Friday, June 19

Two Sonics Reading Options

Sonics reading options for a Friday.

Option #1:
Steve Aschburner's latest piece in Sports Illustrated, which explores the sad state of affairs of the NBA in Seattle, especially when placed in relation to the joy surrounding the Sonics' championship run in 1979. It's a well written piece, but, understandably, overwhelmingly sad for a fan of Sonics' basketball.

Option #2:
Frank Deford's Sports Illustrated piece from 1967, which details the joy surrounding "the lone big-league franchise in the entire northwest quadrant of the nation, an area stretching north from San Francisco and west from Minneapolis-St. Paul."

Deford's story is full of gems; from Al Bianchi's too-tight pants, Tonics for Sonics, how the Cleveland Indians tried to come to Seattle, Henry Akin's chewing tobacco, and how Walt Hazzard "was the first Negro" to live in a Bellevue neighborhood.

Yes, 1967 was a long time ago.

Anyhow, if you're going to read one of those stories, I'd suggest Deford's, if only because it won't make you want to slit your wrists when you complete it.

Thursday, June 18

The 00s: Know Your Point Guards

How well do you know the point guards of the 00s? Test your useless knowledge of arcane facts with the following quiz, this time focusing upon generals of the NBA.


  1. Which player racked up the most regular season steals?
  2. Jason Kidd
    Allen Iverson
    Kobe Bryant
    Kevin Garnett

  3. Which player registered the most regular season assists?
  4. Gary Payton
    Andre Miller
    Jason Kidd
    Steve Nash

  5. Who had the most post-season assists?
  6. Steve Nash
    Chauncey Billups
    Tony Parker
    Jason Kidd
    4. How about post-season steals?
    Ben Wallace
    Kobe Bryant
    Jason Kidd
    Derek Fisher


Wednesday, June 17

Best Of The 00s

The first decade of the 21st Century is drawing to a close, which means we can start tabulating the best of the 00s (or, if you prefer, the Ostertags). With that in mind, try the following three questions to gauge your knowledge of recent NBA history. (Stats are based upon the 1999-00 season through the just-completed campaign).





  1. Who collected more rebounds than anyone else in the past decade?


  2. Ben Wallace
    Shaquille O'Neal
    Tim Duncan
    Kevin Garnett


  3. Who played the most minutes?


  4. Allen Iverson
    Dirk Nowitzki
    Kobe Bryant
    Kevin Garnett


  5. Who blocked the most shots?


  6. Dikembe Mutombo
    Ben Wallace
    Tim Duncan
    Marcus Camby


Tune in tomorrow for more questions.