags. I love the fans - fairweather or not, dbag or not, just calling it like I see it. Completely hilarious, but also the reason people like Austin can’t stand most of the fanbase.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
weezy f says:
go with the blazers theyre the closest to seattle and are gonna be legit
September 18th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
B says:
Why do you even need to have a team?
As a 206 native I’m in the same spot but I guess I just don’t feel the need to force a relationship with a franchise that I have no attachment/claim to. Just enjoy the season/games and when the playoffs come around get behind the squads with players you’d like to see get rings.
With the Sonics being so poor the last few years I’ve been both a quasi Celtics (KG & Ray-Ray) and Heat (GP) fan when they got to the finals.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Big Sia says:
NETS
Sean Williams.
Need i say more?
September 18th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
SayItAintSo says:
Go with the Huskies! Pondexter, Brockman and the bunch are bound to get better. Isaiah Thomas 2.0 is easily my most favorite ‘Big Surprises Come In Small Packages’ player to watch since Nate-Rob.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
shizzo says:
Kings!!!!! They have a respectable fanbase, awesome owners, and some great up-and-coming players. Once a Kings fan, always a Kings fan. Join up before they become WC Champs in 3 years.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Quest??? says:
oh comeon dude we all kknow u love the spurrs, u drool everytime tony parker runs a fastbreak.
September 18th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Quest??? says:
man at least u have seen an nba basketball game, i havent
September 18th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Austin Burton says:
@SayItAintSo — Georgetown is my college team, but UW is definitely second. Remember how crappy UW was back in the late-80s/early-90s? I swear when I was a kid I didn’t even know they had a basketball team for a while.
September 18th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
J Tok says:
Knicks my man. You got so much going with them. All my friends that moved to New York in the 90’s fell in love and became true fans. There is nobody in the league more fun to talk about than the stinkin’ Knicks too just because they have been just so disarrayed the past 8 years. As a Knicks fan I’ll be happy to take you in as a part of the Knicks fan family. Go Knicks!!!
Not gonna lie though, ever since moving down to Washington the Wizards are a FUN team to not only watch but to go to the games. And their team is hilarious, from Gil’s blog to Nick Young and Dom McGuire’s video blog. You might want to check up into them a little bit more.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
QuEsT???? says:
@jtok LMFAO HHAAHHHAHAHA i dont think austin is in washington D.C.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
it ain't easy being green says:
@ celtsfan
I hear you man and unfortunatly you’re exactly right and these guys give us all a bad name. There’s too many people out there that think they can buy a ray Allen jersey and just be a Fan. These are the same guys who wouldent know tony delk if he walked up and punched them in the face. Man it’s tough being green. Almost as tough as typing on this fuckin iPhone with chubby fingers
@ austin
It’s all gravy
September 18th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
sans says:
dude, as much as I’d love to have you on Cleveland’s fan base, you’re a Spurs fan. A for-real Spurs fan. While when the Browns were taken from me (and I know you were a fan of the Brown-eyes) I temporarily rooted for the Steelers because Rooney was the only owner to stand up and say that it was wrong to take the Browns away from Cleveland. He stood up and told Art Modell to go fuck himself and he deserved an expansion squad. On the flip side, you can’t go for PDX, despite personal ties, if you truly believe that the Sonics will come back in some form or another. You can’t be that happy with the opponent that’ll kick your teams’ teeth in all season–and Paul Allen didn’t say shit about trying to keep the Sonics in Seattle.
September 18th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
SayItAintSo says:
Haha, trust, AB, trust. UW Basketball was absolutely atrocious back in the day and football was where it was at when we started smelling roses towards the end of the century.
Then, for the better part of the last decade, the script was flipped and we’ve got a highschool football team playing NCAA on Montlake while Tre,Nate,Conroy,B-Roy and the likes had us pulling a number one seed in the NC2A tourney.
September 18th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Joe says:
@sans - Paul Allen was one of exactly TWO owners who voted against the move of the Sonics. What more does he have to SAY exactly?
