A couple of original OKC Thunder players are meeting in the NBA Finals – Kevin Durant and the almost forgotten Jeff Green.
Former OKC Thunder star Kevin Durant is no stranger to the Finals stage. His move to the already stacked Golden State Warriors squad made sure of that.
“Uncle” Jeff Green has a much smaller role. He did however just have an important 19 points in a 42 minute spot-start in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. Oh, and he hypothetically judged an also hypothetical OKC Thunder dunk contest.
The history between Durant and Green dates back farther than the history of the Thunder team itself. Rejoice, Seattle natives, your old Supersonics duo is back.
These two were drafted three picks apart and participated in the Seattle Supersonics final season (2007-08). Durant was just 19 and Green was 21. Then, they both made the move when the team relocated to Oklahoma City.
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Staples of the original OKC Thunder squad, the duo led the team in scoring (Green’s average was just
Staples of the original OKC Thunder squad, the duo led the team in scoring (Green’s average was just ahead of rookie, Russell Westbrook).
Kevin Durant came into the league after just one season with Texas. He is still as good as he has ever been – arguably better, with his improved defense this season. He could not bring a title to the OKC Thunder, but he did his part to establish a winning culture right off the bat for the franchise.
Jeff Green missed the 2011-12 season with a heart condition. He fortunately was able to come back, bouncing around the league a bit. He has been a solid scorer and locker room presence everywhere he’s been.
Shout out also to Finals participant Shaun Livingston, who rode the pine the first couple of years of the OKC Thunder’s existence.
Next: OKC in the news: George rumored return, NBA Finals deja vu
Final shout out to Nick Collison just for hanging around for his whole career.