Thunder guards Royal Ivey, left, and Nate Robinson cheer on their teammates from the bench during the NBA playoffs.

When roughly 100 fans greeted the Oklahoma City Thunder at a private hanger at Will Rogers World Airport at 3:30 a.m. after Game 4 on Wednesday/Thursday, reserve guard Nate Robinson rifled off a tweet: “OKC aka Thunder fans are the best on the planet.”

Robinson was born and raised in Seattle, loves Seattle, never passes up a chance to brag about Seattle. He excelled at the University of Washington in Seattle. However, Seattle SuperSonics fans took offense at Robinson’s kindness toward Oklahoma City. And if there’s one thing people in Seattle won’t stand for, it’s someone being kind to OKC.

Sonics fans being offended from what happened three years ago has lost all traction. Actually, it never really had any traction. Seattle had an opportunity to keep the Sonics, but elected public officials tabled any talk of a suitable facility being built with the help of taxpayer money in greater Seattle. This gave the city zero chance of keeping the franchise. If Seattle had a new arena, the Sonics would still be there. Pure and simple.

Seattle folks insist OKC stole the Sonics. Around these parts, we consider that a fumble. Seattle fumbled the Sonics. Oklahoma City recovered. Mixed metaphor intended.

Incorrigible Sonics fans are still pouting, whining, bitching about what transpired, and now their fans are taking swings at Robinson.

Robinson has played in just five games since coming to the Thunder from the Boston Celtics as part of the Kendrick Perkins trade on Feb. 24. Despite this limited exposure, Thunder fans quickly have embraced the 5-foot-9, 180-pound Robinson because of his passionate persona on the bench. Robinson has returned that embrace to fans.

Here’s how messed up this Twitter thing is with Robinson: Before Game 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, Robinson was asked if Sonics fans had lightened up any about his tweet. The habitually loquacious Robinson didn’t want to talk about it. The man who never shuts up suddenly went silent. Certain Sonics fans no doubt will take perverse pleasure in that.

Robinson’s tweets.

Seattle Times sports columnist Jerry Brewer’s thoughts on the subject.

While in Seattle, the SuperSonics raised banners for division, conference and world championships.

The Thunder earned its first Northwest Division title with a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

So how will the franchise commemorate it?

Expect a banner to be raised to the rafters inside the Oklahoma City Arena.

NBA franchises have long honored their divisional-championship-winning teams with such ceremonies. And the Thunder, an organization that has operated in nothing but class in its first three seasons, in all likelihood will plan a similar celebration to honor the team’s achievement. It’s not a question of if. It’s a matter of when.

Historically, banner-raising ceremonies have been carried out in one of four ways: before the game immediately following the clinching win, before the team’s final game of the regular season, before the team’s first game of the playoffs, or before the team’s first game of the following season.

Tonight’s game against Denver is the first chance the Thunder will have to lift a brand new banner. No official announcement of the team’s plans has been made, but don’t bet on a banner being unveiled tonight. It doesn’t fit the ‘Thunder Way.’

This is an organization that has quickly established a structure system, with two of its leading tenets being timing and tastefulness. The Thunder is a team that will never celebrate an accomplishment when there is still business to be handled. We also know the Thunder to be a no-flash, no-frills operation that almost fearfully guards against any sort of distraction. And with four regular season games remaining, a pre-game banner-raising celebration could be just that, something that potentially could take the focus off of finishing the task at hand.

The Thunder, of course, has never and will never (at least under current ownership and management) seek to attract additional attention. When this 2010-11 squad gets its salute, it probably will be in the most low-key slot available. But it’s coming and rightfully so.

Oklahoma City essentially is starting from scratch. The Thunder has no real heritage, no NBA championships, no retired numbers, no sellout streaks. All OKC has hanging from its rafters is a blue banner commemorating the Thunder’s establishment three years ago.

A Northwest Division Championship banner is likely to soon be added to the Thunder's only other banner of substance.

