Sonic Thunder curse lives on!! (OKC eliminated)

Submitted by whidbeywolverine on April 15th, 2023 at 10:36 AM

We rarely see Thunder in Seattle, but unlike OKC, we have a Larry O‘Brien!! Clay Bennett can sit and spin eternally for stealing our beloved SuperSonics!

An OT shoutout to your own favorite sports curses!!

Grampy

April 15th, 2023 at 10:46 AM ^

I think it was Bill Simmons who made a big deal out of calling OKC the "Zombie Sonics" because he though the league and sonic owners had done Seattle dirty.  This came up last night while my wife and I watched Minnesota rise from the grave to dismantle the Thunder, uh, Zombie Sonics.

jmblue

April 15th, 2023 at 11:25 AM ^

No ties to Seattle but I always loved the Sonics' logo and colors.  I hated to see them move.

David Stern loved Key Arena ... and then 10 years later he claimed the Sonics needed to move.

 

 

Michfan777

April 15th, 2023 at 10:19 PM ^

SGA has been one of the best kept secrets in the league for a while. Glad he’s getting the recognition he deserves. If he were on one of the big market teams, he’d be in the MVP talks (not as a favorite) - especially considering his obscene production in the 2nd half of the season.

OKC is going to be a threat. They have something like 15 first round picks in the next 4-5 years as well. And with SGA, Chet, and Giddy, they have a massive starting lineup forming.

Blue Vet

April 15th, 2023 at 12:12 PM ^

While we're off-topic and in Seattle: I attended a game in the Kingdome. Of the dozen or so MLB stadiums I've visited, that was the worst. (Tampa's is pretty bad too.)

I'mTheStig

April 15th, 2023 at 9:08 PM ^

When the roof is closed in Toronto, it's horrible there too.

... and the field looks like something only slightly evolved from the first iteration of AstroTurf.

Baseball indoors is a fucking disgrace.  If places like SoFi can exist, Tampa especially could move out of that dump.

TruBluMich

April 15th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^

Detroit has had 2 season over .500 sense the Sonics moved to OKC in 2008 and one of those they were 41 - 41. Before the Sonics moved Detroit had been to the E. Conference Finals 6 straight years with 2 appearance in The Finals and one title. So apparently that damn curse is also effecting the Pistons.

dragonchild

April 15th, 2023 at 5:20 PM ^

As a reminder of just how deserving they are of this curse, the NBA blackballed Seattle because they wouldn’t pay for a new arena during the 2008 financial crisis.

The nerve, refusing to fund a billionaire’s project during the worst recession of the last four generations.

Michfan777

April 15th, 2023 at 10:28 PM ^

I wonder when the league is going to get back to Seattle - especially with their incredible new arena.

Likewise, I’m wondering what other city gets a team if they want to get to 32. My guess is one of the following:

  • Nashville - Too close to Memphis/Atlanta?
  • Las Vegas - Over-saturation of new sports teams?
  • San Diego - maybe not since 2 teams are an hour north.
  • St. Louis - Older arena and a meh city
  • Kansas City - would be only winter pro team
  • Tampa - too close to Orlando?
  • Mexico City - Massive market
  • Vancouver - CAD issues?
  • Montreal - CAD issues?

NittanyFan

April 16th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^

Louisville should be on the list too --- I'd argue they are better than any city other than Seattle and Vegas.

As someone else said, the T-Wolves may move (Seattle or Vegas).  I could see a 32-team set-up like this:

East (Atlantic Division) - BOS, BRO, NYK, PHI, TOR, WAS, MIA, ORL

East (Interior East Coast) - ATL, CHA, CHI, CLE, DET, IND, LVL, MIL

West (Texas & Mountain West Regions) - DAL, HOU, MEM, NOP, OKC, SAS, DEN, UTA  

West (Pacific Division) - GSW, LAC, LAL, LVG, PHO, POR, SAC, SEA

moldee_raspberry

April 16th, 2023 at 12:22 AM ^

Yeah, eff OKC. The NBA will surpass the NFL in clout when the Sonics arrive back in SEA. Until then, we all have to keep pretending that OKC deserves the recognition that rightfully belongs to the Sonics. I get it: teams move, shit changes, but OKC was a bad move market/branding/basic integrity-wise.