The question many have began asking is whether it was an actual dunk.

Yes! Hands down, without a doubt, absolutely, positively, it was a dunk. A big ol’ filthy, nasty, embarrassing, I can’t-believe-he-just-did that dunk.

Some people want to call it a throw-in. But that wasn’t a throw-in. This was a throw-in.

Pause both videos at the 21 second mark and look for the difference. It’s clear. In the first video, Griffin touches the rim. In the second, his hand comes nowhere near the rim. That’s the criteria. If you touch the rim, it’s a dunk. If you don’t, it’s not. It’s that simple.

If you want to label throw-ins dunks, then Dwight Howard’s ‘Superman’ attempt in the 2008 dunk contest would be considered a dunk. And there is no way in the world anybody can legitimately claim that Howard’s attempt was an actual dunk.

Many times, players opt to go up for a dunk but gently put the ball in the basket without touching the rim. Also not a dunk. If you remove your hands at the last second, that’s called a layup, although Merriam-Webster defines a dunk simply as “throwing the ball into the basket from above the rim.” Not so. Those gentle put-ins easily could be dunks if the player just grabs the rim. But, for whatever reason, they choose not to.

Those who remember David Thompson can attest to how not touching the rim doesn’t count as a dunk. For those who don’t know, Thompson was a 6-foot-4 swingman who starred at N.C. State and went on to become an NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer. Thompson, affectionately referred to as “Skywalker” because of his jaw-dropping leaping ability, played his entire college career during the days in which the slam dunk was outlawed because of the “Lew Alcindor” rule. Despite having a 48-inch vertical, Thompson only dunked one time in college. It came during a game in his final season, and the basket was immediately disallowed and ruled a technical foul.

To get around the rule, Thompson and Wolfpack teammate Monte Towe would hook up on alley-oop passes in which Towe would toss high above the defense and Thompson would deposit into the rim. The play was legal, and it popularized the alley-oop, which players these days more commonly finish with dunks.

Again, touch the rim while flushing the ball through the basket and it’s a dunk. Touch no part of the rim, and it’s a layup. It’s really simple.

