OKC Thunder News

Looks like the Thunder have already gotten some pics up on their website of the new Jerseys.  The official press conference hasn't happened yet so here yah go!

Road uniforms say "Oklahoma City" on them which is a nice touch and a good way to rep the OKC.

Home jerseys have a nice color scheme to them

There aren't many great Centers in the league right now and the two best young 'uns look to be Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers and Greg Oden of the Portland TrailBlazers.  Bynum is coming back from a much publicized injury in January 2008 and Oden sat out his entire 2007/2008 after having surgery on his knee.

In my opinion, both these guys look to have some tremendous talent.  Beyond the hype machine, these are two very mobile big men.  Andrew Bynum being a bit longer and quicker while Oden is a powerhouse big man.  They certainly have the physical aspects to be elite Centers in the NBA.  Of course, they are both coming back from injuries to their knees so their recovery and progress will ultimately determine their futures.  From all reports, both have fully recovered from their surgeries and if Amare Stoudamire  is any measuring stick, they both look to have bright futures.

In the interview, Oden seems to strike me as a very humble player, not an obnoxious "I guarantee a win" kind of player.  Of course they say the NBA changes a person but so far, he's still kept his head about him.  Kudos to him and hopefully he'll have a great career...and maybe even join the Thunder at some time :)

One of the biggest deals to go off during the summer was the eloping of Josh Childress from the Atlanta Hawks to go play in Europe.

 Childress reportedly signed a deal with Greece powerhouse Olympiakos B.C. worth $20 million NET over 3 years.   That would be something equivalent to an NBA contract worth $40 million since, in Europe, the team pays the taxes. That's alot of money to be paying an up and coming but still kind of raw young player.

Josh Childress is a talented, exciting young player but he has a relatively low ceiling because he's just not a very good shooter and plays mostly off his athleticism.  Additionally, European teams are mostly about 3 point bombing and jumpshots, much different than the fun and gun Hawks or Suns of the NBA.

Well, we're still waiting for the new Thunder jersies to be unveiled but today, the Orlando Magic just revealed a new jersey.

These jerseys were commissioned especially for the 20th Anniversary of the Orlando Magic.

We'll be posting up some pictures of the new jersey as soon as they're released.

Rumors have swirled around Central Florida for months regarding the 20th anniversary jerseys that the Orlando Magic will wear for the 2008-09 season. Is there a new logo? A new color scheme? Could there be new text? Will the jersey read “Orlando” across the chest? Or maybe “Magic”? Might the team bring back the pinstripes? Will there be three versions, or only a home and away?

Well, fans, the moment of truth is fast approaching. The Orlando Magic will hold a Jersey Release Party from 12-2 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23 at the Cheyenne Saloon in downtown Orlando. The event will celebrate the unveiling of the new jersey to the public and will be catered by the Cheyenne Saloon, offering fans free soda and water, with free light fare available. The Magic Dancers and other Magic stars will be on hand to unveil the new jerseys.

The party will offer fans more than the ability to be one of the first to see the new jersey. Fans will have the unique opportunity to win a drawing at the event, in which the winner (drawn by STUFF) will receive the very first 2008-09 Authentic Jersey given to the public. The new jerseys will also be on sale at the site. Fans who purchase a new jersey will also receive a 20th Anniversary patch with their jersey. Be the first to own the newest Orlando Magic jersey!

There will also be a promotional offer with ticket purchases at the event. Anyone who purchases a half season plan or higher (minimum two seats) will receive both a VIP reception and 50 percent off a new jersey of their choice.

If you are unable to attend the Jersey Release Party, you still have the opportunity to watch the unveiling and place a pre-order online. Orlandomagic.com will run a live stream from the event, providing all fans the ability to get a first look at the new jersey, and also have the jerseys available for pre-order at the online shop.

And for those fans attending the event, don't be shocked if you see a 6-foot-11 gold medal-winning center walking around the Saloon.

BE THERE for the unveiling of the brand new 20th anniversary Orlando Magic jersey.

This was the brilliance in Cuban posting these emails.