Technically, the franchise’s achievements from the Seattle SuperSonics’ days belong to the Thunder. But who in OKC wants that? Which is why Wednesday’s win was so significant. It signaled the official start to this city building its own tradition of NBA excellence. And don’t believe for one second that division titles don’t deserve trumpeting. They’re much too hard to come by to not take pride in.

The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are the only two franchises that do not hang banners of divisional champions. They’ve won a combined 33 NBA championships.

But since the NBA realigned divisions in 2004 to create the current five-teams-among-six-divisions format, exactly half of the league’s 30 teams have been shutout from a division crown. In the previous six seasons prior to realignment, 17 of the then-29 teams did not win a division title.

There’s more.

Only 14 teams have won at least two division titles since the 1998-99 NBA season. Only six have won three or more. Seven teams since 1998 have garnered just one division title.

If those figures don’t bring it home, maybe this will.

In all of Dirk Nowitzki’s days with Dallas, the Mavs have earned just two division championships, the same amount Cleveland captured during LeBron James’ tenure with the Cavs. Still need more proof the league doesn’t just dole out divisional titles? Kevin Garnett, in 12 seasons in Minnesota, led the Wolves to only one divisional crown.

What the Thunder accomplished Wednesday was a milestone worth honoring. And that’s precisely why the Thunder will, even though this year’s division championship is widely viewed as the first of many more to come. Because there’s no telling when the next one might arrive.

So enjoy this one while you can, Thunder fans, and cherish the soon-to-be commemoration of this city’s first token of NBA excellence.

-DM-

Some Seattle SuperSonics fans were at the Rose Garden in Portland on Thursday night in hopes of making an appearance on national television (TNT) during the Thunder’s game against the Trail Blazers. Those fans wound up watching their ex-team overcome a 13-point deficit to win 107-106 in overtime.

Also in the stands was a man dressed as Squatch, the former Sonics mascot, who held up a sign reading, “HOMELESS.”

The costume resembled Chewbacca of Star Wars far more than Sasquatch. According to The Associated Press, Matt Heuer of Seattle was the fan dressed as Squatch.

Located roughly 175 miles apart, Seattle and Portland were NBA rivals before the Sonics relocated to Oklahoma City following the 2007-08 season.

Venom still flows from bitter fans in the Northwest while discussing the franchise’s move, and the Thunder’s remarkable rise toward elite NBA status adds to the pain.

Phil Caldwell, a contributor to Bleacher Report, wrote the following: “The Oklahoma City Thunder, which still sounds like a junior high AAA team to most fans in Seattle, has amassed a young exciting nucleus since fleeing Seattle. This happened in spite of uniforms that look surprisingly unimaginative and downright ugly! The team is filled with lottery picked youngsters and a bright future.”

Here is the story, which is part of a series on the NBA’s fiscal health.

It wasn’t a good day for the Blazers. In addition to losing the game, the Blazers lost first-round draft pick Elliot Williams for the season due to a knee injury, lost center Fabricio Oberto to retirement due to a recurring heart problem, and lost guard Rudy Fernandez about an hour before tipoff to a minor back injury. Portland also lost former great Maurice Lucas, the starting power forward on the 1977 world championship team, who on Sunday lost his battle against bladder cancer at age 58.

Thank goodness it’s over. It’s shocking some of the things that happened, but you have to move on.” — Blazers coach Nate McMillan

One last tidbit: Whatever happened to the real Squatch? Like the team he cheered, the man inside the costume also relocated to Oklahoma City and has since become the Thunder’s mascot, Rumble.

Oklahoma City all but clinched its playoff berth with a blistering 12-4 record in March. Now, April is about how high in the standings the Thunder can climb. Things won’t be easy, though. Before waltzing into the postseason party, OKC must close out its longest road trip of the season, survive three back-to-backs, take on Denver twice and travel to L.A. to face the defending champs one final time.

But we expect the Thunder to persevere.

The April schedule.