-DM-

• First thing’s first. Here it is.
• There’s really not much I can add, except that it was the most vicious dunk I’ve ever seen in person, and I’ve been there to witness some pretty wicked dunks from Blake Griffin the past few years – a baseline slam soaring in from the left wing in Norman comes to mind when he scrapped his head on the backboard, which thankfully was padded. I was seated behind the basket where Griffin threw down the dunk of the year in the NBA on Monday night against the Thunder. Truly scary. I can’t imagine what it looked like from Kendrick Perkins’ point of view. Glad I was lucky enough to see it. A truly amazing athlete, Griffin.
• Griffin’s dunk easily beat what LeBron James did Sunday as the NBA’s top dunk this season. James jumped over a crouching, 5-foot-somethin’ John Lucas III. Griffin threw it down over the 6-foot-9, 267-pound, get-outta-my-face Perkins. Any questions? Heck, even James himself chose Griffin with this tweet – @KingJames (LeBron James): “Dunk of the Year!! @blakegriffin just dunked on Kendrick Perkins so hard!! Wow!! I guess I’m #2 now. Move over #6“
• OK, one more look. Post-game reactions on the dunk:
• Griffin: “When they play the replay over the Jumbotron, you hear the crowd. DJ’s reaction is always my gauge on what the dunk was like. I think that time he screamed, grabbed me and bear-hugged me. I figure he thought it was cool.”
• Clippers point guard Chris Paul: “That’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen, just like the dunk (Griffin had) against the Knicks (last season). You’re watching the game, and I’m playing the game. So I can get excited for a split second, but I have to keep everyone locked in and let that one go.”
• Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro: “He’s going to do that when he gets moving. I thought it was a great pass and obviously a great finish. He’s such a tremendous athlete, you’re going to see things like that once in a while just because of his aggressiveness and the way he attacks the basket.”
• Perkins: “It happens. At the end of the day, if you’re a shot blocker, you’re going to get dunked on. It was a great play that he made. Obviously, I wish I wasn’t in it, but it was a great play that he made.”
• Thunder All-Star Kevin Durant: “Man, I don’t care about that dunk.”
• Back to the game. The Thunder took a 4-0 lead and then stunk. If Durant and Russell Westbrook hadn’t shown up offensively, we’re looking at a 50-point loss. Seriously. Hey, bad games happen, and this was one of them. However comma, the Clippers are starting to figure things out, which is trouble for the rest of the West. Thunder coach Scott Brooks said it was the best team OKC has played thus far and he’s right. Now the fun begins for the Clippers, who play seven of their next eight on the road, just like the stretch the Thunder currently is experiencing right now. Keep an eye on the Clippers. They were wicked good on Monday. 
• Brooks said his team is at its best when it defends, and he’s right, but OKC also has the ability to score. They’ve got the two-time scoring champ, fercryinoutloud, and a sidekick scoring 20-something. There’s no polite way to put this, but imagine how good the Thunder could be if it shared the ball like the Clippers? LA had 28 assists on 45 field goals. OKC had 15 assists on 38 field goals. Look, I know Durant and Westbrook have the ability to score off the dribble and not off the pass and James Harden is like a knife through butter, but there’s nothing prettier to watch in basketball than good ball movement. Nothing. You’re telling me whipping the ball around and finding Durant or Westbrook or Harden or anybody for an open shot would be a bad thing?
• When Brooks shows his team footage of this loss, I hope he doesn’t do it for defensive purposes. I hope he tells his players to watch how the Clippers did it offensively. LA had six players score in double-digits and three had 20 or more points. Three guys took 16 shots each, and the other three took 11, nine and seven. Good luck defending that. 
• Clippers guard Chauncey Billups has played a lot of basketball. He’s in his 15^th NBA season and also has played internationally. At no time does Billups recall any team going on a 12-0 run in a span of 51 seconds by hitting four straight 3-pointers, which is precisely what LA did to deflate OKC at the end of the first half Monday. “I don’t believe I have,” Billups said. Not even during Team USA’s 121-66 victory over Angola at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, or four days earlier in a 35-point win over Tunisia? “Maybe. Maybe,” Billups said with a smile.
• With the acquisitions of the three C’s (Chris, Chauncey and Caron), the Clippers instantaneously have transformed themselves from three-plus decades of being a punch line to being a potential powerhouse.
• Brooks: “They are good team. They are the best team we’ve played all year. They have everything – a talented team, their bench is really good and they played well. Give them credit. They took it to us and we have work to do.”
• Nick Collison: “They’re good. Man, they’re a really good basketball team. I was impressed with them. They have a lot of guys that can play. We can play much better, but they do a good job of moving the ball and finding open players.”
• Bad news arrived 90 minutes before tipoff when Brook announced Thabo Sefolosha would not play because of a sore right foot. He remains day-to-day. OKC’s rhythm and substitution rotation was completely out of whack all night. Would the Thunder have won had Sefolosha played? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The entire dynamic of the game likely would have been different. Sefolosha has now missed two starts and OKC has lost both games (at home against Portland being the other). Games like Monday’s are why Sefolosha starts, why he must start. This is not to pin the loss on Harden, but if Harden starts and he’s off the mark, you get what you got on Monday — the Thunder hanging on for dear life.
• Collison on the importance of Sefolosha: “We definitely missed him out there. Defensively, he’s as good as there is. Offensively, he does a lot of things, too. He’s kind of like the motor oil out there offensively where he does a lot of small things that make things go smoothly. He makes a good hard cut to get somebody else open. Obviously, defensively he’s great, too. We gave up a lot on the perimeter and he would have helped. He allows our second unit to play with James. It’s a big loss. Hopefully he can get healthy. We need him back.”
• Brooks said the Thunder has played one bad game. Ever the realist, Collison smiled and clicked off all four losses: “We didn’t great in D.C. In Dallas, um … against Portland …”
• Larry King walked by roughly 5 feet in front of me. Dude looked old. Then again, he is 78 if my math is right (did I carry the one?). King’s seventh wife (eight marriages), Shawn, looked half his age – and she’s 52. 
• At Dallas on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

- JOHN ROHDE

From video games to flag football, Kevin Durant let fans from all over the world get an up close and personal look at him throughout 2011.

Is Kevin Durant the “awesomest” dude of the year?

ESPN’s SportsNation wants you to decide in an online poll.

Voting for the first round of eight nominees ends today.

Durant is matched up against L.A. Clippers forward Blake Griffin. Other matchups include Tim Tebow versus Jared Allen, Hope Solo versus Travis Pastrana and MMA/UFC fighter Jon “Bones” Jones versus The Rock.

Pretty tough first-round opponent for KD. But the Thunder’s star shouldn’t have a problem prevailing. Griffin had a nice 2011. But his body of work pretty much consists of winning the dunk contest and a slew of spectacular in-game slams. His off-the-court performance, save a few comedic videos, needs a lot of work in order to be considered more awesome than KD.

