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“One Man’s Opinion” by Gordon Curvey

I am here to just to give MY opinion here on my blog. And that is what I have tried to do over the years. So here we go. As a sports fan it burns me up to see and hear spoiled multi-millionaire athletes bitching about stuff. So this why I have a problem with two talented players. Jimmy Butler and Odell Beckham Jr. They need to shut up and ball!!

Let’s start with Butler. Yes he is a real talented NBA player. Is he a superstar? No. But again, he is one of the most talented players in the NBA. But here is something that is true if you the NBA. When it comes to game winning shots to win a game I truly think Butler is a no show. He disappears. I think I am right readers. I have not heard of Butler making to many game winning buckets to win a game. Have you?

But one think I have heard of is Jimmy Butler running his mouth and complaining about this or that. I can understand that he wants to win games. But in my opinion his complaining SHOULD BE KEPT IN THE LOCKER ROOM!!

When Butler was a member of the Chicago Bulls many times he cried about something he felt was wrong with the team. Now with the Timberwolves he is again crying about his teammates not wanting to win like he does. There is no doubt, one of the players on the Timberwolves he feels is only worried about his paychecks and not winning is Andrew Wiggins. And Butler also has a problem with Karl Anthony Towns.

Both Wiggins and Anthony-Towns are very talented players. And yes I will agree with Butler that Wiggins seems not to really give 100% many times on the court. And with Anthony-Towns, Butler has to remember he is still a very young player who faces double teams just about every game. Butler it seems wants Anthony-Towns to grab every rebound and block every shot. Yo Butler, please Anthony-Towns and Wiggins a break.

So now Butler want to leave the Timberwolves. Give me a damn break!! Jimmy Butler needs to come down off his platform!! He needs to realize he is NOT Kobe Bryant or Lebron or KD!! He is freakin Jimmy Butler. A NBA star but not a superstar. God has blessed him be grow up and make millions and millions of dollars and drive big cars and be in a real nice home. Millions of basketball players would trade places with Butler in a half a second to play in the NBA!!

Jimmy Butler needs to SHUT THE HELL UP AND JOIN HIS TEAMMATES WITH THE TIMBERWOLVES AND PLAY BALL!! Yes I have a problem with Coach Tibbs constantly roaming the sidelines and yelling. But I guess that is his style. Butlers style needs to be keeping his feelings in the locker room like the legend “KG” Kevin Garnett said. Shut up Jimmy and play ball!!!

Comments: gcurvey@yahoo.com

“One Man’s Opinion” by Gordon Curvey

Friday night on October 5th is a night I remember for a long time. Because it may be the last NBA game I will see here in Seattle in my lifetime. With the help of the defending two time NBA champs the Golden State Warriors I was able to be at Key Arena for the pre-season game between the Warriors and Kings.

It was a sold out Key Arena for the game. It was the last game of any type at the Key because a $700 million remodel of the arena started the day after the game. I was shocked when I learned how quickly the work on the arena will start. As soon as I entered the arena the memories started. All the NBA games I watched growing up as a Seattle Supersonic fan. Watching our fans cheer for our Sonics until they had their last game in town in 2008.

When the Sonics left for OKC it was like a family member died. It has been ten years I have not got over it yet. Because I am a NBA junky. It is my favorite pro sport by far followed by the NFL. I just love the NBA. When the season ends as a sports fan I get depressed. THANK GOD FOR NBA TV AND YOU TUBE!!

The pre season game sold out in a little more than a day. Seattle is a basketball town with a whole bunch of Seattle area natives playing in the NBA or has played in the NBA. Some of them are my good friend Jamal Crawford (waiting to see what team he will finally sign with), Aaron Brooks, Jason Terry, Spencer Hawes, Ishiah Thomas, Brandon Roy, Nate Robinson, Tony Wroten and more.

Many of them were in the building to watch the pre-season and the return of the NBA to Seattle for one night. Like Hall Of Famers Spencer Haywood, Lenny Wilkens, and the legendary basketball icon and just a icon period, Seattle area own Bill Russell, “Downtown” Freddie Brown, Donald “Slick” Watts, Jack Sikma. Seahawks Russell Wilson and Head Coach Pete Carroll, Bobby Wagner and Doug Baldwin who did not treat me well when I asked to take a pic.

Also in the crowd was Seattle’s own Macklemore who I told I would FINALLY like to hook up for a interview. There were other members of the Kings organization in attendance who played in the NBA including Seattle native and former NBA player and Rainier Beach School star Doug Christie. He is doing radio for the Sacramento Kings. It was good to see Doug. And finally, “The Glove” Gary Payton was in the building.

I mention GP last because it is very very sad that without the NBA in town and who knows when it may return, a event to put Payton’s jersey and number in the rafters with Sonic legends the late “The Voice” Bob Blackburn, Lenny Wilkens, Jack Sikma, the late “DJ” Dennis Johnson and Spencer Haywood will not happen for a long time. This is wrong and this is sad. My friend Shawn Kemp should be in the rafters too.

The game between the Warriors and Kings was secondary truth be told. It was a pre season game. What everyone came to see was the return of a fella who was drafted out of Texas as a skinny kid. He name is “KD” Kevin Durant. Of course KD has turned into a flat out superstar player.

Who is doing plenty on the court and off the court too. He is going deep in the digital world with his THIRTY FIVE MEDIA. And his foundation builds basketball courts in inner cities all over the world. Of course the media does not talk about that enough BUT myself here on SIC will readers!!