People writing into Mark Cuban to call Josh Howard a coon ass n... thinking that OK, this is private and between the two of them. Then Mark turns around and publishes these "private" emails.

This is no different than Josh Howard who was thinking him and the camera phone were having a private conversation. Then that camera phone vid goes public.

Cuban obviously wanted people to see how easy it was to get "caught on tape" like JHo and suddenly go under fire...I betcha those email addresses got spammed to hell. Could you imagine if you worked with one of those dudes and recognized his name and wait until Monday comes and he has to deal with it. Just like JHo.

Also, the content of email is not "privacy protected" unless specifically stated in the email.

I don't like what Josh Howard did, at all, it was stupid and it was ignorant but it's his right as an American. I can fully expect when Josh Howard's next contract extension comes around, he's going to pay the price then as he will feel it in his pocket book. It's a shame, Howard had a promising career up to this recent season when he admitted to using pot right before the Mavs Playoffs.

View the Emails after the jump:

Thanks for the advice on Josh

    Sep 18th 2008 10:53PM

    I wanted to thank all of you who took the time to email me with your comments on how best to deal with Josh. They were so good, I thought I would share a few of them with everyone. Including the email addresses of those who were bold enough to use real email addresses.

    Josh realizes his comments were wrong, he understands why people are upset. He knows he has made a mistake, has apologized and will work with us . Beyond that, its a private issue.

    What about the people who gave me the following advice ?

   

Author : Barack Obama (IP: 64.12.117.196 , cache-mtc-ah04.proxy.aol.com)
    E-mail : Nigga4life@coon.com
    URL : http://Watermellon
    Whois : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?...=64.12.117.196
    Comment:
    JOSH HOWARD IS NOTHING BUT A DUMB COON NIGGER. SOMEONE NEEDS TO TEACH HIS MONKEY *** SOME DAM RESPECT FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

   

From: "Tyree, Pam"
    To:
    Date: 09/18/2008 11:18 AM
    Subject: Howard
    This ahole is just as anti American as you are Cuban! What a disgusting bunch.

    rom: "

Billy Leto"
    To: mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com
    Date: 09/18/2008 09:20 AM
    Subject: are you kidding me?
    MC,
    Tell Howard that him and Hussein Obama can go to another country and live if they don't want to support our symbol of freedom.-
    Billy
   

From: Donald Joy
    To: mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com
    Date: 09/18/2008 09:20 AM
    Subject: Howard's(and the rest of them) anti-American, thuggish remarks/attitude
    These black criminals that you people coddle and cultivate are the reason why I no longer watch/follow professional sports. Sickening.

    From: "Riley Johnson" Add Address to Contacts
    To:
    Date: 09/18/2008 09:14 AM
    Subject: Ask Mark Cuban
    Hey Mark, I've always loved the way you ran your team and respected a large amount of your opinions. Regardless, I have to stop supporting the Mavs. Why? Because I don't support POS, America-bashing people like Josh Howard. Tell that spoiled pansy that his lifestyle is only made possible by the marvelous experiment that is America, and to take his bs to Russia if he's going to talk down our national anthem. Until he's off the team, you guys are off the TV.
    From: christopher.wolff@comcast.net Add Address to Contacts
    To: mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com,
    Date: 09/17/2008 11:28 PM
    Subject: josh howard
    This the first time I have e mailed any one of this stature you have to be kidding me I have always admired you and I am a warriors fan Don Nelson or not. Fire that *** hole this is America send him to Iraq No wonder kids act the way they do this is there role model they have no clue what we have been through in our history and how we became this country we all have faults but this is not the 60`s if it was he would of been hanged. I suppose that he thinks all the fireman, police and innocent citizens in 911 should of died also only in America could this happen and thats the point he does not get.
    From: Larry Smith Add Address to Contacts
    To:
    Date: 09/17/2008 08:51 PM
    Subject: Your boy
    You need to get rid of your nigger howard before you go down with him!
    From: "Manuel Rodriguez" Add Address to Contacts

    Cc:
    Date: 09/17/2008 10:09 PM
    Subject: Maverick Josh Howard

    You better get that piece of work out of your team for talking and disrespecting the national anthem or you are going to pay the price for it..... What kind of org. allows a looser and an idiot play for them? You are so low you make me vomit!!!! If you allow a hate of America play for your team, you also Hate AMERICA. GET OUT OF HERE!!!!

