Dear Everyone Else: We're sorry that we are taking this whole KD thing so "personal"

At a meeting before my 3rd season of working for the Oklahoma City Thunder, an executive name Brian Byrnes asked the group of people to raise their hands if they were from Oklahoma. 

Once everyone obliged he said simply, "It's personal huh? This team being here after everyone said that this city couldn't do it? It's personal to you." 

What he is referring to is the notion that Oklahoma City was simply too small to support a professional team. And there were always a multitude of excuses why this was true. Not enough hotel space, not enough night life. There was just not enough to attract a professional player to want to live here and play here. 

But after Hurricane Katrina gifted us with a two-year stint with the then New Orleans Hornets, and a miracle from the heavenly Pacific Northwest, the Oklahoma City Thunder were born. 

Thankfully the Supersonics were terrible enough to get the second pick in the draft in 2007, which made a way for Kevin Durant to come to Oklahoma City. And all of sudden all of our dreams were coming true. No more having to root for the Mavericks, or the Spurs, or even the Houston Rockets. We had a team of our own. And after a playoff appearance in just their second season, hopes were abounding in the talent that the Thunder had. In their 4th season in OKC they made a NBA Finals appearance against the Heat. It was like something out of a movie for people who had heard all along that this could simply never happen. What this team meant to the city as a whole couldn't be explained to people outside of the Metro. 

I remember reading a statistic during the 2012 lockout that the Oklahoma City downtown area, known as Bricktown, lost $1.5 million in revenue for EACH GAME not played at the Chesapeake Arena that season. Basketball meant so much more than just a game. It was quickly becoming the lifeblood of our city. 

And here is something to help anyone outside of OKC understand how different it is here: No matter how much or how little interaction you have with the Oklahoma City Thunder, you know who they are. It is simply not possible to walk around Oklahoma City and find someone who doesn't know who Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook's is. This doesn't even mean that you have to be a fan of basketball, everyone just knows who they are and what they've done for our city. 

So here is the hard part: When Kevin Durant announces something like he did, you're going to have to forgive me, forgive all of us, if it feels a bit personal. 

And don't give me wrong, I completely understand that these are the things that happen when you host a professional team in your city. And I also know that we are simply going to have to get used to this kind of thing happening if we're going to keep this team for the long-haul. But it doesn't make it hurt any less. 

It feels like a bad breakup. Like any second he is gonna call and say he made the wrong choice and he can't live without us. To put it lightly, there is something deep inside OKC that just doesn't want the Warriors to do so well next year. In fact, most of us would like to see the wheels fall off and Kevin to run to OKC begging to take him back. (which we will happily oblige) I find myself longing for KD to pull a DeAndre Jordan and to just stay. But this is a game. And a business. And it's not our life to live. 

So I guess what I am trying to say is this: From Oklahomans to people all around the world who may not get it, don't be mad at us for being upset. Give us some time to let this wound heal. Because yeah, it feels personal to us.