Thunder: Want some signed KD shoes?
Today’s your lucky day if you’re after some shoes signed by Kevin Durant.
And if you like scavenger hunts.
Starting at 2 p.m., fans will be given clues about where to find KD-signed footwear that is hidden across Oklahoma City. The clues will come via Twitter and will be posted by KD (@KDTrey5) and Nike N7 (@NikeN7).
The Nike N7 collection draws inspiration from Native American culture. It launches its summer line today, which will include a new Nike N7 Zoom KDIV. Durant debuted the shoe earlier this season.
N7 is a presenting sponsor of the Jim Thorpe Native American Games, June 10-17 in Oklahoma City.
Want a chance to get your hands on a pair of those new shoes and snag a Durant autograph while you’re at it?
Be sure to follow Durant and N7 on Twitter for your chance.
And if you win, be sure to let me know, Thunder fans. I want to hear your story!
Thunder: Want some signed KD shoes?
Today’s your lucky day if you’re after some shoes signed by Kevin Durant.
And if you like scavenger hunts.
Starting at 2 p.m., fans will be given clues about where to find KD-signed footwear that is hidden across Oklahoma City. The clues will come via Twitter and will be posted by KD (@KDTrey5) and Nike N7 (@NikeN7).
The Nike N7 collection draws inspiration from Native American culture. It launches its summer line today, which will include a new Nike N7 Zoom KDIV. Durant debuted the shoe earlier this season.
N7 is a presenting sponsor of the Jim Thorpe Native American Games, June 10-17 in Oklahoma City.
Want a chance to get your hands on a pair of those new shoes and snag a Durant autograph while you’re at it?
Be sure to follow Durant and N7 on Twitter for your chance.
And if you win, be sure to let me know, Thunder fans. I want to hear your story!
Power Lunch: Chat with John Rohde
Did Tony Parker Call Out Russell Westbrook?
This is one of those stories that gets more attention than it deserves simply because of the time of year the season is in. The playoff spotlight is shining bright, and every word uttered by every player still standing in the playoffs will be scrutinized.
Spurs guard Tony Parker on Wednesday put himself in that position while revealing his upcoming plan of attack against Thunder guard Russell Westbrook in the Western Conference Finals.
Via the San Antonio Express-News.
I’m definitely going to go at him. It’s not going to be like Dallas or the Lakers, where their point guards are not as aggressive. I’m going to go at him and make sure he works a little bit.
Color me indifferent.
These comments from Parker are being made into a big deal in some parts? Really? What else is Parker supposed to say? ‘Westbrook’s a great player and I doubt I’ll be able to score against him so I’m going to defer to my teammates.’
No.
Let’s not pretend Parker got out of pocket here. What Parker said was simply the truth, as well as an obvious part of what will be the Spurs’ game plan.
Of Jason Kidd’s 41 shot attempts in Dallas’ series with the Thunder, 26 were 3-pointers. Lakers guard Ramon Sessions, meanwhile, took just 34 shots in his team’s five-game series with the Thunder.
On the other hand, in just his last three games against the Clippers, Parker took more shots (52) than both Kidd and Sessions in their respective series with the Thunder. Parker’s offensive aggressiveness is what makes the Spurs go. In no way can you consider Parker’s comments to be trash talk.
But bait?
Now that’s a different story.
Thunder heads’ favorite talking head, Skip Bayless of First Take fame, actually hit the nail on the head Thursday when discussing Parker’s comments with cohort Stephen A. Smith. Beginning at the five-minute mark in the below video, Bayless explains how Parker’s comments could be nothing more than good old fashion gamesmanship.
“The bait is being laid,” Bayless said. “The trap is being set here. Because Tony Parker wants Russell Westbrook to think this is going to be a mano a mano shootout. And then that means Russell Westbrook better get himself 30 shots in Game 1.”
That could be the worst thing to happen to the Thunder. Or the best thing depending on how focused and determined Westbrook is while trying to win the battle. But we all remember Parker posting 42 on the Thunder back in February. Westbrook does, too. In that game, Parker got in Westbrook’s head and carried the Spurs to one of their two statement wins over the Thunder.
