Friday Roundtable: All-Time Favorite NBA Jersey

What is your favorite NBA jersey of all time? (allball.blogs.nba.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: What is your all-time favorite NBA jersey?

Alex: 
Retro is in, sure, but there are also legitimately classic jerseys when digging into NBA backlogs, be it because of simplicity or the way a logo melds with certain fonts and team colors. For my money, the most visually appealing -- and thus my favorite -- jersey in Association history is the Denver Nuggets kit that ran from the mid-1980s through the 1992-93 season. The franchise's logo from that time (a smart, technicolor imagining of the Denver skyline layered over the blank canvas of the Rocky Mountains at dusk or dawn) is a gem of geometry inside an over-arching half-moon shape.

Fat Lever, straight gettin' it in classic Nuggets gear. (bleacherreport.com)

Translated into jerseys, the colors are unencumbered by the half-moon and extend well beyond the caricature of the Rockies, wrapping around to the back number. The front features a number on the left shoulder and the team name emblazoned underneath the image with blue trim lining the arm holes and neckline. Matching shorts? Check. The colors pop and, to some, may be too much, too pop art. Essentially, though, that was what late '80s and early '90s fashion was about. I'll be damned if I didn't rock some of the flashiest Mickey Mouse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles designs as a child. The heart wants what the heart wants, and mine is wrapped in these Nuggets duds.

Kyle:
I've probably put way more thought into this question than needed, but it's a difficult one to answer. I grew up in a city that didn't have an NBA team, so I don't have a hometown automatic go-to. So many came to mind. Some I thought of because they are iconic. The Celtics jerseys from the '80s are as simple as it gets, and something about that makes them timeless and great, and like the Lakers uniforms from that time, it was a look everyone could instantly recognize. Some resonate with me because they remind me of growing up. The pinstriped Orlando jerseys. The '90s Bulls jerseys. The black-to-red Hawks jersey with the Hawk clutching the basketball in its talons. I've always loved the Celtics jerseys, and as far as current jerseys go, Golden State does it probably better than anyone.

I'm going to go old school for my choices. First off, the 1970s New York Nets jerseys, and more specifically, as shown below, Dr. J's Nets jersey. With this jersey, you're not just showing your love for the Nets, you're showing your love for America. It's a simple white jersey with red text, and then the red and blue lines down the side with the three white stars just take it to another level.

bleacherreport.com

I have also always really liked the 1990s Seattle Supersonics jerseys when they switched to the darker green and incorporated red. The '90s were an interesting time in uniform design. Teams were blowing up their mascot on the front of the jerseys, and it seemed like everyone was on board with pinstripes. Just so many pinstripes. Those jerseys all look outdated in 2013. The Sonics used colors other than the typical white, bright red and shades of blue of other teams. And the slanted, orbiting Sonics name with the basketball on the "i" just worked. The NBA may have taken your team, Seattle, but they can never take those jerseys. 

thesteelersnat.blogspot.com

Zach:

Above is a picture of myself, senior year of high school (2008) in an Amar'e Stoudemire jersey. I think, maybe, that's my Micheal Jackson impression or something but that's beside the point. The jersey is a retro-throwback, 1968, and was worn by the Phoenix Suns during Stoudemire's rookie season.  That's why the jersey is 32 and not 1; he hadn't changed his number at that point. This is the coolest jersey I own and have ever worn. It is not, however, my favorite uniform of all time.   

The release of the new Phoenix Suns jerseys sparked the idea for this week's roundtable, I think. I'll come right out and say that I'm not a fan of the new look. My favorite jersey is, however, one out of Phoenix. The black road alternates worn from 1994-2000 are the coolest jerseys the NBA has ever seen. Here is a picture of Micheal Beasley doin' it to somebody in the coolest threads possible.

Photo: USA Today

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Sacramento Likely To Keep Kings, Leaving Seattle Waiting For Another Chance

After months of uncertainty, Sacramento is a step closer to keeping the Kings. (sacbee.com)

It's been a tough couple of years for Seattle basketball fans.

It didn't get any easier Monday when the NBA Relocation Committee voted unanimously to recommend the Sacramento Kings' move to Seattle be denied by the owners. It's not completely out of the question that Seattle could still land the Kings, but it's far less likely.

Seattle remains scarred, still stinging from the loss of the Sonics and having to watch the team's success as the Thunder of Oklahoma City. Missing out on the Kings just adds another layer to the wound. Sacramento's struggle to keep the Kings has been an ongoing saga, with fans fearing the move for months. But now the California capital city can breath a sigh of relief while Seattle continues to hold its breath.

