It's been a little less than 24-hours since we discovered Scott Brooks was fired as the head coach of the Thunder and I'm still hearing Handel's music in my ears.
It really is that glorious.
Once again, Brooks isn't a bad NBA coach. He was a great with most players, was a solid company man and had high character. He was just no longer the right fit for the franchise. Some guy named Sam Presti confirmed this in a press conference:
“Change in organizations are necessary at times. As much as continuity is required for lasting success, change and transition are the engine for progress and evolution. And so we’re embracing that change and looking toward the next stage of our development of our organization in Oklahoma City.”
It must be nice to be Sam Presti. If the whole NBA general manager thing doesn't work out, he can always turn to a career in politics or writing fortune cookies.
Even though I see why OKC is making this change, it's still sad to see Scott Brooks go. For one, he is a really good guy. Three or four years ago, I saw him at the Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt on N. May. Somehow I ended up behind him in the toppings bar. After putting on a few blueberries, he was sprinkling some chopped nuts over his FroYo when he turned to me, giggled and said:
"What do you call nuts on your chin?"
Surprised and very flustered, I blurted out "What?"
"A dick in your mouth," he then paused for a few seconds, let out a smile and said "Haha! Just kidding, buddy. Scale up! Your frozen yogurt is on me."
It was a strange moment indeed, but the fact that Scott Brooks bought my frozen yogurt shows what a good guy he is. He was really nice. I can see how he relates to his players so well and why they admire and respect him.
Anyway, to pay tribute to Scott, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at some pics that represent Scott's finest moments as a coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder:
1. The day Sam Presti finally got him a new Etch-A-Sketch to draw up plays...
Before this advancement, he used watercolors and parchment to draw up those last-second desperation threes.
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2. When he showed off his karate skills during a halftime show...
I think this happened during the first season on a Tuesday night game against the Timberwolves.
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3. That time he killed the terrorists who took his daughter hostage...
He is a badass.
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4. When he tried to use the force against the Mavericks...
Lightning bolts never did shoot from his finger...
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5. When he tried to use the force against Darth Maul...
He really should have figured out how to get those lightning bolts to shoot from his fingers...
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6. The moment before he realized there was another side to the dry erase board...
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7. When he used prayer to come up with defensive adjustments for the Spurs...
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8. The day he helped Ireland become an independent republic...
Seriously, I am going to miss these Liam Neeson references. I also considered posting a pic of Scott from Schindler's List, but that would have got me in trouble...
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9. The Blank Stare...
Scott Brooks has a great blank stare. Even though it occurred a few hundred times each game, it's probably his most signature moment. I used to wonder what he thought about during games while looking off blankly into the distance. Now I know it's probably just dirty jokes and the frozen yogurt topping bar.
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10. The time he coached the Oklahoma City Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals...
All joking aside, let's give props to Coach Brooks. He helped bring the biggest sporting event in Oklahoma history to town. For that, we are grateful. Best of luck.