The four winners of round one will be announced today on SportsNation, the one-hour show airing weekdays at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.

Go vote!

-DM-

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh didn't form the league's first super team. And they clearly won't be the last.

Count me in.

Today, I officially got on the super team train.

Bring ‘em on, I say. The more the merrier.

Some people say they weaken the league. I say that’s hogwash. A trio of stars on one team is nothing but interesting. For everyone. The fans, the league, the networks and, yes, for competition.

This is now a topic because less than two weeks after the NBA lockout was lifted, star players went right back to throwing around their weight and orchestrating their way out of their small towns and on to big-market teams with other big-time talents. I’m speaking, of course, about Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Though the scenario was originally floated by Mark Heisler 10 days ago, trade rumors that would land both Howard and Paul in Los Angeles to team up with Kobe Bryant are now heating up and seemingly becoming more realistic by the hour.

And you know what? I would pay to see that team. And most of you who are NBA fans would, too. Whether you’re rooting for them, against them or perhaps just want to see what they’re capable of, you’d be glued to the tube. Television ratings would go through the rough for Christmas games and the All-Star Game and the NBA Finals. Which, isn’t that the point of sports to begin with? To entertain us? To give us an outlet? To provide something we can come together with as a community to share and support?

Put arguably the league’s best point guard (Paul) with arguably the game’s best shooting guard (Bryant) with undoubtedly the world’s best center (Howard) and you’ve created 82 games (or 66) of non-stop excitement. We’d be talking about a season filled with alley-oops and game-winners and 20-assists nights and triple-doubles and a six-month-long block party. More than that, we’d be talking about championships. Plural. A trio like that would immediately have the makings of a dynasty-caliber team. Howard and Paul, both 26, could easily carry the 33-year-old Kobe for three title runs.

But here’s the best part. The Lakers wouldn’t be guaranteed anything. There’s enough quality teams throughout the league, including right here in Oklahoma City, that L.A. could combine those three All-World players and still fall short. Take a look at some of the core units that have blossomed throughout the NBA.

Atlanta: Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.
Boston: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Chicago: Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng.
L.A. Clippers: Eric Gordon, Caron Butler and Blake Griffin
Memphis: Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
Miami: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
New York: Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and (reportedly) Tyson Chandler
Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka
San Antonio: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan.
Not all of those names are superstars, and it’d be a stretch to say each of those teams are super teams. But throw the Lakers in there — whether with their current nucleus of Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, or with Paul, Bryant and Howard — and you’re staring at 10 teams that have cores to compete with anyone in the league. That’s one-third of the league. And it just so happens to be an even split of teams from each conference. So much for the idea of the NBA needing more competitive balance.

And it’s not like the remaining 20 franchises are fresh meat for the top 10 to feast on. Dallas, for example, won the title last year. All the Mavs had was Dirk Nowitzki and a bunch of role players, albeit really good ones. As you go down the line, you’ll find plenty of teams with superb young talent. Teams like Washington, Utah, Toronto, Sacramento and Golden State. The lottery has been structured to help those teams strike gold and land another potential star to add to their stable. Some day, and perhaps some day soon, those teams can join the league’s most talented 10.

In the meantime, it’s the top 10 that will keep us coming back. Keep us glued to our TV sets. Keep us reaching for our wallets to pony up for tickets and NBA League Pass.

So bring on the super teams. I want to seem them. And you do, too.

-DM-

Could Oklahoma City get a Christmas game?

Before we explore that question, allow me to ask another. Do you even want a Christmas game?

If so, would you prefer it to be at home, where you can attend it, or on the road so you can watch from the comfort of your couch with your family?

Last season, the Thunder played its first ever Christmas game and everything worked out quite well. OKC beat Denver 114-106, Kevin Durant scored a game-high 44 points and a sold out crowd of 18,203 showed up and enjoyed a great night.

It’s possible that we could be in for a repeat performance.

The NBA will expand its Christmas lineup from three games to five, and the Thunder could be one of the four teams added to the slate. The league is expected to announce the Christmas schedule Friday and release the entire 66-game 2011-12 schedule next week.

But the scuttlebutt is the Thunder will host the Grizzlies at 7 p.m. inside The Peake. It would be the fourth game in the lineup, following Boston at New York, Miami at Dallas and Chicago at the L.A. Lakers. A fifth game would be played at 9:30 p.m. central time.