Seattle lost its innocence when the Sonics left town. The city was forced to watch as its beloved team was moved east to Oklahoma City and its players went on to the NBA Finals with its superstar Kevin Durant. The fans hated the Thunder, calling the team the "Zombie Sonics" and refusing to watch or support their former team.

Seattle is the guy whose girlfriend left him for someone else. He never thought it would happen, until one day she is gone and he is bitter. Now that he's been jaded, he doesn't feel bad about stealing the girlfriend of someone else. He's had to suffer through it, why can't they? Enter Sacramento, who nearly had its girlfriend leave him in the same fashion by the city who just was left behind. Sacramento was about to become as jaded and angry as Seattle, despising the team that left them and waiting around for another chance to steal a different city's girlfriend.

The Seattle basketball fan base is proud and passionate. The city deserves to have another team, and it seems likely it will have one in the future. But Sacramento is deserving of a team as well, and now is the time for Sacramento to rejoice. Kings fans have put up with months of uncertainty and fear until Monday when the city neared a stable relationship (one that will be even more stable if the Maloof's sell the team to the potential Sacramento investors). 

This was a win for Sacramento, but now the fans must show why they deserved the vote from the relocation committee. Kings fans won't have to be hurt and angry at a team that left, but they still must come out in even more force to show their support and gratitude. Attendance must go up and sales must increase.

Because as Seattle fans will tell you, Sacramento, make sure to do everything you can for that team or soon it could be gone.

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Friday Roundtable: Introducing the Seattle ___________

Just some Pearl Jam shoes in Supersonics colors. (vshoessale.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: With this week's revelation that the Kings franchise will relocate to Seattle after a long-overdue sale by the Maloof ownership, what will the team be named as the NBA returns to Washington state? Kings, Supersonics or something else?

Kyle Davis: 
The right thing to do for the city of Seattle would be to return the Sonics (or go old-school with Supersonics) nickname and logo to the new team. That way, maybe the last four years will just seem like a bad nightmare for that fan base. Owner Clay Bennett, who took the Sonics from Seattle to Oklahoma City, left the brand, name and logo behind to start fresh, so Seattle might as well reclaim what is synonymous with Seattle and start a new chapter with an already recognizable name.

I get it. Maybe Seattle fans don't want to be reminded of their franchise being uprooted every time they watch a game. The simple solution would be to take the Kings' name. Sacramento kept it when the team moved there from Kansas City. It would just be carrying on the tradition.

Starting fresh is always an option, too. That's the route Oklahoma City took, and the Thunder name is quickly building its own legacy (that's what having Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on a team can do). It would never happen, but if Seattle fans wanted to have some fun, play off the "Zombie Sonics" name they lovingly gave to the Thunder. Call themselves the "Zombie Kings." The name is actually pretty bad ass. It's not only culturally relevant with America's love for zombie movies and shows, but sounds intimidating, which is what you strive for in a nickname. And think of the mascot potential. Who wouldn't want a zombie with a crown and sword standing on the baseline celebrating a 3-pointer? You're right, no one.

My final option may sound a bit strange, but let it soak in, because it actually fits Seattle perfectly. The new team name could be the Seattle Nirvana. Just hear me out. Not only do teams strive for a cultural relevance to their city (the Lakers were named in Minnesota, the Jazz in New Orleans) but Nirvana is the perfect way to encapsulate the mood and feeling of the fan base surrounding this team. For cultural relevance, you've got the reference to the most famous grunge band to come out of the city in Kurt Cobain's Nirvana. And not to get nerdy on you but Merriam-Webster says Nirvana also means a place that "transcends suffering" and is "a goal hoped for but apparently unattainable." You mean like how Seattle fans have felt for the past four years? They hoped a team would return to the city, but after losing the Sonics, the dream was still very far away. Plus, this new team will bring an end to the Seattle fan's suffering. Key Arena will again be a place of joy and love instead of pain and what used to be. It will be Nirvana.
 
Alex Skov:
Alliteration sounds good to the ears and Seattle Supersonics sounds swell (maybe not in this particular sentence, but it's generally nice). "Seattle Kings" is more of an ear drum rupturing scream. That could be due to unfamiliarity or knowing that, when settling the Western world, European royalty tended to focus on land east of the Mississippi River. It was tough to play an 82-game schedule before the advent of the internal combustion engine, after all.

Seattle's former NBA team had an all-time classic logo and it would be foolish to think that Chris Hansen, the primary proponent behind the new arena and acquiring a franchise, would not want to immediately connect the new franchise to its new home. Being that Hansen is both a businessman and a Seattle native, he will have to at least consider incorporating a portrayal of the Space Needle in the team's graphics, and some portion of him must wonder if a new visage would stack up to the one Seattle already knows.

