Anticipating tomorrows nationally televised game, and nothing too exciting happening on the boards, I began to think about the legacy the Sonics have here in Seattle. It is fertile ground with all the talk of moving to a new city, or ownership selling. It got me to thinking back to my teen years, when I first became a sonic fan. I don’t remember the exact year, but it was somewhere around 1978. We had just moved to Seattle from Northern California; we were living in the U district near Eckstein Middle school. As a new kid, I didn’t have too many friends, but I had this transistor AM radio that I took into my room and listened to Sonic basketball. I think the voice of the Sonics back then was Bob Blackburn if memory serves me. I remember what a great shooter Gus Williams seemed to be; and I remember vaguely that Seattle won a championship in 1979. I would be proud to say that I remember all of the intricate details of their march to Seattle’s first ever pro sports championship, but honestly I just don’t remember all of the details…or where I was when it all happened. Perhaps I was in the bathroom squeezing zits or something.
All of this led me to realize that it has been 27 years since the Supersonics were world champions. I do remember every game of the ’96 team in the finals; no amount of beer blurs that great season, but we were second best.
With the lease expiring on the key arena in 2010, and no new deal on the table, I was just thinking how cool it would be if Seattle could somehow see all of the pieces put together, all of our young guys grow in experience and maturity, our old guy Ray keep playing at a high level for 3 more years, and pull off the unthinkable…win a championship on the 30th anniversary of their first championship. That’s right, win a championship in 2009, 30 years after their only other championship, and right before the lease expires and Seattle has a championship and a key to the city.
It is certainly not impossible; Ray will be 33 years old; Rashard, Nick and Damien will be 29; Petro and Swifty will be 23 and 24 respectively; Luke will be 28; Wilcox 27; and Watson will be 30. With drafts and free agency to backfill, we have a nice core that is quite young, and will be prime in 3 years excluding Ray. It is definitely doable.
Ok, I guess I am just a homer, but I just though how sweet it would be to see Nick Licata choke and turn blue at the though of fighting tooth and nail to prevent Seattle getting a new coliseum deal, just to be voted out of office for stymieing the new world champions.
What can a forty year old do on a slow basketball news night but dream and reminisce? How sweet it would be.
Where were you 27 years ago?