Shams: Nick Collison jersey to be retired in OKC.

raptor jesus · Post #81 » by **raptor jesus** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 5:52 am

This is a brilliant recruitment tactic for role players.

ChuckChilly · Post #82 » by **ChuckChilly** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 5:52 am

I think this is dumb to be honest. You know how many players in the league would stay with one team their whole career if they didnt get traded or the team didnt want them anymore?

I wouldn't mind it at all if it was some sort of symbolic off the court retiring, but having his name up in the rafters is just ridiculous.

Why doesn't Rik Smits have his jersey retired then if its just a tenure thing.

ellobo · Post #83 » by **ellobo** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 6:10 am

BTW, Jeff Foster is 5th all-time in career offensive rebound percentage and 12th all-time in career total rebound percentage.

Make of it what you will...

RalphSampsonJr · Post #84 » by **RalphSampsonJr** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 6:36 am

Jcool0 wrote:Man... The things mid market franchises need to do...

Need to do.. to do what?

Be relevant? Check. Been so for the last 8-9 years.

Sign big names in FA? Check.

Seems what OKC has done has been very successful.

Other "mid" market teams could learn alot from OKC

baldur · Post #85 » by **baldur** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 6:54 am

kenwood3333 wrote:I wonder if they will retire KD's too?

No.

Post #86 » by **bondom34** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:00 am

ChuckChilly wrote:I think this is dumb to be honest. You know how many players in the league would stay with one team their whole career if they didnt get traded or the team didnt want them anymore?

I wouldn't mind it at all if it was some sort of symbolic off the court retiring, but having his name up in the rafters is just ridiculous.

Why doesn't Rik Smits have his jersey retired then if its just a tenure thing.

But this doesn't describe Collison, so its not really fitting. He played most every season, and he was pretty good.

Sonics/Thunder combined history:
3rd in games played
9th in minutes
4th in rebounds
6th in blocks

Edit: Also while I'm here 2 awesome Collison things:
1.He wrote a GQ blog piece on being an NBA role player in 2012.
https://www.gq.com/story/the-nick-collison-guest-blog-vol-4-how-to-survive-in-the-nba-when-youre-not-a-superstar

2. He had a pregame handshake with Steven Adams. Adams misses him and air handshook.

https://streamable.com/nj8v8

ChuckChilly · Post #87 » by **ChuckChilly** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:26 am

bondom34 wrote:
ChuckChilly wrote:I think this is dumb to be honest. You know how many players in the league would stay with one team their whole career if they didnt get traded or the team didnt want them anymore?

I wouldn't mind it at all if it was some sort of symbolic off the court retiring, but having his name up in the rafters is just ridiculous.

Why doesn't Rik Smits have his jersey retired then if its just a tenure thing.

But this doesn't describe Collison, so its not really fitting. He played most every season, and he was pretty good.

Sonics/Thunder combined history:
3rd in games played
9th in minutes
4th in rebounds
6th in blocks

Edit: Also while I'm here 2 awesome Collison things:
1.He wrote a GQ blog piece on being an NBA role player in 2012.
https://www.gq.com/story/the-nick-collison-guest-blog-vol-4-how-to-survive-in-the-nba-when-youre-not-a-superstar

2. He had a pregame handshake with Steven Adams. Adams misses him and air handshook.

https://streamable.com/nj8v8

What do you mean? Rik Smits played for the Pacers for 12 years and had far better stats.

Post #88 » by **bondom34** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:30 am

ChuckChilly wrote:
bondom34 wrote:
ChuckChilly wrote:I think this is dumb to be honest. You know how many players in the league would stay with one team their whole career if they didnt get traded or the team didnt want them anymore?

I wouldn't mind it at all if it was some sort of symbolic off the court retiring, but having his name up in the rafters is just ridiculous.

Why doesn't Rik Smits have his jersey retired then if its just a tenure thing.

But this doesn't describe Collison, so its not really fitting. He played most every season, and he was pretty good.

Sonics/Thunder combined history:
3rd in games played
9th in minutes
4th in rebounds
6th in blocks

Edit: Also while I'm here 2 awesome Collison things:
1.He wrote a GQ blog piece on being an NBA role player in 2012.
https://www.gq.com/story/the-nick-collison-guest-blog-vol-4-how-to-survive-in-the-nba-when-youre-not-a-superstar

2. He had a pregame handshake with Steven Adams. Adams misses him and air handshook.

https://streamable.com/nj8v8

What do you mean? Rik Smits played for the Pacers for 12 years and had far better stats.

He's probably got a good argument to have it retired on that reasoning, but Collison's cultural contribution was huge. Like Haslem, he's literally called Mr. Thunder, he's the guy you'd associate with their culture over everything.

In the end, these things are done for fans and I don't know of an OKC fan who isn't thrilled for it. After Westbrook he's the most beloved player they've got. I think that's the real determining factor Smits didn't have.

sfernald · Post #89 » by **sfernald** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:52 am

I hope everybody realizes this is actually just a big “**** you” to Durant.

XtremeDunkz · Post #90 » by **XtremeDunkz** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:56 am

baldur wrote:
kenwood3333 wrote:I wonder if they will retire KD's too?