HOME/ROAD: Three at home; five on the road.

BACK-TO-BACKS: Three.  The month kicks off with a double dip on the road, at Portland and at the Clippers. That’s followed by a road-home set that starts in Denver on April 5 and returns to OKC for another meeting with the Clippers on April 6. The final pair is another road two step that starts in L.A. against the Lakers on April 10 before swinging through Sacramento on April 11. Because all three games on the second night are against mediocre teams, the best way to judge which set is the most difficult is by examining the first game. Since it’s the Lakers who are squeezed in with Sacramento, the final set must be considered the most difficult.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Strangely strong. April’s eight games are the fewest in our series. But the competition could be fierce, and three games out of the the season-high four-game road trip are buried in April. We know a trip to Portland, a home and home with Denver and a visit to Staples Center to face the Lakers gives the Thunder four tough tests off the top. The season finale on April 13 against Milwaukee will be played at home but could prove challenging as well if seeding is at stake. In the remaining three, the Thunder must travel to Sacramento on the second night of a back-to-back and has a home and away series with the Clippers. Ordinarily, two games against the Clippers could be penciled in as two easy wins. But L.A. has improved, and this year the Clippers could potentially need these last few days to help clinch a playoff berth.

MARQUEE MATCHUP: At L.A. Lakers on April 10. It’s Kevin Durant vs. Kobe Bryant for the third and final time this season. If we’re lucky the next time we see a meeting between these two will be in the Western Conference Finals. In the meantime, this one will be worth staying up late for and tuning in from home. The only way this becomes a snoozer is if neither team has anything left to play for and rests its starters with just four days left in the regular season. But Thunder coach Scott Brooks showed last season he doesn’t subscribe to that philosophy. If Lakers coach Phil Jackson does, however, the April 8 home date against Denver then becomes top dog.

TOUGHEST TEST: At Lakers on April 10. A close second would be the road game against Denver on April 5. But the Lakers pose more problems with their combination of Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and newcomers Matt Barnes, Steve Blake and Theo Ratliff. L.A. tied with Denver for the best home record in the West last season at 34-7, so a trip to Staples Center is never easy.

WORRY-FREE WIN: Milwaukee on April 13. Here’s a little-known fact. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green are undefeated in season finales, a perfect 3-0. As stated earlier, the Bucks could bring trouble if they need this one for better seeding. But the Thunder has the advantage of playing at home in what should be a festive atmosphere filled with fans prepping for the playoffs.

CATCH THEM WHILE YOU CAN: It’ll be Denver’s second appearance at the Ford Center, but it could be Carmelo Anthony’s final visit as a member of the Nuggets when they come to town on April 8. The three-time All-Star has yet to accept a contract extension by Denver and now there are rumblings he has his eyes set on packing up and jumping ship. If that happens, the Ford Center faithful will get to see Melo only once a year instead of twice a year if he heads to, say, New York. There’s a chance Denver trades Anthony at the deadline to get something in return rather than losing a talent like him outright. But if Melo is still around, fans would be wise to get an up-close view of the player many consider the best all-around scorer in the league.

ROOKIE WATCH: With only three games, April offers the least amount of exciting new blood. But Blake Griffin could be days away from wrapping up the Rookie of the Year award when his Clippers make their final Ford Center appearance on April 6. The season finale against Milwaukee on April 13 will bring No. 15 overall pick Larry Sanders, who I thought would have been a great fit for the Thunder but is a long way away from putting butts in the seats.

SAME FACE, NEW PLACE: They might not be household names, but they can still help their respective teams win. So be on the look out for Al Harrington when Denver visits the Ford Center on April 8 and Corey Maggette when Milwaukee comes to town in the season finale on April 13. Maggette averaged 19.8 points in 70 games last season in Golden State and is a career 16.6-point-per-game scorer. Harrington averaged 17.7 points in New York last year, a career-high 20.7 points with the Knicks the year before that and is a career 14.1-point-per-game scorer.