September 18th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Billy Sunday says:
Im in the same position too. Just do what the few vancouver fans did when the grizzles left they just cheered for the team next closest to them the sonics. now its time for seattle to cheer for the blazers besides theyre looking nice this year
September 19th, 2008 at 4:49 am
wowzers says:
i was a pacers fan for so long because i worshiped reggie miller. coincidentally, i’m wearing his jersey right now. but i have to say, ever since he’s left, the franchise has left me feeling empty.
go for the spurs. they’re a classy organization and their team isn’t going anywhere. sound basketball fundamentals are a plus too.
September 19th, 2008 at 5:38 am
KBY says:
New Orleans !!
As a tormented knicks fan, I’d recommend watching a team you’d love. Chris Paul all the way!!
September 19th, 2008 at 9:05 am
jk says:
i currently live in sydney australia, when i was 12 and first saw the nba on tv here i picked the sonics as my team, as it happens a few months back through circumstances a job possibility opened up for me to move there to seattle, i could not believe it! all these years i have wanted to visit seattle to see a sonics game and i could be living there! then then sonics left… now i’m kinda feeling like i may as well stay in sydney.
i’ve tentatively picked the blazers to support whilst wishing for a team to go back to seattle.
so tell me austin, or anyone else… should i move to seattle still?? is portland that far of a drive to see some nba?
September 19th, 2008 at 9:09 am
OC says:
I’m a big Spurs fan. It would be easy to say you should go with the Spurs. Despite what people may say, the Spurs are at the pinnacle of how a team should conduct themselves. Occasional bumps, but nothing dramatic. They play team basketball and not one man team ball. The organization is professional. The Black and Silver would more than welcome you.
If I wasn’t a Spurs fan, I would have to go with the Blazers. You have Nate (Sonics great) at the helm. They are on the brink of a great playoff run. This year will show where the team will be in the near future.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Atrain206 says:
What’s up Austin? As a Seattlite myself, I say go with the Northwest connection and go for the Blazers. I pretty much have decided that’s the way to go for me. After the two-faced liar (Bennett) and snake-oil salesman (Stern) gave us the beads for land deal, I’ve seen the Blazers turn themselves around. They got rid of dead weight players, got a great up and coming coach and drafted high quality guys who can ball (B-Roy is that dude). I don’t even know why your list was so long in the first place. Cats like us need to represent the Northwest because we always get that slack about the weather and stuff, but now we can tell people that a lot of great ballers are coming from our neck of the woods and I have pride in seeing the turnaround. I may not be able to get to see any games in Portland, but I will be tuned in to every one they play and supporting our region. Good luck on your decision, but I know where my new (temporary) loyalties will lie. Peace.
September 19th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Tom S. says:
As a lifelong Cleveland sports fan, my advice is not to pick the Cavs. Unless you want a lifetime of sports disappointment and heartbreak.
September 19th, 2008 at 11:26 am
blazerjunkie says:
Stay away from the Blazers!! Blazers are for Portland only.
Seattle sucks as a city and sports town!!!
September 19th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Austin Burton says:
@jk — Other than the Sonics thing, Seattle is great. There’s still the Seahawks, Mariners, UW, an MLS soccer team is on the way and I think we still have a minor league hockey team. If you’re an active person, there’s a ton of things to do both indoor and outdoor. If you’re into all the art/culture/sophisticated pastimes, same thing. It doesn’t rain THAT much, not EVERYONE is a tree-hugger, and coffee isn’t THAT important.
September 19th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Austin Burton says:
@blazerjunkie — Chill. You’ve got one pro team who has definitely had their stretches of sucking. And we still have twice as many teams.
September 19th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
nt says:
rockets!!!!!
September 19th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
timmayyy says:
Follow your heart.
September 19th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Ernesto says:
Idaho Stampede are pretty close by.
September 20th, 2008 at 4:03 am
Willis says:
Go for the Kings. Spencer Hawes is from Seattle and he is Michael Phelps twin so that is good news. And Kevin Martin is about to tear up the NBA.
September 21st, 2008 at 7:00 am
yo says:
I think you’ve already chosen the spurs. you like timmy, tony, and manu, and you pattern your own game after bruce bowen. you like how they play and you like the way the team is run. you like watching them and have already said they represent what you admire in a team. if you’re looking for a ‘new’ team to root for, it’s clearly the spurs.