Let me be abrupt: it won't. There is no chance. Money has been put up for the construction of a new arena and a very fast acquisition of a professional sports franchise. Compared to that, the cost of obtaining the Supersonics name will be minimal. They should go the extra inch and let fans air out the old green duds that have been collecting dust in a closet or pushed to the back of drawers. Or, yes, flecked with white face paint used to protest the relocation of a team they loved.

Champ:

The name of a city's professional sports team usual has something to do with the town’s culture. The city of Seattle has a long and rich history that spans more than a hundred years that has spawned many traditions…or at least I assume they do. I really couldn’t tell you much about Seattle so I decided to just make some names up and then write the pro’s and cons about them.

The Microsofties

Pro: A great way to celebrate Bill Gates, the richest person from Seattle, and formerly of the world itself.  

Con: Not as hip as Apple anymore.

The Pearl Jammers

Pro: Seattle is known for its alternative music, so just like the Jazz (before they moved to Utah where there is probably little Jazz) it makes sense to name a team after it.

Con: I think Eddie Vedder is a Chicago Bulls fan.

The Double Lattes

Pro: Celebrate Starbucks, another famous franchise started in Seattle.

Con: Getting fans hyped up on caffeine for four quarters might have mixed results.

The Vampires

Pro: A great way to cash in on the Twilight books, which were set in Washington, and the nation’s obsession with vampires.

Con: Too many 14-year-old girls at games.

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Sacramento's Loss, Seattle's Gain and Everyone Else's Something

Seattle will soon welcome another NBA team to the city with the Sacramento Kings nearing a deal to sell the franchise to Seattle. (nasorb.com)

It's been a painful couple of years for Seattle basketball fans. Not only did the fans of the Sonics see their team ripped away from them and move to Oklahoma City but then had to watch the new Thunder win, and win a lot, in their new home. But if Seattle fans believe in karma balancing out the world, then Seattle's world is about to become more balanced. The Maloof family, owners of the Sacramento Kings, is nearing a deal to sell the Kings to a group of investors in Seattle. Of course, this move isn't great for everyone. Sacramento sports fans are the obvious choice (it's their only professional sports option, or it was) but we'll also look at some of the other winners and losers that might not be as apparent.

Loser: Kansas City
When AEG built the Sprint Center in Kansas City, AEG CEO Tim Leiweke told the Kansas City Star in 2004, "I can assure you, there's going to be an anchor tenant" (referring to either an NBA or NHL team making a home at the Sprint Center). Options have come and passed (including a chance at the New York Islanders and this sell with the Kings) yet AEG has sat on its collective hands. For Kansas City fans, the chance of bringing an NBA team back to KC is seeming more like a pipe dream. And it's not the venue or fans, as both the NBA and NHL hold exhibition games at the Sprint Center to packed houses. Making the sting of not landing the Kings worse is that before the Kings were in Sacramento, they called Kansas City home. Seattle's karma may have kicked in to get their team back, but Kansas City fans are still waiting for theirs.


Winner: Isaiah Thomas
The diminutive Kings point guard was born in Tacoma, Washington, and spent all three years of his college career playing for the Washington Huskies. Bittersweet though it may be leaving the first city he called home upon entering the NBA, Thomas may be getting the second best dividend available amongst the rubble. There's no need to call it a homecoming yet, though someone surely has, but Thomas has already proven his worth as a starter in the Association and collected two Rookie of the Month awards and an All-Rookie Second Team nod along the way. Jimmer Fredette would get more resounding yells if the franchise was moving to Utah, but Thomas is consistently going to get the biggest applause in Seattle's new arena. The ensuing surge of confidence could be an on-court bonus, too.

Loser: Tyreke Evans
Already on the trading block because of nagging injuries and uneven play since being named Rookie of the Year in 2010, Evans should be worried. With this news, his future is as unclear as the Kings' chances of staying in Sacramento used to be. Evans will become a restricted free agent this summer, as he was not offered an extension, but when a franchise moves and re-brands, it is a literal fresh start. Evans looked to be the brand of the team's future in 2010, but Seattle fans don't owe Evans anything, which could cause problems for him remaining with the organization. They could shed the lowly reputation they have now by removing some of the names currently on the roster. DeMarcus Cousins, as much trouble as he may be, is producing on the court while Evans has largely stalled. Thomas is already reliable in the first guard role and Fredette is starting to come around, and trading Evans or letting him slide away in free agency could be the Kings' first unofficial move toward their eventual new look.

Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
There will still be hard feelings between Seattle fans and the franchise that bolted to a different small market only to find success with the still-budding potential of two of the NBA's top players (three, if you count James Harden, and four if you count his First Team All-Facial Hair beard). But now Seattle fans will be busy cheering for this new team, meaning less time wishing OKC's bus breaks down on the way to a game. This should relieve some of the hatred and pressure the Thunder organization is feeling from Seattle fans, who can now move on. Oklahoma City also stands to benefit, though, if the franchise relocating to the Pacific Northwest seeks to claim the Supersonics name. The banners earned in Seattle hang from the rafters in OKC, after all. The name has changed but the history is still the same, and borrowing a piece so ingrained in that past glory would cost a princely sum. The Thunder should expect heavy, genuine boos when they return to their old playground, but the extra padding in the franchise's pocket should soften the blow, assuming Chris Hansen and Co. pursue familiar naming rights.

Winners to Everyone but the Public: The Maloofs
Botch your ownership of a professional sports franchise and break the collective heart of a proud fan base. Pass go, immediately collect $500 million. In this deal, the Maloofs will also keep a very small percentage of the team, but will have no say in any of the decisions or operations. To Sacramento fans, or anyone with a conscious, even this is too much. The Maloofs are a big bank getting bailed out by the government in the way that they failed miserably, yet instead of suffering the consequences, will get a nice pay day and keep some dignity with the ownership deal. Remember, these are the same owners who at one point were "working" to build a new arena for the Kings in Sacramento before backing out. Don't feel sympathy for the Maloofs; they will be fine. Feel sympathy for the fans of Sacramento who have been teased and toyed with about if they can keep their franchise and now have no franchise to be teased with.

Kyle Davis co-authored this post.

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A Reason for Seattle to Look Forward

Sonics great Gary Payton and his watch reflect on good times with Chris Hansen. (AP Photo)

The Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Finals appearance must have really stung Chris Hansen. It was already in his plans to lead a group of investors in funding a new sports arena in Seattle, and mayor Mike McGinn submitted an official proposal of financing in May, but talks with the city intensified in June and culminated in a deal with defined financial terms being signed last week.

By most accounts, Hansen seems to be genuine in his approach and reasoning. He is a local product that, as a hedge fund manager, reached billionaire status while working in San Francisco. While there is technically no professional basketball franchise in San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors reside in the Bay Area and appear to be trending up, especially since any backcourt-ballhandling issues should have been resolved with Monta Ellis leaving town and a healthy Andrew Bogut heading into his first training camp with the team this fall.

In this context, Hansen's concessions to the initial plan — taking on more responsibility for cost overruns or, worse, if construction is never completed; purchasing the arena after 30 years of use or paying to raze the arena if it is to be torn down after the same amount of time — are understandable, even with his group already ponying up $290 million of private money to the cause. Hansen cannot be blamed for wanting to bring pro basketball back to a city that felt David Stern's scorn in 2007 as the Zombie Sonics waited to rise from the ground in OKC, with the NBA commissioner using the phrase "too bad" after stating that "if the team moves, there's not going to be another team [in Seattle], not in any conceivable plan that I could envision."

For a city that houses teams in the NFL and MLB, those words were a death knell. So, supposing Hansen's aim is true, there is no blame to be hurled or had.

A Sonics fan mourns. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Though reports that the arena will be entirely self-financing are false — Seattle's property owners would incur an additional two or three dollars in taxes each year since the proposed arena would be publicly owned — portions of the funding are required to go toward the improvement of public transportation in the SoDo neighborhood, where the arena would reside alongside the baseball and football stadiums already in place, according to a Slate article that goes in-depth on funding. Slate's reporting also explores the red-tape that may make it a challenge to bring in a new franchise.

Excitement over any prospects attached to this proposal should be tempered, though. Stern stated in February that NBA owners are not overly eager to expand, meaning that a "new" team is probably not in the equation for Seattle. He did mention that it is not unbecoming of a franchise to relocate, and one particular California team could be ready for such a move after being shopped to any prospective buyer.

In total, $800 million of private money would get Seattle a new arena that is expected to be the home of professional basketball and hockey teams; a binding agreement that neither team that plays there can relocate until the city of Seattle's financial investment is repaid in full; refinement of public transportation in a high-traffic district; and half-a-decade-late improvements to KeyArena, the former home of the Supersonics.

I know a little bit about basketball, and a very little bit about the nuances of constructing an arena and the funding necessary to pull off such a feat. That being said, it sounds like Seattle is getting the better end of things.


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