More From Media Day
After transcribing 12,000 words from media day, I present you the day’s last bit of noteworthy items off of my tape recorder…
* Kevin Durant on the OU-Texas rivalry: “It’s going to be a lot of fun. I love Texas, and everywhere I go I’m always going to throw up the Horns. I just like to cause a little controversy and throw a little wrench in the Oklahoma thing. So it’s going to be fun. I’m glad they’re going to come out and support us as well, but I’m going to always be a Texas guy… I’m like on both sides of the whole thing. It’s good to be right in the middle. I love being in Oklahoma thus far, and I’m going to love playing for them. But I’m never going to cheer for OU.”
* Chris Wilcox on the uniforms: “The uniforms are nice. I can’t complain about anything. The uniforms are nice. Don’t I look good in them? What you think?”
* Wilcox on the best and worst part of Oklahoma so far: “The best thing is just the people. Everyone who I’ve come across has just been uplifting their hands to us and making us feel comfortable at home…The worst thing about Oklahoma City so far is the movers not having my furniture here on time.”
* Russell Westbrook on whether the length of the NBA season is a concern: “It’s a concern, but it’s just something I have to go along with. It’s all a learning curve for me. That’s how I’m going to look at it, just go in every night and try to learn new things.”
* Robert Swift on his motivation going into this season: “I was part of the team that made it to the playoffs and beat Sacramento in the first round and took San Antonio to Game 6. Nick (Collison) and I are the only two left from that team. And I want to be able to see this organization go back to the way it was in ‘04.”
* Swift on his tattoo of the Seattle skyline: “The Seattle tattoo is from the year I got drafted. It was the year everything changed for me. It was probably the most fun but most difficult year of my life. It reminds me of how hard it was, but I made it through it and I can make it through anything.”
* Kyle Weaver on his only trip to Oklahoma before joining the Thunder: “The first and last time I was here, we played Oklahoma State my freshman year and we lost by 50. That’s the one thing I remember about being in Oklahoma.”
* D.J. White on the craziest thing he’s spent money on: “I really haven’t bought anything crazy. Just a car, a Range Rover. That’s the only thing I’ve really spent money on. I’m trying to save my money.”
* White on what fans can expect from him this season: “Hard work every time I step on the court. That’s one thing I always try to do is play hard every time I step on the court. Every game, I know I give maximum effort.”
* Derrick Byars on his goals in training camp: “Just make the team. Just be on that opening day roster and take it from there. My only goal is to just work my behind off and bring a lot of energy.”
* Joe Smith on his reaction to being traded to OKC: “I was excited actually. When we came through when New Orleans was here, just the support from the fans that they were getting even though it really wasn’t their team at the time. And for them to have their own team, I’m quite sure the support is going to be even bigger than when New Orleans was here.”
* Smith on coach P.J. Carlesimo: “I like P.J. as a coach. He was fair with guys (in Golden State). He lets you know when you’re doing something wrong and he corrects that. If you’re doing something right, he rewards that. With the young guys and the team that we have, I think he’s the perfect coach in this situation.”
-DM-
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Comments
I know most players have been through the Crash Davis “It’s time to work on your interviews” school, but these guys really do seem to be a class bunch. People talk a lot about the NBA being full of thugs, and we see so many things involving athletes, it’s nice having guys like these.
GO THUNDER!
I understand what you’re saying, HR, and I think the “how do you like it here” questions will taper off now that they’re back on the hardwood.
At the same time, I do think the greatest thing about Oklahoma are the people. Someone joked the other day that a traffic jam in Oklahoma City is 2 people at a 4-way stop sign at a stand-off as to who is going to let the other one go first. That’s pretty special.
Media day was the first time we had the opportunity to hear from most of the players. It’s only natural that they’re going to be asked, “How do you like it here.” That’s a lot better than the guys south of here having to answer what they think of the national anthem.
I agree Martz with what you’re saying, I know OKC is great! But it just seems as tho the answers the players are saying is not what they really think or even that they’re canned.
While I agree that sometimes it is good to hear a good lie, OKC has come a long way from those days – and we need to really know what people think.
We all know that OKC takes time to grow on you, coming from more prolific cities on the coast. And that was my main point – that we as OKCians (and expats) should back off of the NEED for vindication and let the city naturally grow on people. Instead of asking, let’s show the players what OKC is and who Oklahomans are.
Then LATER on, say December-ish; ask them how they feel about being in OKC. Im sure the responses will be much more detailed and much more favourable than the ‘its the people…..”
To me, that will be vindication!
Guys, I have to wonder about some of the comments from the players, whether they are being truthful. I’m just not buying the ‘it’s the people/fans’ here when being asked what they think of OKC.
To be honest, it is quite stupid and rather immature of journalists in OKC who continually ask these players ‘So what do you think of OKC?’ Jeez, they JUST got here, and haven’t played a lick of basketball yet.
It almost seems like the media and OKC officials are looking for instant vindication from the players – when in reality, Im sure they are enjoying it in the city but haven’t really got to KNOW the city to be able to talk about it. That’s probably why the ‘canned’ answer from just about any player when asked is – it’s the people/fans here! I love it.
Hmm, how about the media ask more poinient questions about basketball or the NBA or something that the players know about. Let’s ask the ‘how do you like OKC’ questions after they’ve been here for a couple of months and have payed at the Ford Center.
Im sure the answers will be MUCH more detailed and much more explicative! That would be much better vindication or validation that OKC is big league than asking players when they JUST landed here what they think.
You would never catch that from Chicago or NY, and while I know those are the top cities in the nation – still, OKC officials could show a bit of swagger and SHOW THE PLAYERS what OKC is (instead of bugging them every 2nd question about what they think). –
LIKE: how about some sort of OKC potluck where the players are invited to Oklahoma style cooking. Or how about taking them to the golf courses and hob nobbing with the OKC elite. Or how about taking them into the hoods and ghettos of the city and letting them meet the average OKC fan. Or how about taking them on a field trip to see the different sights in the state.
Im sure, if the above ideas were implemented – players would say something much more meaningful when asked what they think of OKC; and that carries MUCH MORE WEIGHT than ‘oh, the people here are great!’……