    Have a Blessed Day:

    Manuel A. Rodriguez

    Name: Roger
    Email: rconnally@hotmail.com
    Website:

    Dude: Worry less about why the financial world and more about that unpatriotic coon you have on your team.

    Time: Wednesday September 17, 2008 at 10:07 pm
    IP Address: 68.238.150.29

    From: vxsmith@aol.com Add Address to Contacts
    To: Mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com
    Date: 09/18/2008 08:58 PM
    Subject: Josh Howard
    You need to fire that SOB immediately. However, given your political leaning and anti-US film producer credits, I doubt you have the nuts for it. Wouldn't be surprised if you encouraged him. Do the right thing...dump that dumb asshole.
    From: George Bannon Add Address to Contacts
    To: markcuban@dallasmavs.com
    Date: 09/18/2008 08:25 PM
    Subject: MARK & TEAM NEED TO MOVE TEAM AND YOU TO MOSCOW RUSSIA OR CUBA OR CHINA ETC.ETC.
    1ST STRIKE - YOU HAD THE ANTI-AMERICAN CANADIAN PIG VOMIT ON YOUR TEAM
    2ND STRIKE - YOU FUNDED ANTI-AMERICAN/TROOPS MOVIE
    3RD STRIKE - "I DONT DO THIS ****' DURING MY NATIONAL ANTHEM - THIS NATION MADE YOU PIG VOMITS RICH BEYOND MY DREAMS AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US. THREE STRIKES YOUR OUT! TELL PIG VOMIT HE IS FREE TO MOVE OUT OF MY COUNTRY ANYTIME HE WANTS. TRY CHINA,THEY HAVE FREE SPEACH - NOT!

    Sir,

    How dare you defend this Josh Howard piece of ****. After his disrespect, at the very least, you should have transferred his *** to the Euro league. He doesn't like America? Well screw him. I've been around the world, defending America. Hell, I haven't even had the opportunity to live in my own country since 1995. I can assure you many people, with IQ's higher than a shoe lace, would gladly trade places with this ingrate punk. As long as you protect him and make excuses for him you carry equal guilt. I would immediately have any person in my employ fired and have his security clearance yanked for expressing such an opinion. I could retire on 1/20th of this assholes salary, and all he does is play ball and trash the country which provides him the opportunity to make such a living. Send him to REALITY, where he should be; bagging groceries and/or in prison.

    Tommy Lee Frederick
    Systems Technician - Warrior Training Center, U.S. Forces Korea
    Unit 15596 Camp Casey, Korea APO AP 96224-5596
    DSN 315.730.1645

    COM +82.31.869.1645

    EMAIL: frederickt@korea.army.mil

    From: "stephen rogers" Add Address to Contacts
    To:
    Date: 09/17/2008 09:34 PM
    Subject: Ask Mark Cuban
    Mr. Cuban,
    Just saw your nigger Josh Howard disresepct the national anthem because he is black. According to the news you say he is a really great guy. Of course he is because he makes you lots of money you greedy *******.
    You would rather sell out your own country that my dead father fought for in WW II than than lose a buck by firing this black *******.
    You are nothing more than a nigger slave owner milking him for all his black *** can get you.
    YOU, SIR IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY. YOU AND THAT NIGGER YOU CALL NICE.
    There's lots of black dick on that team, get busy. White power is coming back because of race traitors like you.
    Know what you get when you cross a nigger and a white nigger lover ? a WHIGGER. THAT IS YOU !!!!
    Mark WHIGGER Cuban. A White storm is brewing Mr. Cuban, you and those niggers like you better evacuate.
    From: Jeffrey Miller Add Address to Contacts
    To: mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com
    Date: 09/17/2008 08:14 PM
    Subject: Ask Mark Cuban
    You need to get rid of NIGGARS like Josh Howard.
    Email: joejujo@yahoo.com
    Website:why on earth would you keep the piece of embarrassing ghetto trash named Josh Howard?
    I will no longer cheer for the mavs.
    Go Spurs!
    heffernan2@aol.com

    to mark.cuban

    show details 9:29 AM (14 hours ago)


    Reply


    "I don't even celebrate that ****. I'm black."

