Rest In Peace, Team Formerly Known as the Sonics

“Professional basketball in Seattle passed away Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. It was 41 years old. 

“The Seattle Supersonics were born to original owners Sam Schulman and Eugene Klein, and a loving fan base, in 1966. The team tasted success by winning the 1979 NBA Championship and made another notable run behind fan favorites Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton in 1996, before falling to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.

“The team lived in the Key Arena for most of its natural life, also taking residence in the Tacoma Dome and Kingdome on occasion. 

“The Supersonics are survived by younger siblings the Seahawks and Mariners.”

*****

The Supersonics are no more. Wednesday’s 4 p.m. announcement, in which Clay Bennett grinned like a kid who just stole his cousin’s Christmas presents, ended it.

All in all, though, it could have been worse. 

We’re an even distance between Portland and Seattle, and the better team stayed put. 

The Blazers have a ton of upside and add Greg Oden and Jerryd Bayless to last year’s league-surprise team, with All-Star Brandon Roy (a U.W. product) leading the way for coach (and former Sonic) Nate McMillan. 

Oklahoma’s sorry excuse for a team? Kevin Durant, three seven-footers that can’t run, jump or shoot, and a handful of guys who should be happy they’re not washing cars for a living. OKC’s draft pick, fourth overall, was Russell Westbrook. The same Russell Westbrook who scored 12 a game and dished out a whopping 4 assists this year at UCLA.

Watching the draft last Thursday I called my buddy and fellow hoops junkie Knotts to leave the following message: “RUSSELL WESTBROOK. THEY TOOK RUSSELL #$%!&*@ WESTBROOK. Not Kevin Love. Not Brook Lopez. RUSSELL #$%#&*@ WESTBROOK.”

Somewhere, not far away, Earl Watson is rolling his eyes. Why? Watson scored 14.7 a game and dished 5 assists a game in college. At UCLA. Seven years ago. What’s he doing now? He’s the Sonics’ occasional point guard. 

Congrats, OKC. You’ve got a career 7.4 ppg scorer and his unproven clone manning the point. 

It could have ended worse. Ray Allen ended the season with a championship ring; Rashard Lewis got a big paycheck and a starting job next to Dwight Howard, the best big man in the game; and PJ Carlesimo and Sam Presti get to wipe dust out of their eyes in Oklahoma City. All in all, not a bad tradeoff.

*****

I wrote the previous meandering paragraphs on Wednesday night. The next day a friend and I (who both, for some reason, had the day off of work) drove to Seattle to mourn the loss of the Sonics the only way we knew how: checking out the deals at the Sonics Team Store next to Key Arena. 

The team store was, I’m sure, busier than it’s ever been. At least four cash registers were running full speed, with lines almost to the back of the store. Everything was 75 percent off. I bought two authentic jerseys (regular price: $75, marked down to $30, plus another 75 percent off) for eight bucks each, but what I’d really wanted was a pair of game shorts. 

An employee, restocking hangers with Chris Wilcox jerseys, told me the staff had cleaned out the shorts section about a week earlier. They knew what was coming. 

He also said he’d bought five or six pieces of autographed memorabilia at a huge discount. 

“I’ve been flippin’ that (stuff) on Craigslist,” he told me, on the sly. It turns out the Sonics debacle, at every level, was about money. 

And, not to be left out, I’m now the proud owner of an authentic Seattle Supersonics Earl Watson jersey.