Tag: Texas

Will KD really ever be accepted in Oklahoma?

Kevin Durant by every account is the kind of NBA superstar a league could build its foundation upon.

Unfailingly polite. Religious. A team player. And he even has an air of mystery as we try to figure out what he carries in his ever-present backpack.

Durant is the future of the NBA after leading the league in scoring last season and taking the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder to the Western Conference Finals. With a young core on his roster, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to believe the Thunder  and Durant could be among the NBA elite for a number of years.

Despite Durant’s talents, he has one character flaw that many Oklahoma fans will never forgive him for. Namely, he attended the University of Texas for one year and has the audacity to flash the “hook’em” sign and brag of his old school’s football exploits.

It started when he arrived with the rest of the Seattle SuperSonics when they arrived in 2008. 

Oklahoman beat writer Darnell Mayberry reported that Durant on his first day.

At that year’s Thunder media day, Durant said he “loves being in Oklahoma thus far and I’m going to love playing for (the people here).”

Durant then was asked if he could ever root for the Sooners.

“Never,” Durant vowed.

He’s lived up to his words during his time in the area. He’s attended OU football games, adding the phrase “Hook ‘em Horns” to each autograph he’s signed while at Owen Field.

Durant has sat courtside at OU basketball games and flashed the two-finger Hook ‘em Horns sign. He’s even taken his needling the Sooners and Bob Stoops on Twitter. On Saturday, Durant posted a simple but damning message that raised the hackles of Sooner Nation with :

“LSU OU…”

It’s even caught the attention of the Sooners, who fell behind LSU in both major polls after last week’s games.

OU sophomore defensive back Tony Jefferson had aon this tweet:  

“Kevin Durant. Please stop talking trash about the sooners.. You play in Oklahoma. Regardless if you went to Texas. We support u 🙁 “

Mayberry provides a lengthy and impassioned defense on why Durant should be able to support his old school.

But the limits of freedom of speech apparently don’t stretch very far.

Particularly in Oklahoma among OU fans.

Spurs draft pick Joseph helps Canada deny Dominicans

By Mike Monroe
mikemonroe@express-news.net

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina — Canada’s 12-point fourth-quarter lead had slipped to two in its match against a Dominican Republic team full of NBA talent at the FIBA Americas pre-Olympic championships Thursday.

Just 4.2 seconds remained after Domincan Republic’s Francisco Garcia nailed a 3-point basket, and the post-timeout trigger man for Canada’s inbounds play was former Texas star and Spurs first-round draft pick Cory Joseph.

What flashed through Joseph’s brain as the referee handed him the ball?

“No repeat of March Madness,” Joseph said after his six points, four assists and one perfect inbounds pass helped Canada score a 73-72 victory over a team that had NBA All-Star Al Horford, plus Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva and Garcia, a guard for the Kings.

Joseph was whistled for a questionable five-second violation in Texas’ NCAA tournament loss to Arizona in March, but Canada coach Leo Rautins had no qualms about trusting him with a key play that carried similar pressure.

“Actually, I saw that game, and I thought that was a quick whistle,” Rautins said. “No way it was five seconds.

“Given that, no worries.”

Joseph was the sole Spurs-related player in action on the third day of the FIBA event. Both Manu Ginobili’s Argentine team and Tiago Splitter’s Brazilian team were idle.

Joseph has moved into the starting point guard spot for Canada, which gave Brazil a tough go on Wednesday. He logged 22 minutes and 19 seconds against the Dominican Republic, making two of three shots and adding two steals, while committing only one turnover.

“We’re just trying to execute our game plan, and tonight I thought we did that very well,” Joseph said. “I’m just trying to get into the paint and facilitate.

“It was a great win, of course. They’ve got some NBA talent and some other great players, as well. Now we’ve gotten our first win of the tournament, and we hope to get more. We’ve got to focus on our game tomorrow and try to get another one.”

France 85, Israel 68: In Siauliai, Lithuania, Spurs guard Tony Parker scored 21 points as France earned its second win of the EuroBasket competition, overwhelming Israel 85-68 for its second win.

“As soon as Tony took over, it was over for us,” Israel coach Arik Shivak said.

The Chicago Bulls’ Joakim Noah had nine rebounds and nine points for France, while the Portland Trail Blazers’ Nicolas Batum had 15 points. Mickael Gelabale added 13.

Redemption for Cory Joseph: A perfect in-bounds pass under extreme pressure

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina – This time, former Texas star Cory Joseph made sure there was no quick decision to be made by a referee.

Faced with making a critical in-bounds pass for Team Canada with four seconds left and his team clinging to a two-point lead, Joseph got off his pass in time, and to a teammate who already had made two pressure free throws, Miami Heat center Joel Anthony.

Fouled quickly, Anthony made both free throws, rendering Francisco Garcia’s buzzer-beating 3-point basket meangless, Canaada taking a 73-72 victory.

“No repeat of March Madness, thank God,” said Joseph, called for a questionable five-second violation in the waning moments of Texas; NCAA tournament loss to Arizona in March.

Joseph was the sole Spurs-related player in action on the third day of the FIBA event. Both Manu Ginobili’s Argentine team and Tiago Splitter’s Brazilian team were idle.

Joseph has moved into the starting point guard spot for Team Canada, which gave Brazil a tough go on Wednesday. He logged 22 minutes and 19 seconds against Dominican Republic, making two of three shots and adding two steals, while committing only one turnover.