So who are the best possibilities for the Thunder?

I’ve got to admit, I’m not feeling a potential Thunder-Grizzlies game on Christmas all that much. The second round playoff series from last season was a dandy, and Memphis certainly has some talent. But I’m still not sold on the Grizzlies being able to sustain their success. They’ve got too many question marks: Rudy Gay meshing again, Marc Gasol being a restricted free agent, Shane Battier being unrestricted, the future of O.J. Mayo and whether Zach Randolph wants to continue to be on his best behavior. Besides, there simply are better options.

Let’s rank them in order of likability.

1) L.A. Clippers
Pros: Well, Blake Griffin, of course. Some have argued the former OU star is now the most exciting player in the league. Christmas, from a sports standpoint, can’t get much better around here if you’re talking about spending it as a part of Griffin’s homecoming. Add to that, the Clippers were surprisingly competitive against the Thunder last year. They split the four-game series, with each team winning on its home court. The last two games were decided by six and four points, respectively.
Cons: They’re still the Clippers. They’ve won 61 games in the last two seasons, or six more than the Thunder’s win total from a year ago. There’s no guarantee that a Christmas Day game wouldn’t be a complete dud. When these two teams met for the first time in OKC last year, the Thunder crushed the Clippers by 23.

2) Orlando
Pros: It would guarantee OKC a chance to see Dwight Howard this season. With the shortened season wiping out six out-of-conference games for each team, every team from the opposing conference will not be scheduled to make at least one appearance in every building this season. It’d be absolutely awful if Thunder fans miss out on Howard. If you don’t believe me, think back to last year’s matchup with the Magic inside the Ford Center. The Thunder won a 125-124 thriller, Howard had 39 points and 18 rebounds and Russell Westbrook shined with his fourth career triple double with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Oh, and how ’bout a matchup between Howard and Kendrick Perkins to start the season? There’s no love lost there, dating to Perk’s playoff days in Boston.
Cons: It could be an extremely losable game for the Thunder. Nobody in OKC wants that. Not on Christmas. The Magic just manhandled the Thunder in Orlando last year, obliterating OKC by 23. Granted, that was against a short-handed Thunder team that had just traded Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic, and had yet to welcome Perk and Nazr Mohammed. But when the Magic are clicking, they can be a tough, tough out.

3) Portland
Pros: Northwest Division rival that offers great matchups across the board. Great test right off the bat to see where the Thunder is physically and mentally. Enough talent, if not star power, to keep everyone interested. If the Blazers bring a (somewhat) healthy Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby to town in addition to LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton, Wes Matthews and Nicolas Batum, this one could feel like a big-time game. One that’s played in May, not December. Keep in mind, last year’s four-game series was separated by only 19 points, with the largest margin of victory being nine.
Cons: Brandon Roy is a shell of his former self. And according to reports, he might not even be with the team come Dec. 25 if the Blazers decide to cut ties with him via the league’s amnesty savior. Center Greg Oden, the No. 1 pick in Kevin Durant’s draft, also is on the shelf while rehabbing his latest injury, so that storyline gets squashed, too.

4) San Antonio
Pros: Say what you will about the Spurs being boring. But San Antonio still plays some of the best ball in the league. And if you’re a purist, it’s a thing of beauty. From ball movement, to defense to the cliched one-for-all and all-for-one approach. Like it or not, the Thunder is striving to get to where the Spurs are as a fundamental team that plays on one accord. And if it’s star power you want, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have it. Just think: Parker v Westbrook, Duncan v Serge Ibaka, Ginobili v James Harden and Richard Jefferson v Kevin Durant. Scrumptious!
Cons: OK, so even the purist in me will be ticked if we are subject to an 88-83 result. Not to say that every low-scoring game is a shame. I’d much rather watch a competitive defensive battle than a defenseless shootout. But at least give me something in the 90s. The problem with the Spurs is you just never know. Thankfully, they turned up the tempo last season and averaged 103.7 points, their highest since the 1994-95 season under Bob Hill.