No.

KD will get his jersey retired after he goes in to the Hall of Fame. Zero chance they don't do it eventually.

thamadkant · Post #91 » by **thamadkant** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:32 am

He must have been very close to the owner or the owner's family as well as the front office.

I mean... He's stuck around on the pay roll throughout his career as a locker and moral guy. But I can imagine he would have been close to management all that time as well.

I believe he also has done a lot off court for them... Again I just picture him as that guy who always hang around the front office when not playing and did stuff for the them and the franchise

Peja Stojakovic · Post #92 » by **Peja Stojakovic** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:48 am

there's been lots of nick collisons for various teams over the years. i don't like where this is going

Thundershock88 · Post #93 » by **Thundershock88** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 9:22 am

It's a nice gesture for a guy who spent his entire career with 1 franchise, and absolutely busted his ass every time he hit the floor. He was a glue guy in the locker room, and helped establish culture despite the move. I am happy this is happening, and I didn't expect them to do it so soon. He absolutely deserves this. If you're not a Thunder fan, you probably don't understand.

mixerball · Post #94 » by **mixerball** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 11:41 am

i came to the thread just to see if the second post is about how he is the worst player to have his jersey retired. realgm is so predictable.

collison deserves it.

Ontario · Post #95 » by **Ontario** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:39 pm

This is unprecedented by the franchise, Nate Macmillan had his number retired by the Sonics too, Collison may have actually already been on the team by that point.

BackseatBoss · Post #96 » by **BackseatBoss** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:33 pm

ChuckChilly wrote:I think this is dumb to be honest. You know how many players in the league would stay with one team their whole career if they didnt get traded or the team didnt want them anymore?

I wouldn't mind it at all if it was some sort of symbolic off the court retiring, but having his name up in the rafters is just ridiculous.

Why doesn't Rik Smits have his jersey retired then if its just a tenure thing.

Don't you think that it's telling that Collision never was traded and was always on the Thunder roster? How many role players can you name that stayed their entire career with one team for at least 10 years?

sixerswillrule · Post #97 » by **sixerswillrule** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:53 pm

gipper08 wrote:
JermaineOYea wrote:
Are you serious? About this entire post.

He was certainly a starter for more than just the one season there, bud.

You also said he didn't put his entire effort into each board?? I am going to make an assumption at this point. You haven't watched 1,000 Pacers games. You did not watch 90% of games Foster played, because if you had, you'd never blaspheme in this manner.

I can't believe anyone said this. Lmao.

He started partial seasons after but after they traded Miller 03-04 was the ONLY year Foster was the appointed and hopeful starter. After that they knew he was below average.

Again, I agree he gave effort...he just wasn't anything other than an AVERAGE rebounder and average to a below average player. Great effort but couldnt get double-figure boards...

You're an ELITE rebounder if you average 9 rebounds in 26 minutes.

Ontario · Post #98 » by **Ontario** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:57 pm

xxSnEaKyPxx wrote:
BigtimeNBAfan wrote:Don't like it. You should have to be a hall of famer to get your jersey retired, not be a player that could have been replaced at any moment with no impact.

I disagree, I like the message it sends.

The reality is not everyone is going to be one of the best obviously. While I definitely think most jersey retirements should be saved for the best types of players, I am still okay with them retiring elite role players jerseys on rare occasions.

Not every team has a star whose jersey is worth retiring, but every team has a ton of role players. To me it kinda says "You don't have to be the best, if you show up, work hard, lead, and give this organization everything you got, we'll remember it." It sends a message to others that they can have their name in the rafters if they put everything they have into being the best they can for their team.

I'm not talking about any old role player, I'm talking about the guys who were loved for their hard work, leadership, being a great teammate, and so on for 10+ years with the same team....which RARELY ever happens with role players.

He's in the top ten for the franchise in minutes played combining the Thunder and Sonics together, its not like his actual on floor contribution to the team has been completely meaningless. Lots of years as a great role player off the bench but there are also a bunch of really good years where he was an important starting piece for the team too.

Ontario · Post #99 » by **Ontario** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:58 pm

I feel something like this has a lot more meaning for the guys who know they were never going to be HOF candidates, I really love that the Thunder recognize the value of the Collison's and MacMillan's of the world.

gipper08 · Post #100 » by **gipper08** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 3:05 pm

sixerswillrule wrote:
gipper08 wrote:
JermaineOYea wrote:
Are you serious? About this entire post.

He was certainly a starter for more than just the one season there, bud.

You also said he didn't put his entire effort into each board?? I am going to make an assumption at this point. You haven't watched 1,000 Pacers games. You did not watch 90% of games Foster played, because if you had, you'd never blaspheme in this manner.

I can't believe anyone said this. Lmao.

He started partial seasons after but after they traded Miller 03-04 was the ONLY year Foster was the appointed and hopeful starter. After that they knew he was below average.

Again, I agree he gave effort...he just wasn't anything other than an AVERAGE rebounder and average to a below average player. Great effort but couldnt get double-figure boards...

You're an ELITE rebounder if you average 9 rebounds in 26 minutes.

yeah...pretty close...in per minute he would maybe be 20th? 12th at best? idk