National Basketball Association Action.

[RecycleMichael]

I have done well in Vegas this week betting on the Thunder. The NBA is covering my blackjack losses.

Curry is keeping me in profit tonight.

[Rookie Okie]

I have done well in Vegas this week betting on the Thunder. The NBA is covering my blackjack losses.

Curry is keeping me in profit tonight.

Think big and aim high.

[Rookie Okie]

I have done well in Vegas this week betting on the Thunder. The NBA is covering my blackjack losses.

Curry is keeping me in profit tonight.

The Thunder can also keep you fed these days.  White Flag has been offering up free burgers when the Thunder score over 105 points in a game.  I don't know how many burgers WF has given out during the past month with this promotion since they've been scoring like crazy.  But it will be interesting to see if and how much longer WF can continue the promotion.

[Laramie]

National Basketball Association Expansion-Relocation?

"As evidence, Stern pointed to the number of international players entering the league, specifically from Africa. Indeed, the NBA's growth in popularity internationally is a key reason the league could support not only one or two additional teams but potentially several more."

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10447496/nba-world-talent-pool-support-nba-expansion


Previously, there had been talk of adding two to possibly as many as six franchises to the current 30 NBA with a 32-36 team format.  The new commissioner isn't to keen on expansion or relocation.  Could Memphis & New Orleans be among current NBA markets with relocation in mind?

Most of what's been in the press about expansion-relocation has been centered around markets like Kansas City, Las Vegas, Louisville, Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Richmond, Seattle, St. Louis and Vancouver B. C.

St. Louis (Hawks to Atlanta), Kansas City (Kings to Sacramento), Vancouver (Grizzlies to Memphis) and Seattle (Supersonics to OKC) are among former cities which would get a second look for possible expansion and/or relocation.

There are some current cities struggling to support their NBA franchises like New Orleans and Memphis.  Memphis has the Memphis State basketball in the same market as does Louisville with the University of Louisville in their market.

The KFC Yum Center does have its concerns:  http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/02/controversy-in-louisvilles-lease-with-the-yum-center/

Louisville is the currently the best equipped city to handle expansion with the KFC Yum Center which could be retrofitted for the NBA with a reduced size of 20,000 placing it among the largest NBA arena.

Las Vegas has been one of those cities in which the Fab Four (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) Leagues have avoid in the past because of the gambling element.

Seattle comes into the mix with big money behind a privately funded arena which would require a two tenant (NBA-NHL) occupancy moving forward.  The NHL isn't looking to expand or relocate at the current time.

Missouri:  Kansas City & St. Louis are considered overextended markets at this time.    Denver is an overextended market doing great supporting MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL & MLS.  Missouri's two largest cities does possess facilities which could easily accommodate the NBA.

Vancouver, B.C.  could the NBA return to this area of the Pacific Northwest?

Virginia:  Norfolk-Virginia Beach (1.7 million) and Richmond (1.3 million) has been somewhat on the NBA's radar; these areas are less than 100 miles apart.  There is no current arena in any of these areas which could support an NBA franchise.

The NBA has rejected the idea of the San Jose, CA market getting an NBA franchise although it has a facility; because of its proximity to current NBA franchises in Oakland-San Francisco (Warriors) and the Sacramento Kings in that valley.  Yet, California maintains that should the Kings attempt to exit, San Jose, Anaheim and San Diego would attempt to lure the Kings to those cities.  There is no current facility in San Diego capable of long-term housing of an NBA or NHL franchise.

Where would be the best markets for the NBA to possibly expand or relocate?  Is there dark-horse city on the NBA's horizon like Albuquerque, Mexico City or Omaha in the mix?

[Laramie]

George Kaiser buys Thunder stake

Tulsa businessman George B. Kaiser is the newest co-owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder after buying out the ownership interest of Tom Ward.


http://newsok.com/george-kaiser-buys-thunder-stake/article/4056832

[Laramie]

NBA in TULSA:   Timberwolves vs. Thunder, Sunday, October 19, BOK Center - 7:00 P.M.

What's coming out of Barcelona?