    You & Howard...two peas in a pod.
    Don't think we've forgotten about that Brian De Palma anti-military propaganda film, "Redacted", that you produced, Cuban
    Ya might tell Howard the next time you talk to him, that if not for America, he'd probably be be throwing spears in Africa someplace instead of free-throws.

    Semper Fi,
    M.E. Heffernan
    jax2545

    to mark.cuban

    show details 9:21 AM (14 hours ago)


    Reply

    I will not watch the mavericks play again,as long as Josh Howard plays ..... Thats it for me ..... What this animal said about the American flag has turned my stomach..
    joe
    Mark-
    Hope this finds you well.
    I am anxiously awaiting word on your
    move on the Cubs-if you buy them-keep
    Trammel in the dugout-he is why they are
    where they are now (coaching-wise that is).
    Now, on the Josh Howard thing-the whole National
    Anthem thing is bothersome. Put the ruler across
    his knuckles-and remind him that that National Anthem
    is the reason he is so ridiculously over paid, even though
    he probably went to maybe 2% of his classes at Wake-and
    probably can't balance his own checkbook!
    Would like to talk films with you soon. Daniel J. Heffner (my producing
    partner) and I have 3 wonderful scripts, and my financing won't be ready
    for another 45 days. Need a partner-all 5M budgets or less-and the
    scripts are good enough to garner Oscar winning actors. Further to that,
    Dan already has Maple distributing one of them-so we are squared away
    and I need to get started on 2 of them asap.
    All the best,
    Matthew Pletcher
    Chairman/CEO Baby Galigo Studios
    www.babygaligo.com
    mpletcher@babygaligo.com
    Sales Coach Chuck Bauer

    to mark.cuban

    show details Sep 17 (1 day ago)


    Reply


    Mark,

    I WILL NOT attend any Mavericks games as long as that criminal Josh Howard is

    part of the team. Send him to Indiana to be with his fellow criminals. The youtube

    video really exposes him for what he is.

    Chuck Bauer
    From: A Add Address to Contacts
    To: mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com
    Date: 09/19/2008 08:58 AM
    Subject: Ask Mark Cuban

    So here's a question or two for you, Mr. Cuban, in regards to this quote from one of your players:

    "‘The Star Spangled Banner' is going on right now. I don't even celebrate that (expletive). I'm black." - Josh Howard

    1) What does being black have to do with Honoring the playing of the national anthem? He wasn't a slave, and he has EVERYTHING this country is about to thank for his freedom *AND* his wealth, which you and the other idiots running sports teams pay him (and other idiot athletes).

