Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook grabs a rebound between Hilton Armstrong, left, and Ryan Bowen of New Orleans during the NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New Orleans Hornets at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City on Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
A minute-by-minute blow of the Hornets’ return to Oklahoma City on Friday night:
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6:37 p.m. — Roughly two hours before tipoff, the first Hornets player to step on the court is Chris Paul. Imagine that.
A few minutes later, Hornets general manager Jeff Bower walks by and playfully is asked if he can leave a few players behind.
Bower smiles, quickly answers no and adds, "We’re going to count all our players on the plane when we leave. Make sure they’re accounted for.” The two teams meet again tonight in New Orleans.
7 — The Hornets’ locker room is open to media.
Waiting inside with a smile and a handshake to all who enter are Tyson Chandler, David West, Peja Stojakovic, Rasual Butler, Hilton Armstrong, coach Byron Scott, trainer Terry Koffler and equipment manager David Jovanovic, who wanted to talk a little Oklahoma-Texas Tech football.
7:12 — Media swarm around Scott in his dressing room for a pre-game interview session.
Scott tells a New Orleans reporter he wants his 5-5 team to toughen up and play "with that fear of losing.”
The 1-11 Thunder certainly has that fear of losing.
In Scott’s first season, the Hornets went 18-64. If anyone can relate to the Thunder’s pain, it’s Scott.
Asked what was the toughest part of 18 wins, Scott quickly answers, "the 64 losses.”
Scott kept his house in north Oklahoma City, where his 22-year-old daughter resides while attending college. Scott’s son, a senior in high school this year, will join his sister at the house next school year while attending junior college.
Scott kept his membership at Oak Tree Golf Club, which is in the midst of a massive renovation. "Yeah, they’re making it harder,” Scott said, shaking his head.
Asked for his favorite memory of the Ford Center, Scott said it was opening night three years ago when the Hornets beat the Sacramento Kings, 93-67.
Scott was stunned when he went out to the court an hour before tipoff and found the stands full. "That shocked me,” Scott said. "You just don’t go to an NBA arena an hour before game time, and fans are already there.”
(An hour before Friday’s game, there were maybe 1,000 fans in the arena.)
Scott said he had a plaque made of that game, with the score engraved at the bottom, and has it hanging in his house.
7:25 — Fans already have engulfed the front row of the tunnel where the Hornets will emerge
Broadcast legend Kevin Calabro of Seattle, doing the game for ESPN, chats with several former SuperSonics, including Desmond Mason and Damien Wilkins.
7:33 — Chandler signs a program for a fan and then gives her a peck on the right cheek.
Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is spotted signing autographs, a dozen kids scramble to the Thunder’s tunnel.
8:16 — The Hornets run onto the court and receive applause that grows louder the more they come into view.
8:19 — The Thunder emerges to a much louder ovation.
8:36 — The lights go out. The national anthem is sung by local group "Entourage.”
8:40 — Paul is introduced first, receives a loud ovation, waves to the crowd and that’s about it. Ten seconds, and it’s over.
Butler is introduced next, then Chandler, then West, then Stojakovic and then Scott, who receives the second-loudest ovation.
Elapsed time: Thirty seconds, tops.
The Hornets receive a nice welcome back, but it was hardly overwhelming. It also was extremely short-lived.
The Thunder is introduced, and the place erupts. The sellout crowd no doubt is all-Thunder.
The Hornets used to draw screams with each basket. On this night, those baskets draw an eerie silence.
The Hornets show little mercy on the Thunder and post a 105-80 victory at their previous home away from home.
They’ve moved on, and so have we.
Thanks for the memories, Hornets.
Much love, but we’ve got our own team now. For better or worse.
John Rohde: 475-3099. John Rohde can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11 a.m. on New JOX 930 (AM).
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Jeffrey,
By "every fan poll" are you talking about that name the team "contest" the paper ran (where they did it basketball bracket playoff style?
Even though the paper tried to rig it so Barons came out on top, the paper said it wasn't to be taken seriously (in other words, it was a joke, and the people that were voting knew it). Bennett wasn't in on the joke and took it seriously. End result we got a joke for a team name.
But then again, it matches the joke of an owner (Bennett), the joke of the former coach and so far, the joke of a team ("worst in the NBA").
Just checking.