And yes KD has caught hell (even from yours truly) for leaving OKC to join a already great team in GS with Curry, Thompson and Green but he did and we all know what has happened. Two NBA rings in a row. But anyway one thing is for sure. Durant has much love for his former city Seattle.

KD came on the court when he was introduced with a Shawn Kemp jersey on. The crowd went crazy!!! And KD did not disappoint the crowd at the Key with a strong 26 points that included two tremendous highlight reel dunks. And don’t forget Klay Thompson who is a Coug. He went to college at Washington State and he let it be known too. Thompson said “Once a Coug always a Coug”.

The media is not saying this but Steph Curry and Draymond Green stayed home most likely they did not want to take away the glory for KD and also Thompson. Yes their most likely was some disappointed Curry fans. Might of fact there most likely was thousands who were disappointed but that’s OK because I was glad to see KD return to his former home and obtain major love from the Key Arena crowd.

Golden State got me into the game with a standing media credential. I did not have a seat. But I did not give a damn!! Because I had a chance to grab a pic from the Mariners Robinson Cano, the WNBA champions Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart and more and I obtained a short interview with Coach Jeff Van Gundy too. And I even had a very short conversation with Russell Wilson and Macklemore.

Of course I had to bring up to Russell that I have been blocked by Lane Gammell for a interview for five years. Wilson told me he knew nothing about it. Yeah right!! And I mentioned to Macklemore and his manager I would like to have him on “Music Inner City TV” one day.

So ladies and gentlemen it was just a great night for all Sonics fans. And for all NBA fans who miss the NBA deeply. Key Arena of course will no longer be named that when the $700 million remodel is completed. And it looks like the first pro team to play at the new arena will be a NHL team. I am not going to lie folks. I do not give a damn about the NHL. I WANT TO NBA BACK…I WANT MY SEATTLE SONICS BACK!!

Will I see the return of the NBA in Seattle soon? It looks like the answer is no. This is why I stayed for the complete game. And took my last look inside of the Key and a basketball court. Let’s hope and pray NBA fans that maybe Memphis or Charlotte or New Orleans may want to relocate. When I watch their games on TV I see plenty of empty seats. And this is during the season.

So I will end this story of my last visit to Key Arena and maybe the last NBA I will ever see in Seattle by saying a big thank you to the Golden State Warriors and a big thank you to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson for putting on a show for the basketball loving, NBA loving, Sonic loving fans. It was great fun but also very sad too. And oh yeah, one player was missing at the game and wonder where he was and that is the fella whose jersey KD wore on to the court. His name is Shawn Kemp. We missed his appearance at the game.

Comments: gcurvey@yahoo.com

“One Man’s Opinion” by Gordon Curvey

As I always say. God works in mysterious ways. Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas suffered a lower leg fracture in the 4th quarter of the teams 20 to 17 win over the Cardinals. This is just strange in my way of thinking.

Thomas suffered a clean, lower leg break and word is their was no ligament damage in the injury. Reports are Thomas should be 100% healed by the Super Bowl in February. Umm that is also the time for free agency in March. And we all know about Earl Thomas asking the Seahawks for more money and a extension with the team. If the team will not do a extension then he wanted a trade. Now what will happen to Thomas?

So will the game in Phoenix vs the Cardinals be his last as a Seahawk? I guess we will see readers. Thomas has been a All Pro three times and a Pro Bowl member six times. He is a great player. Any NFL fan knows this for sure.

Thomas is 29 years old which believe it or not is getting up their in age for a NFL player. He is in his final year of his $8.5 million base salary. The Seahawks have not gave in to Thomas and his demands. Earl held out during off season activities and that included training camp which yours truly attended.

I have said on social media that I big time disagree with Thomas and his demands. While many of us are living pay check to pay check trying to put food on the table, and to pay our cable and phone and gas bill. Our water bill and medical bills. Thomas has made MILLIONS!!  Give me a break with these crying millionaires.

Anyway check this out. This is crazy folks. As Thomas was riding of the field on a cart and with the Cardinal bench nearby, Earl appeared to give the middle finger to the right side of the field. That was the side of the………THE SEAHAWKS!! SAY WHAT???

For Earl to give the middle finger to a organization that has paid him about $60 million he has his damn nerves to show ANY disrespect to the Seattle Seahawks. Because of the Seahawks, Thomas is able to drive the best of cars, buy a huge house, buy a big boat, travel all over the world and NEVER have to worry about his bills. Never.

Getting up at 5:45am is what I do and many of us do so we can punch a time clock to help pay our cable bill, gas in our car, food on our tables etc. Thomas and other pro athletes do not have to worry about their bills. How on earth can guys like Thomas cry and say he has been disrespected when the Seahawks have paid him MILLIONS AND MIILIONS. This is crazy readers.

Anyway Earl’s disrespect is taking away from the Seahawks going to 2-2 with the win. They won on kicker Sebastian Janikowski’s 52 yard field goal as the clock ran out. The Seahawks ran for 171 yards including 101 by Mike Davis. Arizona fell to 0-4.

Russell Wilson made history and stands alone with the most wins by a QB in Seahawks history. Wilson finished 19-26 for 172 yards but check this out. I wish Wilson would take off and run more like he used to. Is Carroll telling him not to run? Or is the new offensive coach telling him not to take off and run? Hell I saw 33 or 34 year old Aaron Rodgers run much more than Wilson today and Rodgers has a bad knee for goodness sake!!

So let’s see what happens next week when the Seahawks meet the undefeated L.A. Rams here in Seattle at Century Link.

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Comments: gcurvey@yahoo.com