Recent Stories with tag sonics

Mark it down: October 14, 2010, was the beginning of the post-Sonics era of pro basketball in Seattle. Tonight the Portland Trail Blazers held an informal scrimmage at Garfield High, alma mater of their star guard Brandon Roy. Had the Blazers held such an event two years ago, it would've been a flashpoint for aggrieved Sonics fans. But last night, Sonics fans were sparse--or at least not identifying themselves. I saw plenty of Portland and UW jerseys. I even saw a Shaun Alexander replica. But not a single Sonics jersey.

Instead, the Blazers, in partnership with their fellow Vulcan-owned sister squad, the Seahawks, took baby steps toward becoming what they inevitably will become: Seattle's de facto NBA team.

It started tonight with a scrimmage attended by a few hundred in an inner-city high school gym. Next time it will be an exhibition game at KeyArena. Maybe someday a regular-season game or two. And as young Seattleites with no memory of the Sonics grow up, they'll naturally adopt the team that's barely a three-hour drive away--just as Portlanders long ago adopted the Mariners and Seahawks.... (more)

Your local hoops team is off to a 20-2 start and play tonight against Phoenix at Seattle Center. It could be today, or it could be December 23, 1993. Then, the team was the Sonics, the opponent was the Phoenix Suns. Tonight it's the Storm facing the Phoenix Mercury.

The Sonics lost game #23 (Thunder Dan Majerle went off for seven threes). So with a win against Phoenix tonight, the Storm can claim the best start in Seattle pro hoops history. 

Won't be easy. The Mercury come into the game scorching hot on offense. You think I exaggerate? I do not. As Kevin Pelton reports on StormBasketball.com, the Mercury have set the WNBA record for points in a game twice in the last week. The last game between these teams, less than two weeks ago, went to triple-overtime.

Other fun Seattle/Phoenix stuff: The Storm's Sue Bird and the Mercury's Diana Taurasi are close friends and teammates in the Russian SuperLeague.

Storm Lauren Jackson and Mercury Penny Taylor, Aussies born 13 days apart, have played against each other since age 11 and will be teammates at this fall's FIBA World Championships. To me, the most interesting Mercury player is DeWanna Bonner, a bean-pole forward (listed at 6'4", 136 lbs.) (!!!) who is a tough matchup for the Storm. Bonner has 54 points on just 33 shots against Seattle this year.

At worst, this will be a high-scoring game. Stands a chance of being one of the most memorable basketball games in Seattle hoops history.

Former Sonic Nate McMillan was a lock-down defender and capable backup point guard. Overshadowed by Hall-of-Fame teammate Gary Payton, "Mac-10" nonetheless won the affection of Seattle fans and earned the name "Mr. Sonic."

Tanisha Wright

Current Storm Tanisha Wright is a lock-down defender and capable back-up point guard. Overshadowed by Hall-of-Fame teammate Sue Bird, "T-Wright" has been the target of Storm fan emnity since her first year with the team. I hear her called many names by Storm fans, few of them affectionate.

Wright is unpopular because she isn't Sue Bird. When Wright has played the point in previous years, she's struggled to get the offense set up in a timely fashion and made poor decisions. The contrast to Bird, one of the best point guards in league history, is obvious enough to rile up fans.

McMillan suffered in comparison to Payton as well, but only because he didn't possess GP's offensive talents. If you were just looking for a distributor and someone to run your offense, McMillan may have been the better choice.

Wright won't ever match Bird in that department, but she's shown dramatic improvement this season. With Bird out with back spasms for the June 29th game against San Antonio, Wright assumed the point guard duties and had a career-high 12 assists in a Storm win.

McMillan and Wright share a commitment to defense that makes them both coach favorites. Wright is tall for a WNBA guard (5'11") just as McMillan was tall for an NBA one (6'5"). Both Wright (165 lbs.) and McMillan (played at 195 lbs.) have strong frames that allow them to body up defenders, but aren't so bulky that they sacrifice speed.... (more)

The Seattle Storm are a WNBA-best 14-2, and have won all ten games at KeyArena. Let's learn a little more about them, shall we?

Lauren Jackson

As a Sonics fan, your pleasures come from the past. Like checking out Shawn Kemp's 1995-96 game log. Kemp dominated opposition that year, scoring 20 points or more in 41 games and leading the Sonics to a franchise-high 64 wins.

Lauren Jackson is replicating Kemp's best season with the Storm this year. Like Kemp, Jackson easily posts up slower or smaller defenders. Or she steps back and shoots from outside. Jackson can dominate the boards, as she did last night against San Antonio when she grabbed as many offensive boards as the entire Silver Stars team.

Jackson's game has a facet that Kemp's never did--three-point shooting. Left alone 22 feet from the basket against San Antonio, L.J. didn't hesitate to fire in a three-pointer. She has 29 for the season, tops on the Storm.