PREDICTION: 5-3. Road games at Portland, Denver and the Lakers could get away, but the Thunder should take care of business in the other five and go into the postseason with a head of steam.  According to our schedule breakdown, that would give the Thunder at least 54 wins. October’s three regular season games were excluded from our series, meaning we think Oklahoma City could climb as high as 57 wins. If that happens, it’ll be the franchise’s highest victory total since the 1997-98 season when the Seattle SuperSonics went 61-21. It also would mark only the fourth time since 1998 that the franchise won at least 50 games. But here’s the payoff. Last year’s Lakers wrapped up the No. 1 seed with their 57 wins. A 54-win season landed Phoenix the No. 3 seed. Let the games begin.

-DM-

The NBA is likely to release the league-wide schedule next week, and all signs point to the Thunder having a Christmas game.The Thunder turned in a league-best 27-game improvement last year en route to a 50-win season and a berth in the playoffs. As the eighth seed, OKC pushed the now two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers to six games in the first round of the playoffs. And Kevin Durant is the league’s newest superstar, having become the youngest player to ever win the scoring title after averaging 30.1 points at just 21 years old. Many now project the Thunder as the second best team in the Western Conference behind the Lakers. Add it all up and it seems inevitable the Thunder will be featured on the NBA’s annual holiday showcase.

It would be the first ever Christmas game for the Thunder. Oklahoma City fans also would experience their first Christmas game dating back to when the NBA first came to town with the temporarily displaced New Orleans Hornets in 2005.

The Thunder franchise last played a Christmas game in 2007, losing 89-79 at Portland in a game that was supposed to feature that year’s No. 1 overall pick, Greg Oden, and No. 2 overall pick,  Durant. Oden, however, was sidelined for the season because of microfracture surgery on his right knee.

The league schedules five Christmas games annually, attempting to pair the best possible matchups to attract the most possible viewers across ABC and ESPN. The first game tips off at 11 a.m. The final game gets underway at 9:30 p.m.

Last season’s schedule had Miami at New York on ESPN at 11 a.m., Boston at Orlando on ABC at 1:30 p.m., Cleveland at the Lakers on ABC at 4 p.m., the Clippers at Phoenix on ESPN at 7 p.m. and Denver at Portland on ESPN at 9:30 p.m.

There are only about 14 teams that warrant consideration for a Christmas game: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, the L.A. Lakers, L.A. Clippers, Miami, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio and Utah. Four of those teams won’t make the cut.

Earlier this month, ESPN’s J.A. Adande expressed doubt in the league matching up Miami and the Lakers after losing a marquee team in Cleveland following the departure of LeBron James. I don’t buy that logic. As noted above, there are plenty of teams worthy of scheduling on Christmas. More importantly, the networks will want to see Kobe, Gasol and Artest against James, Wade and Bosh. And I’d be shocked if that Heat-Lakers contest isn’t in the same prime 4 p.m. slot that last year’s Cleveland-Lakers game was played in. If the networks pass on a Heat-Lakers matchup, which again I highly doubt, that could open the door for a rematch of the Thunder-Lakers on Christmas Day.

The biggest question for the Thunder, though, is whether it will play a Christmas game at home or on the road. Based on the structure of the five-game Christmas schedule, it’s a bit of a challenge to give the Thunder a home game.

When the time zone’s are factored in, Oklahoma City automatically is eliminated from hosting an 11 a.m. or 9:30 p.m. And, again, that 4 p.m. slot has Lakers-Heat written all over it. That leaves the 1:30 p.m. slot and the 7 p.m. slot as the only logical options for hosting a game. The 1:30 p.m. slot, though, is reserved for one of the two best marquee matchups as the first game of an ABC double-header — Boston at Orlando last year. Unless the Thunder somehow lucks into that 1:30 p.m. slot (which could happen if Boston-Orlando is scheduled for 11 a.m.), or the 4 p.m. tip (which isn’t happening), any Christmas game played inside the Ford Center figures to be at 7 p.m.

