Category Archives: Semi-Often Sonics Skims

NBA Seattle: Los Angeles Clippers, The Emerald City’s Second NBA Team

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Many times a fan will have a second team. Regardless of the sport or league, everyone has a backup squad. This team isn’t in the same universe as the person’s favorite team, but they keep a small level of interest in the second team—in other words, they care about that team just a smidgen more than the rest of the league and much less than their favorite team.

The Sonics will always be Seattle’s team, regardless if there is an incarnation of the green and gold in the Emerald City. However, the Los Angeles Clippers are quickly developing into Seattle’s second team. Or rather something closer to a “interim” team.

I basically bestowed the Heat with this title a few years ago. After all, Miami had beaten that team from that one Midwestern state (people from Washington State know which NBA stolen property team I’m referring to) in the NBA Finals. The Heat also employed former Sonics greats Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.

The Clippers win the award for a few reasons. First off is the fact that they are simply fun to watch with highlight reel dunks and alley-oops a regular occurrence. The team also employs elite players in Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

After that, theirs the fact that they are owned by a man with obvious Seattle connections, Steve Ballmer. In addition to Ballmer, Los Angeles employs two of the Emerald City’s finest in Spencer Hawes and Jamal Crawford. The Clippers also recently drafted former Husky C.J. Wilcox in the first round of the NBA draft.

Congrats Clippers. You’re unofficially Seattle’s second team until we get the Sonics back.

Washingtonians, who is your second NBA team, is it the Clippers or another team?

You can also view the article on Kingdome’s sister site, Know Hitter. As well as this article, you can also find mind blowing, fantastic and (insert your flash adjective here) sports content on everything from the NBA to the NFL and MLB to International Football/Soccer and March Madness.

Seattle NBA/NHL Updates

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Here’s the latest on the Seattle NBA/NHL front.

Chris Hansen’s Sonics Arena website put out a release on Tuesday. You can read the full extent of it here. You can follow the good people at Sonics Arena on Twitter here and like them on Facebook here.

According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, the Governor of Wisconsin will propose a “jock tax” to help pay off the Bucks’ potential new arena. The Bucks could be in play for Seattle at some point in time and have often been mentioned in relation to a potential moved.

Here’s King 5 reporter Chris Daniels with the latest from Seattle Mayor Ed Murray:

 

Also from Murray, Seattle is “trying to move ball forward” with the NBA and the NHL. This report from King 5.

Murray also had a “nice chat” with the NHL, according to Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! Sports, Seattle would be considered, along with Las Vegas, ahead of fellow expansion candidate Quebec City.

Stern Sendoff

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This is going to be short for me. I have pieces to write about more important things.

I am not the outgoing NBA commissioner’s biggest fan. I have called him biased and questioned his podium presence. (Which, if you’re commissioner, are two things you should have in check: you shouldn’t be biased and you should have good podium presence.)

David Stern comes off as snide in public, and I think he showed favoritism in a job that begs for the polar opposite. What he did for the NBA during the “Dream Team” era was good. But I grew up with a very different National Basketball Association. I grew up with a basketball league where the commissioner comes off as a dictator-like Bond villain. Where the commissioner of the league runs a team and proceeds to veto a trade between two teams. Where that trade has conceivably affected the landscape of the league today.

A picture is worth a thousand words. In this case a video is worth a million.

Latest Semi-Often Sonics Skims

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As we await the return of the Sonics tomorrow, here is the latest from the ‘net.

Tom Ziller explains why there’s no reason for the NBA to delay expansion to Seattle. 

Macklemore isn’t too pleased with the OKC Raiders using his latest hit “Can’t Hold Us” during games.

In strange, or not-so-strange timing, the NBA is apparently ready to start informal negotiations on its next TV deal. FWI (as the kids say,) their current deal with Turner Sports and ESPN expires in two years.

Brian Floyd answers some frequently asked questions on the Sonics/Kings situation over at SB Nation.

David Aldridge would like the situation to end. 

Kevin Durant is still supporting the Emerald City.


(Hat tip to Sonics Rising for tweeting it.)

And finally, check out one of my favorite sites out there, Homers Apparel, they’ve got some great products, all of which have to do with Seattle sports.

Semi-Often Sonics Skims

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As the Sonics news continues to trickle in, here is the latest.

There is an online petition urging David Stern to give Seattle an expansion team.

Chris Hansen is still hoping to buy the Kings.

Sorrow for NBA diehards in Seattle.

Seattle nice is not the NBA way.

Here’s Why the NBA Is Trying to Force the Sacramento Kings’ Owners to Accept a Low Bid.

Denied in Sacramento, Seattle NBA group may look to Bucks.

Is expansion really an option for NBA, Sonics group?

And finally, my take on Sacramento’s supposed understanding of heartbreak.