In truth, Jackson is more dominating than Kemp ever was. Jackson has won two MVP awards, and looks headed for another this season. She won WNBA player of the week last week for the 17th time in her career, most in WNBA history.

Jackson's sporting a new look this season. Red hair, for one thing. But she also seems a step faster. Storm broadcaster Dick Fain speculated on last night's broadcast that this could be because Jackson played in her native Australia during the WNBA offseason, a much less strenuous task than her usual offseason stop, Russia. Hope is that the reduced wear and tear will allow Jackson to play a full season, something she hasn't been able to do the past two years. Injuries kept Jackson from playing in the playoffs since '07. Not coincidentally, the Storm have lost in the first round of the playoffs each year.

Jackson finished with 31 points and 15 boards in the Storm's 86-72 win over San Antonio. The Storm have won five games in a row. They next play Saturday at Los Angeles, a game to be televised on ESPN2.

AUGH! Cliff Mass had us hoping for a sunny Sunday, but "new shit has come to light." His new Sunday forecast says to expect more clouds and rain by early Sunday afternoon.

On the bright side, all seven of our Seattle farmer's markets are in full swing this weekend.

A few local stories we didn't cover this week but which nonetheless happened: the author of Drugstore Cowboy was arrested for robbing a drugstore; a UW study found that HIV treatment dramatically reduced transmission rates; and failing Washington banks made the Wall Street Journal.

WSDOT announced the tunnel may take a year longer to complete than thought.

Our top two stories were about the Sonics fan fracas over on Starbucks' Facebook page and whether your grocery store makes you fat. Mayor McGinn had questions about the tunnel, and kept hammering away about cost overruns. Seattle made it on a Top 10 Cities list and hosted the world's largest 3D TV (from LG) at SID 2010 (photos!).

If all goes as planned, all major Puget Sound roadways will be tolled within the next 10 to 20 years, primarily to deal with congestion. Seattle is still arguing over in-city "road diets." The closure of the NE 45th Street Viaduct draws near (June 14). What's going on with the unsold condos at Thornton Place? The owner and their PR firm didn't respond to my calls, so not a lot, I'm thinking.... (more)

Starbucks' Facebook fan page is the epicenter of Sonics fan protest this morning. It all starts rather innocently, with Starbucks announcing the "We love you Seattle" promotion. Every Friday through June 18, you can pick up a special gift at "local participating Seattle Starbucks."

A nice gesture, sure to engender smiles of gratitude from happy Seattleites, yes? Well, in the unlikely event that this blog post is optioned for a movie, the trailer might say: "But Starbucks forgot one thing..."

Sonics fans. Who have not forgotten that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz' spearheaded the team's sale to Oklahoma Cityites, the overwhelming factor precipitating the team's desertion of Seattle. Sonics fans are not feeling the love. To put it lightly. And they aren't being shy about it.

"f*** starbucks an howard shultz, c***sucker!!" comments one Kyle Mortensen on SBUX Facebook.

Thomas Kohnstamm is a little more coherent: "Thanks for the offer of a free coffee, but I'd rather have the basketball team that I grew up on."

The directors of Sonicsgate have even chimed in with a link to their Webby-award winning film about the team's departure.... (more)

From the group Manther (myspace!), comes this lament about the Sonics. It's true, we do still miss them. Part of the reason I avoid NBA basketball is that watching it makes me miss them more. Even looking at the box scores sends me into a funk, especially when former Sonic Kevin Durant records another 25-point game. Anyhoo, here's what Manther--appearing along with a guy in a replica Squatch costume--has to say.

Via True Hoop

In an earlier story on The Sunbreak ("The Little Sonics Lawsuit that Could"), I referenced the progress of a little class-action lawsuit between former Seattle Supersonic season ticket holders and Oklahoma’s own version of Valdemort, Clay Bennett and his cronies in the Professional Basketball Club, the owners of the Oklahoma Thunder.

According to a story on Seattlepi.com, Bennett and the other Thunder owners have settled the lawsuit and agreed to pay $1.6 million in damages, to be split among the ticketholders represented in the class action. (This outcome pleases me, I should add, because I'm a former Sonics ticketholder.)

The presiding judge in the case, the Honorable Richard A. Jones, has not yet signed off on the joint agreement to settle. There is no timetable for his ruling and the documents contained in the joint motion for approval of a settlement stipulate that members of the class action must be notified of the settlement details before the agreement is final.

"This is what I expected to happen," said Michael A. Maxwell, a Seattle attorney and the SunBreak’s legal correspondent. "All along, Bennett thought the judge would throw out this case. When he didn’t, he was caught in a very bad position."