5) Atlanta
Pros: With Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford, the Hawks can put on a show on any given night. Johnson, though he’s definitely paid like it, quietly remains one of the league’s most talented players. Two years ago in OKC, Johnson torched the Thunder for 37 in a losing effort. Plus, there’s still that stat-padding incident from New Year’s Eve by Westbrook and Ibaka that drew the ire of the Hawks. If you don’t remember, Westbrook fired a pass to Ibaka for a dunk with six seconds remaining despite the game being in hand. The assist gave Westbrook a triple-double. The dunk gave Ibaka a double-double. Smith, especially, didn’t take to kindly to that. Ibaka and Smith were jawing all game prior to that anyway, so it could be a nice little matchup.
Cons: Nobody really wants to go see the Hawks. Despite their talented trio, and the emerging Jeff Teague, the Hawks are kind of just there. Good, but not good enough to make you get off your couch. You’ve got to be a special fan to say, ‘I want to see Al Horford play live!’ That’s just not happening. The good thing for Oklahoma City is the Thunder fan base is so good that it rarely matters if the opponent is Miami or Minnesota. We know Thunder heads would have The Peake rocking on Christmas Day.

-DM-

Sometimes I don’t think dunk. It happens so quickly, I don’t know what’s happened.” — Russell Westbrook.

Russell Westbrook sure cleans up nice.

Wait, can I say that?  Is that against somebody’s man code or something?

Anyway, for a photo shoot with GQ the Thunder point guard recently got all dolled up like he was going to the city. He took part in the piece with fellow high-fliers Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, Javale McGee and Shannon Brown. GQ contributor Bethlehem Shoals writes a short accompanying piece arguing that we’re in the middle of a dunk renaissance.

Griffin and Westbrook are opposite extremes with one thing in common: A decade ago, players like them weren’t getting up like this. Big men now bring some of the most acrobatic moves, and a team’s playmaker can serve up a ruthless facial. It used to be, everyone wanted to be like Mike. Today the dunk is whatever anyone can make of it—which is why it’s been reborn.”

Pictured above in a navy Prada suit with designer gear down to his socks, Westbrook, with the help of GQ, illustrates how to spice up a conservative color. According to GQ: “Nothing’s more conservative than navy, but you don’t have to look stiff. Add some razzle-dazzle with a colorful tie and socks.”

Is there a better look for Westbrook. I mean, it flawlessly embodies him as a player. Competing for a franchise that can at times be considered bland, Westbrook is a breath of fresh air. We’ve all witnessed how his athleticism, at any moment, can turn a routine play into a spectacular one (see below). For that, GQ absolutely nailed it by getting Westbrook involved in this piece.

-DM-

Kevin Durant (left) and LeBron James combined for 82 points Sunday night.

News, notes and observations from Sunday’s US Fleet Tracking Basketball Invitational.

• This thing had the look and feel of a real NBA game…right up until the ball was thrown up. The place was packed in pre-game. The lights went down for intros. And in typical Oklahoma City tradition, a minister from Life Church trotted out and gave the invocation just before the lineups. Sandi Patty, a Grammy winning Gospel singer, delivered the national anthem. Event organizers talked about doing this the right way, and I’d say they did just that.

• Then the game started. When that happened, host Kevin Durant took the liberty of jacking up a 40-footer from the right wing on the opening possession. I joked on Twitter that it was right out of the Thunder playbook. Even the miss. Unfortunately, it set the tone for a largely defenseless showcase between star-studded teams more interested in putting on a show for fans. That’s just the way these things go.

• I may be different than others, but these types of games largely do little for me. It’s been that way for me all lockout, and it didn’t change one bit when these guys came into my backyard. But judging by fan reaction, I’d say many share my sentiments. While the game no doubt was fun and provided fans a rare opportunity to see so many stars up close, the basketball value is terrible. I got the sense many fans lost interest midway through the second quarter. By the fourth quarter, hundreds, if not thousands, of empty seats were visible in the upper bowl. This much is clear: if the lockout lingers and players want to keep up these barnstorming games one of two things must absolutely happen. 1) They’ll have to lower ticket prices, or 2) They’ll have to bring some defense to the games. Customers aren’t going to continue to spend big bucks on the equivalent of And 1 ball.

• I didn’t look at stats all night. At 11 p.m. I realized KD had a triple-double…WITH 42 POINTS, 26 REBOUNDS and 11 ASSISTS!! Durant is good. But make no mistake, he’s not Wilt Chamberlain. That says much more about the quality of ball being played folks.

• Since I’m on the subject. Chris Paul had 25 assists, 13 of them coming in the first quarter. OK, so that’s not really the same. Dude really could probably do that in a real game.

• Did anyone really miss Blake Griffin? Did I really just ask that? Considering our location, I can assume the answer to that is yes, probably with a few expletives. But my point is, this was still a great night if you’re a basketball fan.