Westbrook would be wise to ignore Parker, to take a pass on the bait. He’s got nothing to prove in this series, other than his ability to help lead the Thunder to the finals. Accomplishing that has little to do with Westbrook winning his one-on-one matchup. Out-dueling Parker would be just icing on the cake.
Fortunately for the Thunder, Westbrook seems to realize that.
-DM-
Oklahoma City Thunder: Thunder Alley goes the way of Commerce Street
Earlier in the week, I wrote about the likely end of the Thunder Alley watch party in the wake of eight people being shot and the atmosphere on Reno Avenue turning ugly even before the gunplay. A similar situation ended the tradition of Eskimo Joe’s anniversary weekend in Stillwater almost 20 years ago, which is about the same time another long-standing tradition died because of gunplay and general rowdiness.
Commerce Street the night before the OU-Texas game.
A tradition that dated back to the 1940s in Dallas, Commerce Street became Ground Zero for the Sooner and Longhorn fans who flooded Dallas. Thousands of fans from both schools would parade up and down Commerce Street, hurling insults at each other. But in 1992, a fatal shooting occurred during the Commerce Street gathering, and Dallas city officials shut down the tradition. They sent 900 police officers into the streets, banned open containers of alcohol, established a curfew for those under 17 and generally dispersed the crowds in a variety of directions.
Our Robert Medley reported that on Friday night of the 1993 OU-Texas game, “the streets of downtown Dallas were empty and quiet. The scene of traditional Oklahoma and Texas football fan clashes resembled that of a country occupied by foreign invaders: Streets were barricaded, and 900 armed police officers guarded storefronts and intersections.”
Our David Zizzo reported the 1993 “effort to nip raucous behavior in the bud was successful, maybe too much so. As Larry Fonts, president of the Central Dallas Association, put it, ‘we overachieved.’ It just wasn’t the same old OU-Texas weekend, what with all the cops on horseback, cops in squad cars, cops milling on street corners wondering if it would rain so they could go home.
“Gone was the glow of gridlocked traffic on Commerce Street caused by fans lured to town like so many spawning trout. Gone was the symphony of pedestrians exchanging scatological pleasantries, the charm of occasional chunks of furniture raining from hotel windows, the dance of drunks duking it out over schools no one attended.”
Those days remain gone. Now, the OU-Texas Friday night revelry is spread throughout Greater Dallas. Thunder Alley’s tradition lasted a mere games, not half a century like Commerce Street. But it ended for the same reasons.
Russell Westbrook Remembers Parker’s 42
Russell Westbrook can’t deny it.
That 42-point explosion Tony Parker posted on the Thunder back in February still eats at him.
“A little bit, yeah,” Westbrook admitted.
It was February 4, a Saturday night down in San Antone. The Thunder had walked into the AT&T Center having won 13 of its past 15 games. An 18-4 record had Oklahoma City comfortably atop the Western Conference standings.
And Parker plowed through it all.
The Spurs point guard made 16 of 29 shots and heated up like a slow cooker, scoring six in the first quarter, 10 in the second, 16 in the third and another 10 in the fourth. He made 10 of 12 free throws. He dished out nine assists. He pulled down three rebounds. He came up with two steals. And he didn’t have a single turnover in 40 minutes.
“It was a bad game,” Westbrook said when asked what he remembers about that night. “It was a bad game for our team. We got out sluggish, kind of let them do what they wanted to do, especially Tony Parker.”
That winter night is now an important one as these two teams prepare to square off in the Western Conference Finals.
Westbrook hasn’t forgotten what Parker did to him and his teammates. And when the ball is thrown up in Game 1 on Sunday, you can be sure that memory will help fuel Westbrook this time out.
Judging just stats, Westbrook seemed to have a solid game that night. He scored 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting, had six rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots, a steal and just three turnovers. But in reality, it was one of Westbrook’s worst performances of the season.
