2015-16 OKC Thunder

[soonermike81]

I'm a little late to this convo, and am not commenting on the Serge trade. I just want to address the Iceman. Willing to bet that 90% of the NBA "fans" in OKC have no idea who he is.

[Jake]

What about George Gervin?

[Bellaboo]

Former Spur George Gevin at that, What about him ?

[Roger S]

I'm a little late to this convo, and am not commenting on the Serge trade. I just want to address the Iceman. Willing to bet that 90% of the NBA "fans" in OKC have no idea who he is.

Are you trying to make the point that if KD never makes a championship game that 90% of OKC fans will forget who he is?

[dankrutka]

Are you trying to make the point that if KD never makes a championship game that 90% of OKC fans will forget who he is?

If you go back earlier in the thread, it's three titles or he'll lose all marketing opportunities forever.

[Thomas Vu]

I'm a little late to this convo, and am not commenting on the Serge trade. I just want to address the Iceman. Willing to bet that 90% of the NBA "fans" in OKC have no idea who he is.

The finger roll guy? What brought him to the conversation?

[Teo9969]

If you go back earlier in the thread, it's three titles or he'll lose all marketing opportunities forever.

lol. I never said he'll lose all marketing opportunities forever. I said he'll lose brand value.

MJ makes $100M every single year in endorsements and he hasn't played in over a decade...because he was the best player ever. He was the best player ever because he was the reason The Bulls won 3 straight titles 2x. He wouldn't be earning $100M/year if he had 2 titles.

Winning 1 title or winning 4 can absolutely be the difference between KD earning $5M/year in post-retirement endorsements and earning in $20M/year in post-retirement endorsements.

[soonermike81]

Are you trying to make the point that if KD never makes a championship game that 90% of OKC fans will forget who he is?

Not at all. I guess I was trying to make two points with that comment. First, I was kind of agreeing with Teo in their discussion that KD needs a ring in order to secure his legacy and more endorsements after retirement. I agree that many greats that never won a championship just kind of disappear. Don't necessarily think he needs 3 or more, but if he doesn't win one, I don't think he'll be all that relevant in 20-30 years. At least not on a national/international level.

Secondly, I was just commenting that most basketball fans in OKC just became fans recently and probably don't know who Gervin is. From what I've seen, most didn't watch the NBA until we got a team. And the fact that there are so many bandwagon fans all across the country, it favors Teo's side even more. Gervin, who is one of the greatest players of all time disappeared after his NBA career. True fans of the game know who he is or at least heard of him. Wouldve really helped his recognition to the casual fan if he was an NBA champion. And I don't think the commercial with Dwayne Wade is really a good example of his marketability. I mean, can we pinpoint any other large endorsement deals of his in the past 30 years? So many people were probably watching the commercial and thinking, "who's that old man with DWade?"

[Laramie]

So sick and tired of all this ring theory. So, you don't win a ring; it's not the end of the world. There are players on teams who have NBA championship rings who haven't achieved near the success as Durant or Westbrook.

This idea of a ring IMO is so absurd. Did Stephen Curry's reputation take a hit because they had Cleveland down 3 - 1, only to lose the championship; or did that lost opportunity expose Steve Kerr as an NBA coach?

A ring cements a person's legacy; please, give me a break. We need to move away from this--especially the commercials about NBA rings, the media etc,. Less emphasis need to be made about a damn ring.

You ever hear winning a beauty contest; say Miss America or Miss USA cemented a person's beauty; does it mean that everyone else failed.

This is old hat; let this crap die. The NBA nation needs to appreciate the unique players we have in the league; stop stroking this fire about a damn ring.

Cement your legacy as a player by your play, leadership and performance.

[soonermike81]

I wasn't really arguing it that hard, was just chiming in and agreeing with Teo. But since you decided to come after me from what it seems, I'll talk some more. Tell me. What the f&@% is even the point competitive sports if the goal isnt to be crowned champion?! So now you are comparing role players on championship teams to arguably 2 of the top 5 players in the world? A ring is the ultimate achievemant in any superstar's career, and you're a fool if you think otherwise. Players leave their homes where they built their careers for a reason; some leave and take less money for a reason; they are willing to go to a team and be second fiddle for a reason. These guys have achieved just about everything possible in their careers. They've made more money than they know what to do with. The one thing missing to absolutely cement their legacy is a ring. Supreme athletes like KD absolutely have their eyes on a ring. They're not playing for second place. "The idea of a ring is so absurd." Please give me a break!

I never said its the end of the world if KD and the Thunder don't win a ring. To me, it's just a game and there are much more important things in life. But if you feel a ring isn't the ultimate goal for these athletes, you're fooling yourself. These people are the ultimate competitors in their respective sport. They don't need the media or fans to put an emphasis on winning a ring. They're already doing it themselves.

[Laramie]

Wasn't going after you, soonermike81, you need not take it personal--I didn't reference anything you posted. Just stated my opinion--you either agree or disagree--it's fine with me because in the end it won't amount to a hill of beans.

[chuck5815]

So sick and tired of all this ring theory. So, you don't win a ring; it's not the end of the world. There are players on teams who have NBA championship rings who haven't achieved near the success as Durant or Westbrook.

This idea of a ring IMO is so absurd. Did Stephen Curry's reputation take a hit because they had Cleveland down 3 - 1, only to lose the championship; or did that lost opportunity expose Steve Kerr as an NBA coach?

A ring cements a person's legacy; please, give me a break. We need to move away from this--especially the commercials about NBA rings, the media etc,. Less emphasis need to be made about a damn ring.

Yes. I think it was a fairly damaging series for Steph Curry. It opens the door for questions about whether Golden State would have won the prior year if Cleveland were healthy.

And his behavior at the end of game 6 was beyond childish. If I'm a corporate sponsor, I'm saying, "Do we really want this whiny, little mouthpiece thrower to be a part of our marketing and a cornerstone of our brand?"