By the way, you did read the feedback sections in the articles after the team name was announced right? Near universal "ho-hum" on the team name and complete bashing of the colors and logo.
dont hate that the sonics can actually play and have a better name than thunder. o that is so scary. come on, at least name your team something that dousnt remind me of a bolt. go send those sonics back to seattle because you no you cant be a cinderella team like us fresno teams
John, what's with the parenthetical reference to there being 1,000 fans in the arena an hour before game time as though it's a bad thing?! The Hornets/Kings opener was the anomaly, not last night. We know a little more now than we knew then about attending games. In addition, ESPN was here, and had several attractions for fans before the game. Screaming like crazy at preseason games, *everyone* showing up an hour ahead, these were things we did when we were newbies. You can't expect our overweening fervor from the very first Hornets game to apply now in the same way. We're a more experienced fan base than that.
joe go eat some toes, thunder cant play and you no that fo sho. dont mess with mylo, im only in 7th grade but i know that all those empty seats are waiting to be sit on but they have no fans because people keep dreaming. dont mess with my seattle mentality because i can rap better than your whole family. you think your beter than me but that is not true because i asked you what a linear relationship was but you were to scared boo hoo. im done with my rap and im ready to go but first you need to go sit in one of those empty seats and dream about winning the final!!!!!!!
Thunder cant play squat. what is there record? o ya it is 1-12. that is so good. kevin durant and the sonics need to go back to seattle where they can actually get a better record then 1-12.
Grant, Mechanicsville: the writers have the same problem. If you asked a group of english teachers, they might even be split on it. As I said below, I can see both sides of it, but it was said that it is a singular noun (which is surprising that they chose it as the name since Bennett said he doesn't like singular nouns). Other than it being awkward, what is wrong with a singular noun for a team? It is a team, something that is supposed to be operating as a unit. Instead of a collection of individuals (unfortunately, the way the Thunder has been playing so far...not as a team at all). Don't get me wrong, I wasn't thrilled with the name Thunder (think it is like most things with the ownership group/team, average at best, failing on most levels). Even though there is a loose Oklahoma weather connection, it is just too generic. May be why Bennett choose it to begin with, he can move the team later if he wants and doesn't have to worry about changing the name since there is thunder everywhere.
Great to see the Hornets, and I do wish Byron would come here to coach, but that's not going to happen while Chris Paul is playing for the Hornets. They're a great group of players, and I wish them well when we're not playing them. But, they moved on and so did I. Cheering for the Hornets, aside from their introduction, didn't even occur to me. I'm sure the Thunder wondered if, and were perhaps a little worried that, we would cheer more for the Hornets, especially if they had the lead, but that didn't happen. The crowd was definitely behind the Thunder.
Jill, www.okcthunderfans.com - Nov 22, 2008 at 8:36 am
The Hornets may no longer "own" the crowd, but they're the reason the Ford was sold out last night.
They do however, "own" the dunder. Good thing they took it easy on them in the 2nd half or it would have been a 50 point blowout. Deny that all you want, but it was talked about on the live blog last night about how the Hornets weren't playing like they were worried about losing, or the game even being close...
I can see it both ways, but when the team name was still up in the air (they had it down to six), people kept saying they didn't like "Thunder" because it was a singular noun and would make for awkward sentences. "The Thunder IS...", is therefore correct.
Yeah, y'all go and support YOUR team while you can before KC or some other little town gets them. Your organization is a comlete disaster in so many ways. Even the in-game operation looked suspect on TV. That place was like a morgue. Awful, just God awful. Way to represent on national TV.
dont hate on my knowledge about the thunder or whatever u call them. hey lets see if your smarter than a 7th grader. What is a linear relationship. i didnt think so. oh snap, mylo just got you back Joe Blow
Hay Joe blow pick on someone your age or maybe you are a 7th grader with that childish reply. Feeling protective? Buy a cheep seat and sneak to the front, I'm sure there are plenty of empty ones!! Maybe buy your buddy Clay a beer and thank him for the great entertainment.
well see half way thru the season when the house is empty. thats ok you still have your replica NBA trophy, jerseys with Sonic names hanging from the rafters, dancers wearing sonic panties under there thunder-wear
Thunder is doing worse than the sonics had ever done. These OK fans dont deserve to take our trophes and jerseys. give them back now. you havn't earned them like the sonics have. DONT TRY TO GET SOMETHING OKLAHOMA HASNT EVEN BEEN A PART OF
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