Thunder and Lightning: A Tale Of Two People

We were supposed to go through it together. Worried that our favorite players from our favorite teams would leave for greener pastures or better situations. She was supposed to curse up a storm as Steven Stamkos flirted with the hated Detroit Red Wings and the rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs. I was supposed to sulk as Kevin Durant listened to the bitchmade Golden State Warriors and the inferior San Antonio Spurs.

The situations were similar. 

 The Tampa Bay Lightning selected Steven Stamkos 1^st overall in 2008. He immediately became the face of the franchise. He won the “Rocket” Richard trophy for most goals in a season in 2010 and 2012. Within three years, he had the Lightning back in the playoffs. He had them in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2015. They were one game away from a return trip in 2016. Tampa Bay is the only franchise that Stamkos has ever known.  

The Oklahoma City Thunder (then, the Seattle Supersonics) selected Kevin Durant 2^nd overall in 2007. He won the MVP trophy in 2014. Within three years, he had the Thunder in the playoffs. They were in the Finals 2012, were two games away from the Finals in 2014, and were one game away in 2016. Oklahoma City is the only franchise that Durant has ever known.

Both were scheduled to hit their respective free agent markets on July 1^st. I was supposed to spend my day freaking out at work, constantly checking Twitter and texting Samer Kadi to get the latest update on Durant. She was supposed to spend her day at home, waiting for me to give her an update on Stamkos because she’s smarter than me and doesn’t care all that much about sports. We were supposed to spend July 4^th weekend together, one of us focused on nothing but the future of his favorite basketball team, the other focused on having a good time with the family.

Stamkos had other plans. On June 29, two days before he hit the open market, he re-signed with the Lightning, taking all the fun out of the NHL Free Agent Frenzy on Friday. I mentioned this to Jess and she let out an excited “Yay!” That’s it. She wasn’t all over social media, she wasn’t texting her friends, she didn’t throw a mini party right there on the spot and start talking about the upcoming season and how the Lightning are in a position to make another run at the Stanley Cup. Just a, “Yay!”

Maybe she knew there was no chance of Stamkos leaving. Why would he? Tampa Bay is one of the elite teams in the NHL with a young, but proven, core and a smartly run organization. Tampa Bay is the only place Stamkos has ever known. They showed faith in him from the day they drafted him. They built the team around him. Every year they worked to improve the team and show him that he won’t find a better hockey situation. It’s not his hometown, but it’s his home. And Stamkos has unfinished business in Tampa Bay. He’s been close to raising the Cup, but he’s never gotten it done.

Durant’s situation is virtually identical.

So why am I a nervous wreck heading into the weekend? Why am I so certain that Durant is going to leave even though all signs point to him coming back? The main reason is that I’m a sports pessimist and this season has been the absolute worst when it comes to building up my hopes and letting me down. It’s easier to just expect disappointment so when you’re disappointed, it doesn’t hurt quite as bad (but it still hurts really bad).

As Jess quietly celebrates eight more years of Stamkos, I openly worry about no more years of Durant. As she expresses brief excitement and moves on to more important things in her life, I check every possible source for the latest update on KD, ignoring everything else, including her at times, around me.

We were supposed to be in this together, but truthfully, she was always Stamkos. Signing a new contract before the market opened ensured Stamkos of a relaxed weekend with no stress and future security. Meanwhile, Durant will keep himself busy with multiple meetings as he ponders what’s next for his basketball future.