Westbrook got outworked by Parker and, worse, let the Spurs’ jitterbug get under his skin. A scrum for a loose ball involving Parker and Westbrook with four minutes remaining in the second quarter started the snowball. After the two hit the hardwood, Westbrook got up fuming. He lost his cool, and the Thunder quickly lost control of the game. From then on, Westbrook’s night was marred by poor defense, forced shots, frequent complaining and costly turnovers.
“I definitely can learn from it,” Westbrook said. “Like I said, it was a tough game for us and we’ll learn from it.”
Ironically, since that game Westbrook has played phenomenal ball. He’s slowed down. He’s played under control. He hasn’t forced shots. And he’s kept his emotions in check.
Now, with Parker again in his sights, Westbrook will have to harness those lingering feelings about that February night and ensure that those emotions are turned into positive energy instead of negative energy.
“We definitely need Russell to play with the passion that he does,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “You can’t get frustrated if a guy scores on you. You have to stay with what we do. But you have to have that passion.”
-DM-
Thunder: What do you think about Thunder Alley changes?
Thunder Alley
Thunder Alley will continue outside The Peake.
But the watch party is no more.
After the shootings that followed Monday night’s Thunder victory against the Lakers, team officials have decided to continue Thunder Alley’s pregame festivities but to shut it down once the game begins. It’s better than suspending Thunder Alley completely, I suppose, but it’s pretty clear than a vast majority of the people who have packed Reno Avenue outside the arena during the playoffs have done so because they could watch the game there.
So, what do you think of the change, Thunder fans?
I want to hear from you.
Are you sad to see the watch party go? Or do you think it’s the right move?
Has something civic and cool been lost? Or had the event become too big?
Let me know what you think.
And hey, if you went to Thunder Alley to watch any of the playoff games, I’d really love to hear your story. Why did you go? What was it like?
Oklahoma City Thunder: Cop weighs in on Thunder Alley
We’ve written a lot about Thunder Alley and the Monday night shooting. But I haven’t seen much in terms of peace officer viewpoint. I received an email from a cop and thought I would share it with you.
“I am a law enforcement officer. Your recent write up on Oklahoma City getting a harsh less in being a big league city was right on point. Many of my brethren have spoken of this article. This past Monday was a disappointing day for OKC despite the Thunder victory. Eight innocent young people were gunned down and many families and children had to see victims laying on the ground bleeding profusely as they walked to their vehicles after the big Thunder victory.
“As you said in your write up ‘All were composed. None seemed rattled. All seemed like they had gone through nights like this — shots ringing out, multiple victims — far too many times.’ That is absolutely true. I figure you were inside of the arena during the game. You know when Gary England predicts a 100 percent chance of severe weather during a certain time frame on a certain day? Well, had you stepped outside you would have felt like Gary England. You could have predicted a 100 percent chance of severe violence, regardless of the outcome of the game. The violence didn’t only start after the game either. The bottom line is, this ‘Big League City’ needs a ‘Big City’ amount of police officers. There has NOT been a significant officer increase in OKC in several DECADES despite the city population growing exponentially. The arrival of the Thunder and many future attractions (Central Park, a new convention center, river rapids, etc.) will only make things worse. The general public hasn’t noticed crime issues because they’ve usually occurred off of the big stage. Local peace officers have tirelessly handled and worked major events and dealt with crime very well considering their low overall manpower. I can only imagine what could happen in this city if the Thunder happened to win the NBA Finals.
“It’s just such a shame that five percent of the occupants of Thunder Alley are causing the other 95 percent (who are true peaceful Thunder fans) who generally can’t afford tickets to miss out on the pageantry of the NBA playoffs. It’s also a shame that the 95 percent felt unsafe while in Thunder Alley because of the thugs.”
So there you have it. I got several emails from readers wanting me to hold the city responsible for not being ready for such a situation. But it’s clear that police manpower is an issue. I was told that the city had 10 percent of its police force on duty for Thunder Alley and/or the game. That seems like a lot, considering OKC has 1,029 officers. That’s 102 on duty. And maybe 200 would have been needed to change the tone and tenor of the night. Twenty percent? That’s a lot.
