Air's heirs

Sporting News, The, Nov 4, 1996 by Dave D'alessandro

Settle went through a troublesome training camp, but by season's end the Sonics--not the Bulls--will be the NBA's kings

The following is not contrived to amuse you, though it may nonetheless produce a hasty eruption of hoots and snickers. So be it. We'll come right out with it anyway: The Seattle SuperSonics will win the 1996-97 NBA championship.

OK, we'll wait ... you done? Got it all out of your system? May we continue?

Yeesh, you'd think we just predicted a standing ovation for Dole before a teachers convention. But we'll say it again: When the NBA convention resumes next months, the Sonics will reign supreme--perhaps not at the start of the season, but unquestionably at white-knuckle time.

Naturally, this title journey will not be without its bumps along the SuperHighway. The Sonics have experienced one already, with the inane camp boycott staged by fourtime All-Star forward Shawn Kemp, who wanted his contract restructured in spite of the fact the collective bargaining agreement forbids it.

As the Sonics started training camp, Kemp was everywhere and nowhere. He could be seen on the cover of the NBA Register and the Sonics' media guide, and his likeness even had been painted on the side of a Seattle skyscraper. He went into seclusion for two weeks, cut off from even his friends on the team, presumably sulking over his salary (a paltry $3.7 million, plus incentives) and demanding the renegotiation of a deal that includes a $14.6 million balloon payment in six years.

Is he underpaid? Given the current market, of course he is. Did he act rationally? This is not a question relevant to the case of Shawn T. Kemp. Just recall the emotional abyss he plunged into after being passed over for the Olympic team. Just recall his attendance record from a year ago (two practice AWOLS, two missed flights--to Portland, no less). We're not talking about a beacon of responsible behavior here.

How was this resolved? After a 22-day absence, Kemp finally came to his senses and realized the league's rules explicitly state that players who have signed a contract within the past three years are prevented from renegotiating. He was expected to be ready by opening night. Perhaps Kemp should take up his frustrations with his (cheap shot warning) short-sighted agent, who, by the way, is prohibited from even talking to Sonics management about renegotiating.

But you have to love how his abandoned teammates handled this, A few years back, such a thunderbolt would have ripped this team apart. This time, they simply went about their business.

With Kemp not around, Sam Perkins, who temporarily inherited the starting power forward spot, adopted the attitude that there was nothing to do except move on and push himself harder. "I kind of forgot about Shawn,' Perkins said during the absence.

Besides Kemp's Garbo act, there have been other problems. Swingman Nate McMillan, whom the Sonics know they cannot win without, continues to be tormented by the same hamstring problem that contributed to his limited play in last year's Finals. New center Jim McIlvaine has been hobbled by a bad ankle. Even Hersey Hawkins has been complaining about how his feet hurt.

But just as Kemp's brain spasm healed, these difficulties should subside in time for another postseason. The old/new Sonics, the Team That Damn Near Defied Mike, will emerge again. And you had to like what you saw the last time they assembled, if only because they were the only team to make Michael Jordan hang his tongue for no other reason than exhaustion.

Gary Payton proved he is the league's most dynamic and talented point guard, excluding hybrids such as Jordan and Penny Hardaway. Kemp showed the world he plays a man's game. And the rest--an experienced, balanced supporting cast that goes 10 deep--proved they could defend with an energy no other team has and play with a flair no other coach would tolerate.

Go ahead, allow yourself one more chuckle: The Sonics grew up a lot last spring, grew a lot taller this past summer, and now they can grow into champion if the cards fall right the next eight months. Here's why:

1 They learn

There is a prevailing consensus you must pay your dues against battle-tested opponents before earning your ring. To wit: The Celtics begat the Pistons, who begat the Bulls, who begat the Knicks, who--OK, the Knicks didn't win after they reached the Finals and begat an abundance of tasteless jokes about stevedores in shorts. But we digress.

In most cases, the runner-up to the crown is a little younger, a little hungrier. But rarely, even in defeat, does it demonstrate that it has as much brainpower as the champion.

That separates the Sonics from most challengers of recent vintage. Think back to the first three games of the Finals last season, when Chicago ripped them apart, with two routs and a Game 2 squeaker decided by a remarkable hustle sequence from Dennis Rodman. Clearly, the results of those three games indicated the Sonics had no idea what they were getting into.

"Honestly, they had no clue, but that was mostly because they had only played Chicago twice, and once without Rodman," says Brendan Malone, who was added to the Sonics' coaching staff before the Finals. "And don't forget: The Finals are so different from the regular season. This is the time of year when Michael Jordan kicks it up a notch. So no, they didn't know, and Chicago just jumped them. But don't forget, this is what the play-offs are about. Whatever happens, they'll be a better team because of this experience. This was a learning process for the Sonics."