Seattle Supersonics great Xavier McDaniel: Ultimate Sonics Fan

Artwork by Rafael Calonzo, Jr. 

Seattle Supersonics legend Xavier McDaniel is just as bitter about Oklahoma as we are.

McDaniel, whose alma mater Wichita State is playing in the Final Four this weekend, had some interesting comments in this great interview with Jerry Brewer:

Lenny Wilkens and the Sonics drafted him No. 4 overall in 1985, and the X-Man averaged 20 points and seven rebounds per game in five-plus seasons as Seattle's highly skilled enforcer. 

"Trust me when I tell you that there are only three cities in my mind: my hometown — Columbia, S.C. — Wichita and Seattle," McDaniel said. "Man, I love Seattle. I played in other cities during my NBA career, but I'm all Seattle SuperSonics. 

"I don't care. I would never, ever, ever go to Oklahoma City (where the Sonics relocated five years ago). I don't care how many times they invite me. I'll hold my word to that until the day I die." 

Like nearly everyone who loves the Sonics, McDaniel has been watching the fight between Seattle and Sacramento over the Kings franchise. He wants a franchise back in Seattle desperately, but he hates the idea that Sacramento might have to be robbed for that to happen. McDaniel still hopes for expansion, even though NBA commissioner David Stern says expansion isn't an option right now.

Read the whole interview here.

BREAKING: Seattle Supersonics Spencer Haywood to join Gary Payton in Hall of Fame

Artwork by Rafael Calonzo, Jr. 

According to several sources, former Seattle Supersonics star Spencer Haywood is finally getting into the Hall of Fame. Earlier today, it was reported fellow Sonics alumni Gary Payton will also be making the trip to Springfield, the first time two Seattle players have been enshrined in the same year.

They will be joining three other former Sonics in the Hall: Lenny Wilkens (as both player and coach), Dennis Johnson and, I guess, Patrick Ewing technically.

In 2008, both Haywood and Payton were elected to the Supersonicsoul Hall of Fame. Way to catch up, Naismith!

UPDATE: According to Fox Sports writer Chris Tomasson, it turns out Spencer Haywood did NOT make it into the Hall of Fame after all, yet another bizarre and befuddling twist in the story. 

1994 Was Terrible

On January 11, 1992, Nirvana's Nevermind hit number one on the Billboard Album charts, officially putting Seattle on the map. Just over a week later, on January 23rd, George Karl became head coach of the Seattle Supersonics. Both events marked the beginning of an unprecedented and completely unexpected period of success for the band, the team and the entire city.

And then, in 1994, it was all over.

On April 5th, 1994, Kurt Cobain killed himself in his Seattle home. A month later, on May 7th, the Sonics lost to the Denver Nuggets in the the biggest upset in NBA Playoffs history.

Obviously, someone losing their life is a much bigger tragedy than a team losing a game, and in the Big Picture, neither really affected me directly. But, being a stupid 22-year-old at the time, I was utterly devastated by the double whammy. I dropped out of school (take that, Green River Community College!) and got a job working at a video store.  I couldn't listen to Nirvana for more than a decade and barely watched the Sonics the next season, fearing they would choke again in the playoffs (they did).

And while the Sonics managed a few more good years and the Seattle music scene survived, nothing in this town seemed as good or as important after 1994.