    2) Are you going to do the RIGHT thing and punish him monetarily for this? Or are you going to sit there on your hands and be a pansy about it?
    From: Donald Joy Add Address to Contacts
    To:
    Cc: mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com
    Date: 09/19/2008 09:43 AM
    Subject: Re: Get over yourself
    My fellow patriots and I aren't the ones who made it about race: "I ain't about that ‘National Anthem' ****, I'm black...mumble mumble something something Obama mumble Obama, etc., etc.)Howard, and Jeremiah Wright, and Ludacris(and white leftist scum like you and "Father" Michael Pflager), Jay-Z, Kanye West, Tupac Shakur, Malik Zulu Shabazz, Louis Farrakhan, Malcolm X, B. Hussein Obama with his refusing to place his hand over his heart during the Anthem and refusing to wear a flag lapel pin until he was backed into a corner over it, all the while saying things like "typical white people" and "white foilks' greed runs a world in need"(if a white politician said the equivalent, he'd be utterly ruined by now, and you know it; it has happened over and over again in our P.C., double-standard dystopia), et. al.,-you people are the ones who make it about color instead of focusing on character.
    I judge a person by the content of their character. So many of those multi-millionaire black athletes, and millions upon millions of blacks in the United States, absolutely, sullenly, spitefully, violently REFUSE to develop their character and act like civilized citizens of the country that was the first society on the planet to undergo a nation-rending civil war(600,000 white men dead, untold more wounded to free the slaves) and a reckoning of self-examination in order to bring about the end of slavery and the Jim Crow era in this hemisphere(even as it was, and still IS being practiced in Africa and elsewhere in the world!). Blacks Muslim pirates operating out of the Barbary Coast captured and enslaved hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of whites in the late 1770's-early 1800's, yet blacks act as if America was/is the only oppressor in the history of the world, rather than the very hand that delivered them from the culture of conquest, from their own cousins on the Ivory Coast, which sold them to slavers in the first place.
    After generations of anti-white attacks and rampaging riots and a rape/murder rate 7 times that of whites, after decades of robberies and thuggery and drug dealing, with a black-on-white crime rate that is so egregiously multiplied over the negligible white-on-black rate, blacks owe reparations to whites far more than any that whites owe blacks.
    You're obviously a Mike Nifong.
    I know and know of many blacks that are indeed patriotic and intelligent and kind people, but my experiences with and observations of far, far too many others-MOST young black men and women in urban areas, in fact-mandate that I talk straight about a glaring and absolutely unacceptable situation that white liberals like you have helped bring about and exacerbate with your failed, train-wreck socialistic programs that destroy families and promote promiscuity, irresponsibility, fatherlessness, and dependence on government largesse and the race-grievance industry.
    I'm fed up with white liberals like you who refuse to acknowledge the abject depravity and pathological, willful failure of black culture, and instead enable and perpetuate it as you excuse and defend it, all the while attacking honest whites who dare protest as you call us "racists." Go ahead, call me a racist, I don't care; as long as the majority of a given race refuses to attend school and drink the water of education to which they've been led-on MY excessive and wasted tax dollars-and instead bite the hand that feeds them as they stab the teachers and rape and steal and deal drugs and glorify murder as a rite of adolescent passage in homage to their rap music heroes, harassing and accusing their studious peers of "acting white"-as long as the plurality and bulk of that pathetic race ACTS inferior, I will certainly be justified in considering them inferior. Remove the absurdly high correlation(can it be done? I really do wonder, as no black society anywhere on Earth has anything resembling an advanced character) between skin color and abject criminality, between melanin and anti-American hostility, and I will consider them worthy citizens of MY country, that I love, that I fought for and continue to fight for.
    Otherwise, shove your anti-white hatred up your ***, and shove your animalistic "African-American" ANTI-American "athletes" up your *** while you're at it. Osama bin Laden is really tall, too; I bet he could've slam-dunked JUST like those disrespectful America-hating black criminals if he'd been chased after by scouts and coddled and given a bunch of bling back in the day, too!

    ...and I didn't even resort to using the word that they hurl at each other and everyone else more often than they use the word "the."

    From: vxsmith@aol.com
    Subject: Re: Get over yourself
    Cc: mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com
    Date: Friday, September 19, 2008, 10:51 AM

    Josh Howard is an ungrateful dumbass. He smokes pot every day, play basketball in front of millions of people and gets paid millions of dollars and then has the BALLS to effectively say "screw the US, I'm black. I've been oppressed and, oh, by the way...vote for Obama". If you don't see the disconnect in that statement then you're a moron as well. If he's so frickin miserable, then he should move back to his native Africa and live in a mud hut with Obama's half brother for a year or so on a dollar a month. Then we'll see how he really feels about this rotten oppressive country where he's being so unfairly held back from reaching his full potential as a miserable black man.
    Screw the Mavericks. They're perennial losers like Howard...and Cuban cultivated the losers by overindulging the prima donnas.

    And one more thing, checking out the cheerleaders during the National Anthem IS American. Homely women always complain about us doing it.