Update: One final potential snag is that Christmas falls on a Saturday this year. The Thunder played zero Saturday home games last season, preferring the Friday, Sunday combo. That could change, however, if OKC is featured more prominently this season on TNT’s lineup on Thursday nights, which would lend itself to more Thursday, Saturday combinations.

Correction: The Thunder played three Saturday games last season, playing host to Charlotte, Indiana and Miami. It was the 2008-09 season that the Thunder did not play any Saturday games.

So where does that leave the Thunder? Here are five possibilities of where Oklahoma City could land.

1) Oklahoma City at Portland, 9:30 p.m.
These two Northwest Division rivals have become the two best young teams in the league and could both be top four seeds in the Western Conference this season. Plus, the Durant-Oden debate (or debacle depending on your time zone) will live on forever.

2) Oklahoma City at Dallas, 1:30 p.m.
Both are again expected to be two of the best teams in the West, and with longtime star Dirk Nowitzki the Mavs have nationwide appeal that the Thunder is slowly building. It also shouldn’t be hard to sell Dirk and Durant, two of the top two scorers in the league, to viewers.

3) Denver at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
It’s always a shootout when these two teams meet, and nothing has generated more interest in the NBA game over the past five seasons quite like high-scoring affairs. And Carmelo Anthony vs. Durant is another easy sell.

4) Utah at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
Utah lost Carlos Boozer to free agency but picked up Al Jefferson from Minnesota and isn’t expected to miss a beat from last year’s 53-win season. Two of the smallest markets in the league doesn’t bode well, but there’s ample star power with Durant and Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook and Jefferson. And don’t forget the epic overtime battle these two teams gave us down the stretch of the regular season last year.

5) Oklahoma City at Chicago, 1:30 p.m.
The promos would sell the matchup of Durant versus Derrick Rose, two of the past three Rookie of the Year award winners. But it’s Westbrook vs. Rose, two of the best up-and-coming point guards, that is most enticing. Boozer, the Bulls’ new power forward, also will generate interest. And the Chicago market has enough television sets to carry the still under-the-radar Thunder.

Other possibilities: Atlanta, Clippers, Lakers (long shot), Phoenix, New Orleans, San Antonio.

And now my best guess at the five-game Christmas schedule:

Chicago at New York, 11 a.m.
Boston at Orlando, 1:30 p.m.
Miami at Lakers, 4 p.m.
Denver at Dallas, 7 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Portland, 9:30 p.m.

-DM-

Sonicsgate HD Part 1 of 2 from sonicsgate on Vimeo.

Sonicsgate HD Part 2 of 2 from sonicsgate on Vimeo.

-DM-

The film, “Sonicsgate,” is an 80-minute documentary scheduled to be released online Oct. 12 and is produced by Seattle-based filmmaker Jason Reid and “a crew of angry Sonics fans,” according to a press release by the organization Save Our Sonics. Reid, the director, hopes to generate momentum for the Sonics issue and eventually help get another NBA team in the city of Seattle.

Judging by the three-minute trailer, the documentary appears to be worthy of a look. It seems the film will be very accusatory in nature, with the blame looking like it will be pointed to everyone from Seattle Mayor Greg Nichols to Thunder chairman Clay Bennett to the Legislature to former owner Howard Schultz. But several key characters were interviewed for the documentary, including Slade Gorton, Paul Lawrence, Brad Keller, Tom Carr, Brian Robinson Chris Van Dyk, Nick Collison, Desmond Mason and Kevin Calabro among others.

Sonicsgate Trailer from sonicsgate on Vimeo.

“We feel it is important to capture the rich history of the SuperSonics in Seattle,” Reid said. “This film exposes the truth behind the SuperSonics’ tragic exodus after 41 years in the Emerald City. There are people who need to be held accountable for how the team was scandalously ripped away from fans.”

For more on the project visit www.sonicsgate.org.

-DM-