• A whole lot of no-shows tonight. The list includes, in addition to Griffin, Kendrick Perkins, Amar’e Stoudemire, John Wall, Monta Ellis and Rudy Gay for three quarters. Gay showed up in street clothes at the start of the fourth after being announced as “running late” during pre-game intros. Wall was said to have missed his flight. And there was no word on the other guys. I guess that’s the risk you take when you throw an event like this together in a matter of weeks with no compensation for players.

• The no-show who carried the biggest disappointment was Perk. Obviously that has nothing to do with wanting to see him in an All-Star-styled event. I wanted to see how much weight he’s lost, how his knees look and whether he’s regained some of his explosiveness.

• Replacing Ellis was a nice surprise, Thunder rookie Reggie Jackson. And this setting was a great opportunity to see just how skilled and athletic he is. Unfortunately, the rook chose to largely defer to the stars. Probably a good decision on his part. He took just seven shots and made five for 10 points in six minutes.

• Tell me you loved this quote from Jackson as much as I did. When I asked him why he passed up a breakaway dunk attempt to throw it off the glass to KD for a dunk, Jackson said “I”m a point guard. I don’t need to score. I don’t really care about scoring. I just care about wins. So if it’s getting people baskets, getting assists, or sitting on the bench and watching a win, I’m cool with it.” The pick is looking better and better.

• I felt bad for Jackson at times. Paul was toying with the rook. And laughing while he was doing it. Paul’s handles had Jackson on skates on a few possessions and it became Jackson’s official unofficial welcome to the NBA moment. In the end it means nothing, though. I’ve seen Paul and Russell Westbrook go through it as rookies and I’d say things have worked out well for them.

• Westbrook was the most impressive player on the floor tonight, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. His athleticism really showed in this setting. He had 853 dunks, unofficially, and wowed with his mid-air creativity on several occasions. He had a two-handed windmill, another regular windmill and a tip-dunk that he finished with a chin-up.

• This was another chance for fans to start the Westbrook or Paul debate. In fact someone asked me the question. If you’re the Thunder, would you trade Westbrook straight up for Paul. I think I’m on record of saying no (only because of age and durability differences). But it’s awfully fun watching the two, especially considering the differing styles they play and excel with.

• Oh yeah, the final score was 176-171 in overtime in favor of KD’s white team. Shows how much I was paying attention to the scoring.

• It figures the NBA would be locked out and a meaningless exhibition game would go into overtime. Great for the paying customer. Terrible for the newspaper man who has a deadline.

• Give me Miles Rawls in OKC. If you don’t know Rawls, he’s the Goodman League commissioner in Washington, D.C. He’s the PA guy there as well. Durant brought him here for a little “D.C. flavor.” The guy is good.  Westbrook air-balls, Rawls quips “That’s 25 push-ups, Russ.”James Harden drives to the hole for a layup, Rawls bellows “Harden all the way, traveling and all.” You want to make games more entertaining, NBA? Turn down the music, cut out some of the wacky timeout acts (hello Thunder drummers) and put guys like Rawls in the PA seat and let them give the play-by-play.

• This was your halftime act.

• I hesitate to offer any sort of analysis on how players looked based on this game. But KD did go to the post one time according to my count. (I could be way off there.) After a little shimmy, he shot a fadeaway and missed. It’s worth noting because he told me recently that his post game was the area of his game he’s improved the most this off-season.

• Oklahoma fans deserve a round of applause. For 13,000 to show up and be classy and just enjoy the night confirms what we already know. Thunder fans are among the very best in the league. This was by far the largest crowd in any of these barnstorming games.

• Adding to that, there were very few boos. And by few I mean I didn’t hear any during the game, and only one or two knuckleheads booing LeBron James as he left the arena. (And even that might have been because he wouldn’t come over and sign autographs.) But hundreds of fans stayed long after the game had ended and cheered players as the made their way to the loading dock. Wanda Pratt, KD’s mom, even got a boisterous ovation. It was just a great show of support by the fans. Well done.

• Among the faces in the crowd, Eric Maynor, Daequan Cook and WNBA legend Tina Thompson.

• Harden: “You don’t understand how much I miss this place. To see the fans and how much support we have out here, it’s unbelievable. I have flashbacks and memories.”

-DM-

Can't a guy rep his school while in the backyard of its biggest rival? Some folks don't want Kevin Durant to.

For the first three seasons, it was all fun and games.

Well, to be accurate, to some folks it was.

