Before getting into Jalen Rose’s Miss Cleo moment, let’s first travel back to June 7, 2012. The Oklahoma City Thunder were a day removed from a six-game “delayed sweep” of the Spurs.* Like so many young, talented and fun squads before them, nothing seemed out of reach. That’s why I said this.
The future holds bright for Oklahoma City, too. And pending Sam Presti can somehow find a way to secure Harden and/or Serge Ibaka (Harden if it’s one or the other), it’s easy to see why the world has them pegged for multiple championships spanning far into this decade.
There’s no true need to recap what happened in the months since, but according to Jalen – and whatever sort of insight knowledge he’s acquired – a reunion tour could be in the works in two seasons. Rose says once Kevin Durant is able to become a free agent in the summer of 2016, heading to Houston to play with James Harden and Dwight Howard (if he’s still there, never know with that guy) is a very real possibility. So what about Russell Westbrook? Rose predicts Russ will head home to play with Kevin Love for the Lakers starting in the fall of 2017.
If you’re a Thunder fan, I wouldn’t invest too much into what Jalen says right now, October 23, 2013. The same goes for Lakers and Rockets fans. It’s all hearsay and “throw-shit-to-the-wall-and-see-if-it-sticks” statements made in every barbershop in America every day of the year. Who knows if it’s even capable financially? Plus, everyone’s antsy for the season to tipoff and comments of this ilk only help put fuel on an already uncontrollable fire.
It is interesting, nonetheless, how Durant still openly and unabashedly rides for Harden despite being on different teams now. I understand they’re friends and will be long after their playing days are over, they just finished a dope Nike campaign this summer and whether KD admits it or not, is still seething over Sam Presti breaking up the band last October. Plus, Westbrook and Love – being teammates at UCLA – are about as close as any two players in the league.
As outlandish as Jalen’s comments sound now – and do they ever – I learned a long time ago to never put anything past superstars in today’s game. They march to the beat of their own drums. At all times.
And if OKC has yet to secure a ring by summer 2016, let’s just say I’m not eliminating any possibilities.
Photo: Getty
* – June 7, 2012, is also the day this happened.