When I got the update about this trade on my phone I was shocked! I became so upset with this trade, and it is not because I am a Oklahoma City Thunder Fan, but it is because I realize as a sports fan from a small market city (The Sacramento Kings) how hard it is to put together the near perfect team that can compete for a championship. In the matter of three years this OKC Thunder team went from being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, to making the western conference finals, and then making it out of the West to play in the NBA finals! How can you break up a team that has continually progressed three years in a row and was one playoffs serious away from a championship?! Not only did they break up the team, but they traded their best "glue" player who was the best distributor and defender (yes he is a better overall defender than Serge Ibaka) on the team.
The Aftermath
This trade will turn out to be one of the worst trade in NBA history and will be the worst trade in the history of the Oklahoma City Thunder. This went from a team that was bound to win at least one championship in the next 3-4 years into a team that has given up the number one spot out west and has probably turned into the third place team in the Western conference.
My Grudge
I am not only disappointed in the Oklahoma City Thunder for making this trade but I am now personally cheering against them. How can you trade a team player like James Harden that gives you 100% on every play over the difference of a few million dollars? When James Harden is in the Hall of Fame twenty years from now The Thunder can look back on the trade and give their fans a big apology.
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| James Harden in his eventually retired #13 Houston Rockets Jersey |