But now, Kevin Durant is growing into a bigger superstar by the day. His every move is being watched and scrutinized more than it’s ever been. People near and far have begun hanging on to his every word like never before. And locally, nothing seems to rattle folks’ cages like when Durant talks smack about their beloved OU Sooners.

The Thunder star started slinging jabs the moment he stepped foot in town in 2008. At that year’s Thunder media day, Durant said he “loves being in Oklahoma thus far and I’m going to love playing for (the people here).”

Then Durant was asked if he’d ever root for the Sooners.

“Never,” Durant vowed.

Durant then added that Longhorns and Sooners never will get along.

“I like the rivalry the way it is now,” Durant said. “OU hates Texas and Texas hates OU. That’s how it’s always going to be.”

From that day on, Durant has enjoyed jabbing the Sooners and their die-hard nation every chance he gets. He’s added the phrase “Hook ‘em Horns” to each autograph he’s signed at OU football games. He’s sat courtside at OU basketball games and flashed the two-finger Hook ‘em Horns sign. He’s even taken his needling to Twitter. On Saturday, Durant posted a simple but around these parts scathing message: “LSU > OU…”

Today, one of the Sooners, sophomore defensive back Tony Jefferson, fired back.

Kevin durant. Please stop talking trash about the sooners. You play in Oklahoma. Regardless if you went to Texas. We support u #jerk : (

It brings up an interesting question.

Should Kevin Durant be able to diss OU?

Jefferson is right. This state supports Durant. And not all, but a good majority of sports fans around here cheer for the crimson and cream. But is that enough to prohibit Durant from being able to rag on OU?

Absolutely not.

Durant has the freedom, like all of us, to say what he wants. There are always consequences, of course. And if he ever gets cornered by the wrong cut of crimson and cream crazies, pray for him. But we’ll just have to hope it never gets to that.

Even if Durant didn’t go to UT, he should be able to voice his opinions, even if they’re negative, about OU. It’s sports. That’s how it works. You wouldn’t expect Durant to root for the Cowboys tonight against the Redskins if he played in Dallas. Because he’s a Redskins fan. Allegiances don’t change because of location. Not if they’re true allegiances they don’t. And especially not when your allegiance belongs to an alma mater, even if you only walked the yard for a single year.

What makes Durant any different than Desmond Mason? When Mason, the former Oklahoma State star, played for the Hornets (here in town in the wake of Hurricane Katrina) and the Thunder for a year, he proudly wore his colors and supported his Cowboys. Not only that, he made an occasional crack about OU and Norman. At the Thunder’s 2008 media day, Mason made it clear that his only reasons to ever venture to Norman were for a Bedlam game or a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Why could Mason get away with it but Durant can’t? Is it that the Red River Rivalry is just that much more intense and therefore sensitive than the Bedlam rivalry?

If you ask me, Sooners fans should be happy Durant doesn’t embrace the school’s sports. He shouldn’t. Would you really want him to pretend to be something he’s not? That’s never been Durant’s style in the first place. It’d be even worse if he genuinely accepted the Sooners.

Imagine if Blake Griffin had come along 20 years ago. Say he was drafted by Dallas, back when the Mavs stunk. Now try to fathom Griffin living in Texas and embracing everything about the Longhorns. You’d probably disown him. Call him a traitor. Curse his name every time it came up. You’d probably lose all respect for Griffin the moment he said one nice thing about anyone wearing or even associated with burnt orange. And let’s be honest. Griffin already has gotten booed in Oklahoma City for doing far less.

My advice is to let Durant do what he does. He plays his heart out for the Thunder and that should be all that matters.  As for the rivalry, and Durant’s needling, just wait for that special weekend in October. Wait until the Sooners smack the Longhorns so good Durant doesn’t want to leave the house. Then let him hear about it. That’s how you handle it.

Should Kevin Durant be able to diss OU?

You bet.

-DM-

Kevin Durant has every reason to smile this summer

BATON ROUGE, La. — After spending a day on the set of Kevin Durant’s upcoming movie “Switch” on Friday, today was media day, the day to ask Durant about his movie and any and everything else that’s been up with him this summer.

And that’s a tough job.

Try making a list of questions you’d like to ask Durant. Now try and trim that list to make sure you get the best ones in.

Because you’ve only got 10 minutes. After that, time’s up and you’re being shooed away so the next person on the circuit can come in and do it all over again.

