Read the latest Thunder happenings here on ClickTown.
Happy NBA Schedule Release Day to everyone!!!!!!
David Aldridge (The Athletic) on how the Thunder did this offseason: “You can’t say OKC had a top-10 summer after trading both of its stars and embarking on what will be a years-long rebuild. But, for a team that had about seven minutes to plan its next 10 years, the Thunder pivoted pretty doggone well, leaving OKC in the driver’s seat for any trade or transaction in the NBA pipeline the next couple of years. Once George opted to go back home to Cali to play with Kawhi Leonard, the Thunder could no longer honestly lay claim to a team with any chance of contending, no matter how remote, and it took little time jettisoning both George and Russell Westbrook.”
Micheal Lee (The Athletic) remembering back to the “B-Team” squad that featured Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in 2010: “When Colangelo addressed the team Sunday for the first time, he provided a history lesson of all Team USA has accomplished over the last 13 years and offered some perspective on where the situation currently stands. Colangelo mentioned how the U.S. redeemed itself in 2008, winning gold at the Beijing Olympics, but had to field a team with 12 completely different players for the 2010 World Championships in Turkey. Not much was expected from a group of up-and-coming talents like Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon and Andre Iguodala, but that team not only won but would later establish a new hierarchy for the league.”
Darius Bazley took his Panini rookie card picture, and here’s his tweet about it:
https://twitter.com/BazleyDarius/status/1160581358512746496
Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) with an up-close look at Thunder rookie Darius Bazley (includes three insightful videos): “Not only did Bazley get a real world education, but he also got creative with his approach to getting better on the floor. Before his internship with New Balance, Bazley bulked up and got into elite physical condition by working with Raheem Shabazz, a trainer based in Memphis. That just so happens to be where former NBA sharpshooter and current University of Memphis assistant coach Mike Miller lives. Bazley “fell n love with the weight room” and worked relentlessly with Miller, honing his skills with a two-time NBA Champion. “Being able to work with Mike (Miller) and develop a relationship with him, I think that probably was the biggest thing,” Bazley noted.”
The Thunder and the YMCA partnered up to expand youth basketball throughout the state: “The YMCA Thunder Basketball League is a youth league partnership between the Thunder and statewide YMCA branches. During the 2018-19 season, a pilot program of the league was operated within all Oklahoma City and Cleveland County YMCA locations. In its inaugural season, the league had more than 5,700 participants, 1,200 volunteer coaches participating in the program, more than 600 teams being formed through the league, a total of 71 Oklahoma communities being served and inspired a 2.3% increase in participation across all YMCA locations.”