Oklahoma City Thunder: Why write about Metta World Chaos? - NewsOK.com (blog)

on May 16, 2012M at 3:30 pm

I did a short piece for the Wednesday Oklahoman on Metta World Chaos. You can read it here. Or you can watch the video feed here.

Not everyone was excited that we spent some newsprint and internet space on Chaos. I got an email from a reader that said: “Very disappointed you gave so much ink to this guy. I clicked on the article just to see who wrote it. I didn’t read it. There are so many better things to write about than giving this guy what he wants and that is notoriety.”

Well, I agree there are better things to write about. Like Russell Westbrook’s wardrobe and ascension to superstardom, and James Harden’s beard, and the Laker defensive problems, and Derek Fisher playing against his old team, and Kendrick Perkins’ health, and the Lakers’ lack of energy, and Nazr Mohammed’s value with Perk hurt. Which is why we we wrote about all of that and more in the Wednesday Oklahoman.

But the idea that we shouldn’t write about Chaos when he is Oklahoma’s Public Enemy No. 1, well, that’s just silly. That’s like saying we shouldn’t write about crime or injustice or teen pregnancy. If you want to stick your head in the sand, go ahead. But I’m not going to.

I like talking to Chaos. First off, he’s interesting. He’s kooky about three fourths of the time, but he’s always interesting. And I think it’s important to try to understand how someone who is obviously intelligent and occasionally insightful and completely blessed athletically can lose his mind from time to time and lay down on the scorer’s table or elbow James Harden in the head.

Anyway, I would vote the other way from the reader. I’d vote for a daily Q&A with Chaos during this Thunder-Laker series. I don’t know if we’ll do it, but I would vote for it.

Here are some excerpts that didn’t make the paper.

On how every game in a series is a new day: “That’s what the playoffs are about. Not like the regular season, where OK, if you lose a game, you can make it up later. Or in college, you lose one game, you’re out. I remember being down 3-2 in the Finals against Boston. Tied at 2-2 against the eighth seed (Thunder, two years ago). In Indiana, we had to win five games in a row, just to get to the playoffs. That’s the great thing about basketball. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. That’s the great thing about a new season, about a new game.”

On how the Lakers will have to defend Westbrook: “Kobe’s going to have to guard Westbrook tomorrow and try to stay in front of him. Try to stop him from mid-range. Poison the cereal.”

On if the Lakers need to switch and let Chaos guard Westbrook: “If you want, I’ll do it. It’s up to you. Let’s go talk to Mike (Brown, coach). Let’s go have some dinner. You like steak? Let’s have some steak, talk to Mike, see what we’re going to do. You could be the new head coach. Whatever you want, we will do, because you seem like a head coach.”

See what I mean. The guy goes from rational to just silly talk, without missing a beat. He’s the anti-Thunder. Sam Presti’s blood pressure would skyrocket if any of his Thunders talked like that.

But my reader isn’t totally wrong. He’s right that Chaos craves the attention. As a small group of media started to drift away from Chaos â€" not me, I was sitting there until the end â€" Chaos said, “I’m not finished with you guys.”

And we’re not finished with you.

-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.

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