Danny O’Neil looks forward to drinking the ‘tears’ of OKC Thunder fans
May 13, 2016, 11:19 AM | Updated: 11:35 am
710 ESPN's Danny O'Neil looks forward to watching the Oklahoma City Thunder losing to the Golden State Warriors. (AP)
(AP)
It’s time for people still bitter over the sale of the Seattle SuperSonics to start paying attention to the NBA.
After winning a hard-fought battle with the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals, the Oklahoma City Thunder earned their way to the conference finals. And that is where former Sonics fans come in.
“You enjoy [the NBA] by watching the decimation of the franchise that formally used to live here,” 710 ESPN’s Danny O’Neil told Seattle’s Morning News. “And you root for the disappointment and horror of all the little Oklahoma kids who love their Thunder, ‘oh, they’re going to win.’ No, we’re going to root for destruction, terror, and mayhem to be rained down upon them.”
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O’Neil admits the Thunder is a fun team to watch. Kevin Durant, for example, is a gifted scorer, and Russell Westbrook is “phenomenal.” When the Thunder first moved, O’Neil says he was indifferent to the team. After the team won its first playoff series things changed.
“…And at that moment the sports hate was crystallized within me.”
That hate resonates within O’Neil today.
“The only question I have not is: Would I rather have them lose 99-1, or lose on a last-second shot,” he explained.
O’Neil embraces the schadenfreude, German for pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. When the season ends for the Thunder, O’Neil cracks open an ESB (extra special bitter) beer, an appropriate choice.
“I think ‘hmmm … I hope this tastes like their tears,” he explained.
O’Neil encourages everyone to jump on the Golden State Warriors bandwagon. The Thunder and Warriors will face off in the finals.
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Tune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.