Early in 2009, both sides asked Judge Jones for a summary judgment, which he did in February. The judgment, which can be read online at www.sonicsclassaction.com, threw out many of the complaints of both parties, but left intact the plaintiffs’ claim that the Sonics entered into a contract with ticketholders and then broke that contract.... (more)

Today, Seattle lost one of the last links to its first professional sports team, and its first world championship team at the professional level. Bob Blackburn, the original play-by-play announcer for the Seattle SuperSonics, passed away on Friday. He was 86.

Blackburn started with the team during its first season in 1967-68 and was the team's voice for 25 years. In the early days, he was announcer, color man, and engineer. His most memorable call, and still the most important professional sports call in the city's history, was the final few minutes of the 1979 Championship clincher against the now ironically named Washington Bullets.

For fans of the team, and that team in particular, his voice was the only live memory we have of the finals that year. The NBA was a wreck in the late 1970s, the pre-Magic and Bird era, and the playoffs and finals were tape-delayed broadcast on the West Coast. And maybe we remember the '79 team so fondly because that unselfish group of oddballs, mashers, and magicians was a breath of fresh air in the midst of dark times in sports and in the nation in general.

And Bob fit right in. He was an old school announcer who wasn't beneath showing disgust for a bad call or, his pet peeve, bad sportsmanship. He was also a gutsy guy who returned to work following heart surgery in 1983.

He had a front row seat to some of the best basketball this town ever saw and made it seem so real, so urgent to a young teen listening late on a cold, rainy night. When he saw a great play, a Lenny Wilkens shimmy, a Slick Watts steal, Gus Williams slicing to the basket, X-Man beating down a rebound, he knew how to frame it so the beauty of sports danced in a listener's head.... (more)

The stars were out for Metro League Tuesday

Before we get to the whys and wherefores of how the spittle of the 14th-richest man in America ended up on my right hand, let me make one thing clear. Underemployed though I am, I did not attend Tuesday's Lakeside/Rainier Beach game with the intention of sitting next to, and eventually shaking hands with, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

First of all, I did not even know Ballmer would be at the game. Only when I had found my seat and noticed a "Sam Ballmer" on the Lakeside roster did I suspect any impending Ballmerness. Furthermore, I did not sit next to Ballmer. He happened to sit next to me. And, to finally get to the expectoration you were expecting: If you sit next to Steve Ballmer at a Lakeside basketball, you are going to get a little wet. And possibly go a little deaf. The man is not shy with the yelling.

I'm okay with that, because Ballmer is the best kind of parent rooter: He encouraged Lakeside's overmatched players from tip to buzzer, all the way through a 47-point loss. He laid off the referees. And he even cheered the (very many) exciting plays by Rainier Beach.

His high-energy rooting style--at times, his non-stop nervous rocking shook the bleacher bench we were sharing--made me wish heartily that he'd managed to purchase the Sonics. A courtside Ballmer would make notoriously excitable Dallas owner Mark Cuban look phlegmatic.

So, yeah, a few minutes into the game, something moves Ballmer to shout "Boom" (his favorite exclamation), and I suddenly feel a drop of wetness on my hand. Oh. That's Ballmer spit. At halftime, I'd see a Microsoft employee friend of mine who'd come to his first Metro League Tuesday.

"I'm sitting next to your boss," I said.

"I saw that," he exclaimed.

"He spit on my hand!"

"You'd better not wash it."

And I never will. NEVER! I am buying protective gloves tomorrow. AND NO MOM I AM NOT COMING OUT OF MY ROOM!

One Ballmer moment before we move on to the other famous people who were at the game. Ballmer's son Sam had the best Lakeside play of the night. Receiving the ball on the right wing, young Ballmer created space with his off-hand, stepped back and swished a 12-foot jumper. Papa rose as the shot was in the air, and unleashed a thunderous "Boom!" as the ball slid through the net. It was cute--and lest you think I'm being overly sentimental, I said as much to my ex-girlfriend, who was sitting on the other side of me, and she nodded vigorously in agreement.

Also at the game: University of Washington basketball head coach Lorenzo Romar, taking up his preferred spot behind the baseline. Ballmer and Romar had a long talk at halftime. Meanwhile, chatting next to them were Seattle city councilmember Bruce Harrell, whose son is a backup guard for Lakeside, and Husky hoops legend and former NBAer Eldridge Recasner. It was a veritable who's who of Seattle!... (more)

Storm mascot Doppler hands Simmons swag

ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, a.k.a. "The Sports Guy," was in Seattle on Tuesday to sign copes of his new bestseller, The Book of Basketball.

Kevin Pelton, who writes for the Seattle Storm (where he explained Doppler's appearance at the signing) and Basketball Prospectus (where he reviewed TBOB last week) was in attendance and shares this report.