The trouble is, things cost money. I don’t want to get into a debate about government size, but while we all can agree that the federal government is bloated, and some can agree that state governments are bloated, I don’t know too many who could correctly argue that civic governments are bloated. That money for extra police would have to come from somewhere. The city has raised sales taxes to fund MAPS, and most would admit the MAPS projects have done wonders for the city.
MAPS is the reason there was a ballgame on Monday night in the first place. MAPS is the reason Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook run around in jerseys that say “OKLAHOMA CITY.” But being a big-league city now is clearly requiring more and more from the city, and from where do those funds come?
It’s a dilemma
Thunder: What’s on Chuck’s to-do list?
Sir Charles is coming to our fair city.
Finally.
Six years after promising to visit Oklahoma City, Charles Barkley is finally going to make good on that vow. He and TNT’s entire NBA in-studio crew will be in town next week for the Western Conference Finals. And since Chuck has made it known that he believes there’s nothing to do in Oklahoma City, we’re going to offer some suggestions.
A to-do list, if you will.
But we need your help, Thunder fans. What should be on this to-do list? What restaurants are musts? What attractions are necessities? What activities are slam dunks?
You can send me your ideas at jcarlson@opubco.com or post them here on my blog.
Oklahoma City Thunder: How about moving Thunder Alley indoors?
The Thunder Alley watch party is no more. The pregame street festival will continue, but the party ends at tipoff inside Chesapeake Arena. Many people are disappointed. Some have complained. Others have tried to think of solutions. Including this intriguing idea: move the watch party indoors. Take it into the Cox Center.
Go old school. Recreate the old closed-circuit television feeling. Show the game on big screens across the street from the ‘Peake.
First and foremost, would that solve the safety concerns? Depends, of course, on if the knuckleheads who ruined the party Monday night go indoors. As you know, the firing of gunshots wasn’t the only problem Monday night. By multiple accounts, the atmosphere turned scary and ugly during the watch party for Game 5. I don’t know what makes a punk tick, so I have no idea if an inside watch party is appealing, considering everyone has a seat and is expected to use it. But seems like the allure might be gone. Outside, you can move around, spread your grief. Not so easy in an arena. And the concourses of the convention center could be patrolled with relative ease by peace officers.
Second, would it be financially feasible? Opening an arena is a lot more costly than closing a street. Could the city afford it? How much would it cost the Thunder? Would fans need to be charged a nominal fee, $5 or so? That would be unfortunate, because even that would be cost prohibitive for some.
The beauty of Thunder Alley in its short-lived good days was the community spirit it fostered. The idea that more than just those of us lucky enough to be inside Chesapeake Arena could be part of a shared experience in following the Thunder. Sure, anyone could stay home and watch the Thunder. But many are attracted to the communal experience, even if it’s watching on a video screen.
Here’s an email I received Wednesday from a Thunder fan named Nikki: “Of all the Thunder Alleys that have went so well and allowed the fans to come together to support our team and show everyone how proud we are to be the home of the Thunder, all it is going to take is a couple of thugs to ruin it for everyone. Now they propose having Thunder Alley but end it at game time and no big screen. Really??? So fans can come out, then miss at least the first quarter in traffic since the ‘family’ can’t watch from the bars in Bricktown. We live 90 miles away and enjoy half-season tickets normally but can’t always get playoff tickets since they sell out so fast. Thunder Alley was a way everyone could participate. Thugs aren’t just in Thunder Alley. We’ve walked next to several during the season that came out of the arena and others trolling Bricktown when games weren’t even going on. Please pass it on that using the Cox Center would be a great option. Revenue for that facility out of concessions and some of the door money could go to Thunder Cares. Win, win & watch the Thunder win.”
So there you go. I’m sure there are all kinds of logistical problems I haven’t thought of. But I know this. Thunder Alley was a great idea. Watching the games together with like-minded fans was well-received. If there’s any way to preserve it, I’d love to see it happen.