    From: "McCubbin, Peter \(Exchange\)" Add Address to Contacts
    To:
    Date: 09/19/2008 10:25 AM
    Subject: Give Josh the Kabosh

    Hi Mark: I look forward to showing your team (with Josh ?) the same disrespect he showed our country's flag. You guys are a disgrace. J Peter McCubbin NBA fan

    To those of you who have read this far, I have added several emails since this was originally posted. In addition, I have gotten a reply from Jeff kellen of the email below, that i thought should be posted. This is the thread, so they are in reverse order

    "Jeff Kellen" Add Address to Contacts
    To:
    Date: 09/18/2008 04:22 PM
    Subject: Ask Mark Cuban
    Hi Mark,Did you know Josh Howard was an America hater when you signed him or was
    it a surprise?"I don't spend my money on this NBA ****, I am white."

    Thanks,

    - Jeff
    From: "Jeff Kellen" Add Address to Contacts
    To: "Mark Cuban"
    Date: 09/19/2008 10:46 AM
    Subject: RE: Follow up

    Mark,

    Sure, that is fine as I am so damn mad at myself right now and cannot
    stand the thought of people thinking I am some sort of bigot or racist.
    My kids love KG and I was happy to see him get a ring finally. He is a
    hero in our house.

    I feel like an idiot.

    Thanks,

    - Jeff

    --Original Message--
    From: Mark Cuban [mailto:Mark.Cuban@dallasmavs.com]
    Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 10:39 AM
    To: Jeff Kellen
    Subject: Re: Follow up

    thx for the reply jeff. since i posted the last email, would you like
    for me to post this as well ?

    thanks,

    M
    HDNet, The reason HDTV was invented ! www.hd.net

    --Original Message--
    From: "Jeff Kellen"
    To:
    Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:23:49 -0500
    Subject: Follow up

    > Hello Mark,
    >
    > I had sent you a email comment yesterday and wanted to follow up tell
    > you that it was a turn on the words that Josh Howard used previously
    > and the email was a sarcastic attempt to voice my objection. In
    > reality, I am actually a long time NBA fan and take my kids to a
    > couple NBA games each year and was happy to see KG finally get a ring.
    >
    > My comments were ill advised and reflected a momentary lapse of
    reason.
    > I do not allow racist talk in my house or around my children but my
    > comments came off that way and I am truly embarrassed by them. They
    > were meant to be sarcastic but they came off as racist in a way that I
    > honestly did not intend for them to.
    >
    > Apologies,
    >
    > - Jeff
    >
    > P.S. I hope you guys do better in the playoffs next year.

In a surprising move, top rookie Michael Beasley fired his agent Joel Bell.  Michael Beasley was the #2 draft pick of the Miami Heat in the NBA draft class of 2008.  Beasley was chosen after #1 Derrick Rose and then followed by #3 OJ Mayo and OKC's own #4 pick Russell Westbrook.

It was rumored that Beasley was unhappy with his agent Joel Bell over poor endorsement deals.   Although reportedly, he did get a nice endorsement deal with Microsoft and it's MSN.com portal.

And to top that off, it appears that Beasley also became disenchanted with his AAU coach and personal Advisor Curtis Malone.  Only they know what happened behind the scenes but needless to say, Beasley's out looking for some new representation and advice.

So today we're going to focus on the new arena for the OKC Thunder.   Most of you who have been following the Supersonics all these years have already been to Key Arena already at the Seattle Center.

 

As with everything else OKC Thunder, there will of course be a new arena for the Sonics, err... Thunder.  The Ford Center in Oklahoma City was leased by the Thunder back in March 2008.  Ford Center is actually a pretty nice place and is an excellent easy-to reach location.  Some of you have probably already been to Ford Center to watch an NBA game as this was the home of the OKC Hornets in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 

With the release of the team name and colors, the NBA is always ready to cash in on merchandise.

Here's a sample of some of the new "Thunder Gear"

Well, well, the NBA is in the middle of updating its website with the new OKC Thunder.

AP reports today made it official but finding a full sized copy of the logo is still a bit difficult.

Still waiting on the new team Uniforms, I don't think they'll be ready for a few more weeks would be my guess.

One of the guys who works in a factory that manufactures NBA gear snapped up a photo of the new OKC "Thunder" Logo.

The photo looks pretty legit, although the logo isn't much to look at.

You would think that having a chance to do a whole new logo and brand, that they would have spent more time to put it together.

Have a look and decide for yourself