 Rockets sign Greek forward Kostas Papanikolaou to two-year deal

Papanikolaou played for FC Barcelona Basquet last season and averaged 6.9 points in 25 minutes per game. He has won two Euroleague titles.

This offseason, the Rockets lost forward Chandler Parsons in free agency to the Dallas Mavericks and replaced him with Trevor Ariza.

Rockets sign Kostas Papanikolaou to two-year, $4.8 million deal - NBA - SI.com

Tyler Pleiss, a Thunder draftee, will spend the upcoming season in Barcelona...  ...Thunder intend to bring the center to Oklahoma City for the 2015-16 season

24 years old, 7'1'' - 180 lbs.,  Pleiss brings a great deal of size to that frontcourt though and has the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting.

[RecycleMichael]

Too skinny. He will never score ten points in a game in the NBA.

I am willing to bet that if you are interested.

[Laramie]

Correction:  My Bad!

Tibor Pleiss
German, 7'1"  269 lb  Center

Tibor; not Tyler

Thanks, RecycleMichael for calling that to my attention.

[davideinstein]

Hornets are back!!!

[Red Arrow]

Hornets are back!!!

There's a spray for that.

[Conan71]

Anyone know if excursion trains from Sapulpa to MWC will be running this year for Thunder games?

[Laramie]

Anyone know if excursion trains from Sapulpa to MWC will be running this year for Thunder games?

Eastern Flyer (877) 726-7245

There's a new passenger rail service connecting the Oklahoma City
  metro and Tulsa. The "Eastern Flyer" is presented by Iowa Pacific
  and Stillwater Central Railroad and it will run between Midwest City
  and Sapulpa.
 
The first trip is slated for February 9, followed by additional
  trips on Feb. 15 and 23, 2014. Train departures from Sapulpa are at 8
  a.m., returning to Sapulpa at 6:30 p.m. Packages and fares start at
  $70 per adult and $64 per child.

Here's a link:  http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3270231

[Conan71]

Eastern Flyer (877) 726-7245

There's a new passenger rail service connecting the Oklahoma City
  metro and Tulsa. The "Eastern Flyer" is presented by Iowa Pacific
  and Stillwater Central Railroad and it will run between Midwest City
  and Sapulpa.
 
The first trip is slated for February 9, followed by additional
  trips on Feb. 15 and 23, 2014. Train departures from Sapulpa are at 8
  a.m., returning to Sapulpa at 6:30 p.m. Packages and fares start at
  $70 per adult and $64 per child.

Here's a link:  http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3270231

That would be awesome if that news story weren't nine months old.  Unfortunately, the newest news on it is from last Feb.

[Laramie]

NBA Draft 2015

Thunder select Cameron Payne of Murray State:


Left handed, H: 6' 2" W: 183 lbs., point guard, could be good replacement for D. J. Augustin.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Cameron-Payne-70346/

On Friday, the website DraftExpress.com reported that Payne, a lefty, sustained a "non-displaced fracture in his ring finger," on his right hand during a recent workout in Denver. According to the site, Payne will sit out for three weeks, which means he likely will miss his first action with his new team if he joins an organization that competes in the Orlando Summer League (July 4-10).--source IndyStar Insider

Billy Donovan's challenge will be to take this young man to the next level.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Thunder 2015-16 schedule released:

     October: 2 GP:   1 home/1 away

          November: 16 GP:  10 home/6 away
          December:  15 GP:  9 home/6 away

          January:  16 GP:  7 home/9 away
          February:  11 GP:  6 Home/5 away

          March:  16 GP:  7 home/9 away
          April:  6 GP:  1 home/5 away

April:  First 4 of 6 games on the road (Houston, Denver, Portland & Sacramento); then home against Los Angeles, close out the season @San Antonio.

Nationally televised:  ESPN: 10 - NBA  TV (blacked out):  9 - TNT:  9 - ABC - 5  (24 nationally televised games).

          Turner Media NBA version:  http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/media/2.0/teamsites/thunder/ThunderBroadcastSked-201516.pdf

          ESPN version:  http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/okc