Serge Ibaka #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts after colliding with teammate Nick Collison #4 (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
OKC Thunder All-Decade team: Controversy at Power Forward
Nick Collison< OKC Thunder (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
The OKC Thunder All-Decade team finally hits a debate…the Power Forward position.
The OKC Thunder All-Decade team rolls on with the Power Forward position. Finally, we have a bit of controversy. On the later fan polls over on the Thunderous Intentions Twitter page, I expect this to be the closest vote and spark the most heated debates. For good reason, this is the one position that I can see going either way between the two candidates.
Alright, buckle in. This is the first time all series I am willing to concede to the fans who have a different opinion than mine. Before now, the positions have been cut and dry, boring even. Now, these two players have a ton of emotions tied in.
If you have missed any of the series so far, let’s get you caught up.
Let’s get into who should be starting for the OKC Thunder on their All-Decade team. A guy that embodies the organization and was a key piece in the Thunder’s magic postseason runs.
Candidate one:
Nick Collison, OKC Thunder from 08-09 through 17-18
Nick Collison. Mr. Thunder. I mean, what else do I need to say? He is the first OKC Thunder player to have his jersey retired, currently hanging in the rafters for the rest of time.
Listen, I will admit my bias, after all, you do not have to dig far to find it. On this very platform, I wrote an article calling Nick Collison a Hall of Famer. However, despite what some new money OKC Thunder fans remember, Collison was a huge part of the success of the franchise.
Nick Collison spent his entire NBA career, with the OKC Thunder franchise, dating back to their time in Seattle as the Supersonics. His heart and hustle is one that this blue-collar city latched onto from the start.
While fans around the Oklahoma City area were already aware of Collison’s game dating back to his college days where he played within the Big 12 for the Kansas Jayhawks, the scrappy power forward instantly became a fan favorite when he put on the Thunder blue.
That is something that is lost on many non-Oklahoma based Thunder fans. Sure, throughout the course of the decade Okies would rave about the electric Russell Westbrook, or the unbelievable feats pulled off by the seven-foot ballet dancer playing basketball with such grace in Kevin Durant.
However, you would see just as many number four jerseys bouncing around the concourse of the palace on the prairie. Collison truly embodied everything that was and is Oklahoma City.
His hard screens, fisty rebounds, and even bloodied face will all be long-lasting imprints on this franchise and city.