But, we do our best. And all things considered, I actually covered a lot of ground with KD in a one-on-one interview this afternoon. Be sure to pick up The Oklahoman and stay on NewsOK.com in the coming days for a Q&A on a variety of topics. In the meantime, here’s some of the more significant tidbits that emerged from of our chat.

• On playing overseas, Durant told me today that, for now, he wants to stay here. But that can all change. The uncertainty of the lockout, Durant said, has impacted his decision-making process. But again, for now, Durant is set on staying here. Worth noting that Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports is reporting that Durant’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, says he’s “definitely moving toward with getting a deal consummated with (an overseas team) now that the preseason is canceled.” In that article, Durant also reiterates his support of Russell Westbrook as the Thunder’s point guard.

• I didn’t talk to KD about this. But while doing a handful of telephone interviews, Durant spoke with Sam Amick of SI.com and addressed the alleged Kendrick Perkins-Russell Westbrook beef. It’s interesting that Durant didn’t say nothing went on. But what he alludes to seems like more of a routine spat. In Monday’s paper, I’ll weigh in with my perceptions of the relationship between Perkins and Westbrook and Sam Presti and Scott Brooks.

• Here’s something I know every NBA fan in Oklahoma wants to hear. Durant wants to organize a pickup game in Oklahoma City. He plans on bringing in other NBA stars as well as his Thunder teammates. The hold up at this point is finding a venue. But Durant adamantly wants to see it happen. “I want to do it just for the fans of Oklahoma City who haven’t seen us play,” Durant said. He added that if the lockout stretches into late October, he’ll become more aggressive in trying to get it done. I’ll have more on this soon.

• On his performance so far as an actor, Durant said he feels good about the job he’s done. “I think I’m doing pretty good,” Durant said. “Of course I didn’t think I would be. But everything seems natural.”

• When I asked Durant about the area of his game that has improved the most this summer he responded without hesitation. He said it was his post game. “I think it’s grown leaps and bounds with me being comfortable down there and having a different array of moves to work with,” Durant said.

• I’ll mention it here first but in the Q&A, Durant talks about working out with Blake Griffin this summer as the two looked to develop their post and perimeter games. Durant also has worked out with Joe Johnson, which he also discusses. KD’s workouts this summer have also included biking 40 miles a day, which you can read about in the Q&A as well.

• Durant lit up when talking about the voluntary workouts that took place in Austin, Texas last week. If you haven’t heard, 10 of the Thunder’s 15 players got together for a mini-camp. Durant confirmed that a second gathering, organized by Nazr Mohammed, is planned for Oct. 3 in Lexington, Ky.

• For everyone who subscribes to ESPN the Magazine (especially Thunder fans) and hated how the publication dedicated its latest issue to Boston sports, I’ve got three words for you. Wait until October. Word on the street is Durant is going to be the cover boy for the Oct. 18 issue. That’s huge for two reasons: 1) it’ll be in the thick of not only baseball’s playoffs but also the NFL regular season, and 2) KD will be the featured NBA player that is serving as the replacement for the mag’s annual NBA preview issue.

• Of course, I had to get Durant’s reaction to the hysteria that surrounded the world discovering he has tattoos. Durant’s response was nearly identical to my take on it from back in July. So what? A preview of his reaction: “It’s just ink. And I like ink.”

• KD’s got some new commercials coming soon. He’s scheduled to shoot one next week and another, depending on the lockout, at the end of the month. He was unclear about the concepts because he’s been focusing on his movie. But you can bet they’ll be good. They always are.

• And finally, I asked Durant about summer school. He’s been so busy that we haven’t heard a word about it. KD says he feels bad his schedule hasn’t allowed it. “I was on a good pace of going back every summer…Hopefully I’ll get a chance to go back.”

-DM-

Thunder forward Kevin Durant was "drafted" by PBL fans to play for the league's new team in Scranton/Wilkes Barre. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN

If NBA players and owners fail to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement, many superstars, including Thunder forward Kevin Durant, have spoken about the possibility of playing overseas.

That may not be necessary.

The independent Premier Basketball League, which has four teams, conducted an online lockout draft over the past week, allowing fans to “draft” their favorite NBA stars onto PBL teams, which will send contract offers to the top-10 vote getters.

Durant was the No. 5 vote-getter, with PBL fans selecting him to play on the Scranton/Wilkes Barre team, which is beginning operations in 2012. Clippers forward and former Oklahoma star Blake Griffin came in ninth, going to the Chicago Muscle.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was the top vote-getter, with fans selecting him for the Rochester RazorSharks.