Sport Restaurant was a great venue for Bill Simmons' book signing in all respects but one: It turned out to be far too small to hold the masses of Simmons' faithful readers who descended on Sport to get an autograph and share a brief moment with their favorite writer. By the time I arrived, at 5:30 p.m., a line was already forming an hour and a half before Simmons was scheduled to begin. By the time he arrived, people snaked through the lobby of the Fisher Pavilion and the line continued out the door and outside around Sport despite the persistent rain.

Of course, short of KeyArena, I'm not sure where that many people could comfortably fit. By the time I left, around 10, the line was still going strong, though no longer outdoors. I'm told by others who lingered longer that it took nearly four hours before the last book was signed.

The response was fueled in part by the fact that Simmons, as Steve Kelley wrote about for The Seattle Times, has been the major media figure most supportive of Seattle in the wake of the Sonics' departure. In his brief remarks to the lucky handful of people who got spots inside Sport before the signing, Simmons declared that Seattle was a natural stop for his tour because he still considers it an NBA town. Fans demonstrated that by pulling their Sonics jerseys and other memorabilia out of their closets, and Simmons happily took shots at the former ownership group in the books he signed.

With any tour, there's a natural tendency for each stop to become "the favorite one," but Simmons' fondness for Seattle and empathy for Sonics fans is legit. He even talked up Seattle during a video interview he taped at last night's Portland appearance with The Oregonian. (http://bit.ly/1I0SxF) Now, if only Simmons would have ranked Gary Payton a little higher in his Hall of Fame pyramid ...

[ED NOTE: Simmons may be thinking a little less fondly of Seattle after being pulled over for speeding on his way to Portland.]

Jamelle McMillan

The 1996 Sonics have spawned a new generation of college basketball players who are selfishly making me feel old.

We already knew about Jamelle "Son of Nate" McMillan, who is a junior guard at Arizona State. Joining McMillan at ASU next year will be the son of dad's former teammate on the '96 Sonics: Corey "Son of Hersey" Hawkins signed a letter of intent to play for the Sun Devils yesterday. Also in the Pac-10: Alex "Son of Detlef" Schrempf, a walk-on at UCLA.

And another '96 Sonics' son--perhaps the best of this bunch--will play down south next season. Shawn Kemp, Jr., ranked the 35th-best center in his high school class, has signed to play with Auburn. Shawn Sr. was the best of the '96 Sonics, stands to reason that Junior would be the best of the sons. Mendel was right!

Alex Schrempf

Looking to the future, Eric Snow's three sons haven't yet reached teenagehood yet (which you'd know if you watched Real Housewives of Atlanta, in which the Snow family was featured).

Frank Brickowski's son Jack--who I'm sure will someday enjoy reading that he was conceived on a one-night-stand after his parents were separated--has yet to reach double-digits in age.

Gary Payton's son Gary Jr. was playing at Spring Valley High in Las Vegas in 2008, but I can't find any information about him.... (more)

Along with the ever-exciting baseball playoffs and must-win games for our top two local football teams, sports fans can enjoy a couple of non-sports events this weekend.

Sonics Movie

Well "enjoy" may be the wrong word for the emotions you'll feel at the premiere of Sonicsgate. The film about the Sonics' departure from Seattle, featuring interviews with major players like Slade Gorton, Kevin Calabro and Sleepy Sam Perkins, debuts tonight at SIFF, with an encore presentation Saturday at Pacific Place. Friday's screening is sold out, but you can get tickets for Saturday's here.

Tonight the film's producers are hosting an after-party at Spitfire, here are the details on that.

Seahawks Book

Mark Tye Turner, author of the Seahawks "fan-oir" Notes from a Twelfth Man, will be reading from and hosting a trivia contest surrounding his book tonight at F.X. McRory's. The trivia is free; first prize is a round of drinks and a $25 F.X. McRory's gift certificate. Should be a fun time and a moment to send happy thoughts to Matt Hasselbeck's ribs.

 

It's fall and web-spinners are out, spinning webs for 3GS iPhone auteurs or just hanging out making you nervous.

Seattle Bubble tipped us off to this CHS story about Seattle's condo auctions this weekend, and KUOW's "condo glut" take. Short story: the auctions are likely to reset condo values lower citywide. Seattle Bubble thinks that a valuation reset is about time.

Mayor Nickels released his budget for 2010, which slashes city staff and raids our rainy day fund. It also raises $600 million for the deep-bore tunnel construction project. The city council sounds ready to rubber-stamp it--except for Nick Licata.

On the SunBreak, Roger reported on a class action lawsuit proceeding against the Oklahoma Thunder née Seattle Sonics ownership group. Jeremy looked into the Twilight future of Forks, and MvB talked with Metro chief Kevin Desmond about technology and transit.

Next week, Publicola is looking forward to The Pink Panther at Central Cinema. Count us in. More than ever, the world needs Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau.