Comparing Gary Payton and Ichiro

As any baseball fan knows, as well as any living breathing organism in Washington or Japan, the Seattle Mariners traded Ichiro to the New YorkYankees this past Monday, July 23. Coincidentally, that day also happened to be the birthday of another Seattle sports legend, Gary Payton. These two athletes are two of the more recent superstars that has graced Seattle sports world. As a way of looking back at Ichiro's career, and as a shout-out to "The Glove," I thought I'd take some time to compare both of their careers in Seattle.

Expectations Coming to Seattle
Payton and Ichiro both had magnificent careers prior to coming to Seattle. In his final year at Oregon State, Payton averaged 25.7 PPG and 8.1 RPG, in what's been considered one of the finest years by a point guard in NCAA Basketball history. Taken with the 2nd overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, it was clear that Payton was expected to take a Sonic team that had finished 41-41, and elevate it to the next level.

Like Payton, Ichiro had great success before coming to the Emerald Season. Playing nine seasons for the Orix Blue Wave in Japan. He was three-time league MVP, winning seven Gold Gloves and making seven All-Star teams. In his final season, he batted an incredible .387, and had an OPS of .999. Despite this, there were doubts of whether Ichiro's game would translate to the MLB, as there had been no previous success stories by Japanese hitters in the MLB. Ichiro's future Mariners manager, Mike Hargrove, even said that Ichiro would be no better than a fourth outfielder.

Accomplishments in Seattle
Payton's career in Seattle started off slowly, but he would eventually do enough to be considered the greatest player in SuperSonics History. In his 12 1/2 seasons donning the green and gold, Payton made nine All-Star games, nine All-NBA teams, and nine All-Defense teams. Though Payton was a great offensive player, averaging at least 20 PPG and 7 APG in seven different seasons, he made a name for himself on the defensive end, being the only point guard to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award when he did so in 1996.

While Payton took a while to get going, Ichiro began his career with a bang. Hitting .350 and accumulating 242 hits in 2001, Ichiro became only the second player in MLB history to win MVP and ROY in the same season. Though never anything close to a power hitter, Ichiro become known as a magician with the bat, batting at least .300 with 200 hits in each of his first ten seasons in the league. Like Payton, Ichiro was also an amazing defensive player, winning ten Gold Gloves. Throw in two batting titles, the single-season hits record, and three silver sluggers, Ichiro was one of the most accomplished players of his time.

Team Success
With Payton, Seattle never experienced a losing NBA season, though they probably would have if he hadn't been traded in 2003. Payton led the Sonics through the most successful time in team history, winning at least 60 games in 1994, 1996, and 1998. The peak of success came in 1996, when the Sonics made it to the NBA Finals, only to end up having to face the winningest team in NBA history in the 72-10 Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan.

In his first season with the Mariners, the team tied the record for most wins in a single season by winning 116 games. However, it would be all down hill from there during the Ichiro era. Though the Mariners would have four more winning seasons, they would make another playoff appearance, and would finish last their division seven times.

Popularity
Though one of the best point guards of the 1990s, Payton was never an overwhelmingly popular figure. Rarely ever dunking or preferring to avoid flash, Payton never drew as much attention as a Michael Jordan or a Dennis Rodman. Of his nine All-Star appearances, only twice was he voted in by the fans.

Without a doubt, Ichiro is the more popular of the two. Being the first major MLB hitter from Japan, Ichiro drew a huge international entourage the moment he began playing for the M's. Tourists visiting Seattle from Japan automatically had Safeco Field as a destination stop just to watch Ichiro, and Japanese reporters and journalists have moved to Seattle just to track Ichiro's career. In his first season in the MLB, Ichiro led all players in All-Star voting, and all but one off his All-Star appearances have come via the fan vote.

Personality
When someone thinks of Gary Payton and his personality, the first thing that comes to mind is trash-talk. Payton had one of the biggest mouths in league history, never hesitant to express what he thought. His words could get him into trouble, whether that be technicals from the refs or problems with teammates, but Seattle fans probably wouldn't have it otherwise.

Ichiro has developed a reputation throughout his career as being sort of a diva. Though never considered a great leader or a true team player, Ichiro always had himself prepared. He was known as being very respectful towards his equipment, and following a very strict routine, whether that be stretching, batting practice, or at the plate. As well, he was known as a pretty fascinating dresser.

Teams that seemed destined for championships

I want to take a break from my season review and talk about something that came to mind following the announcement of Steve Nash going to the LA Lakers. After news of this rather surprising event broke out, a lot of people declared that the Lakers were back in championship contention and that they got a lot better. However, from the perspective of Seattle basketball fans, there was one thing on our mind: the OKC Thunder's road back to the Finals just got a lot tougher.

Ever since Sam Presti was hired to rebuild what was the then-Sonics, and after the team drafted Kevin Durant, many people had pegged the franchise to have a great future. It seems like every year, that notion was backed up. They fought a hard series against the eventual champions in 2010, made it to the Conference Finals in 2011, and made it to the NBA Finals in 2012. After beating San Antonio in the Conference Finals this past season and winning Game 1 against the Miami Heat, there were talks of Oklahoma City being the next dynasty. While Oklahoma City definitely has the parts and the youth to win many championships in the future, history says that nothing is guaranteed.

To win a championship, you can't just be a great team, but you have to be the best team in a particular year. With that said, I want to take a look at some teams in the past two decades or so that had a bright future ahead of them, but never ended up being able to raise a banner saying that they were the best in the NBA. This isn't an absolute complete list, but it just goes to show that a lot of things could happen to prevent a team from winning a championship.

1993 Seattle SuperSonics


Statement Moment: Took the Phoenix Suns, led by MVP Charles Barkley, to 7 games in the Western Conference Finals.
Reason for Hope: Seattle had improved from 41 wins in 1991 to 47 wins in 1992, and 55 wins in 1993. Coming within a game of the NBA Finals, the team was led by Shawn Kemp, who posted averages of 17.8 PPG and 10.7 RPG at just the age of 23. They also had Gary Payton, who was a No. 2 pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, and 24 years old.
What Happened: Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp would lead the team to great regular season success, with the team winning over 60 games in 1994, 1996, and 1998. However, the playoffs were a different story. With Michael Jordan gone in 1994, Seattle led the league with 63 wins and seemed poised to capture the title. Unfortunately, they became the first No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose to a No. 8 seed. They would lose in the first round again the following year. In 1996, Seattle finally made it to the NBA Finals, only to be matched up against the Chicago Bulls, who won a record 72 games. 
Time for a New Direction: Seattle signed unproved center Jim McIlvaine to a large contract in the summer of 1996, angering Kemp. Kemp was traded in the offseason of 1997, and the Sonics acquired Vin Baker. After just one great season in Seattle, Baker would become a shell of his old self by the 1998-99 season, as the Sonics were just 25-25 and missed the playoffs.

1995 Orlando Magic


Statement Moment: Made it to the NBA Finals, though they were swept by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets.
Reason for Hope: The team's wins had improved in each of the last three years, from 21 to 41 to 50, and finally 57-25. They were led by the best young duo in the game, in Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. O'Neal, 22, came off a season where he averaged 29.3 PPG and 11.4 RPG, while Hardaway, 23, made the All-NBA 1st Team. Also, their top 7 leading scorers were all under the age of 30.
What Happened: The next season, Orlando broke their franchise record for wins for the fourth straight year. They cruised through the first two rounds, but like Seattle, met their match with the 72-wins Chicago Bulls, who swept them.
Time for a New Direction: Due to issues with Coach Brian Hill, and possibly the chance at a bigger contract, O'Neal left Orlando to sign with the Lakers in 1996. Without their All-Star center, Orlando dropped to just 45-37 and had a first round exit in 1997. It wouldn't be until 2008 that Orlando would advance past the second round again.

2002 Sacramento Kings


Statement Moment: After finishing the season with a league best 61-21 record, lost to the LA Lakers in 7 games in a highly controversial Western Conference Finals.
Reason for Hope: If Sacramento had made it to the NBA Finals, they almost definitely would have won the NBA Championship as the Lakers swept New Jersey. Sacramento's winning percentage had been increasing in each of the last four season, and many believe that they were the real best team in 2002. There was no reason to believe the Kings couldn't sustain their success as they were led by 28-year old Chris Webber, who put up numbers of 24.5 PPG and 10.1 RPG. Their next two leading scorers were Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby, both who were under 25 years of age.They also had some young first rounders off the bench in sophomore Hedo Turkoglu and Ferald Wallace.
What Happened: Injuries to Chris Webber would really hurt the team over the next two years. In 2003, despite Webber missing 15 games, Sacramento still managed a 59-23 record. In the second round, despite not having home-court and Webber only playing the first two games, the Kings went the distance against the Dallas Mavericks. The following season, Sacramento finished 55-27 with Webber only playing in 23 games. Home-court may have played the difference, as Sacramento lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round in 7. They lost Game 7 in Minnesota by a score of just 80-83.
Time for a New Direction: In 2005, Webber was still a 20-10 force, but microfracture surgery caused a slight decline in his skill. By this time, prominent members of the 2002 Kings team like Vlade Divac, Bobby Jackson, and Doug Christie were either old or gone, and it had become clear that Sacramento had fallen behind San Antonio, Phoenix, and Dallas as the West's elites. Midway through the season, Webber was traded to Philadelphia, but this wouldn't help the team as they would easily lose to Seattle in the first round, and by 2007, wouldn't even make the playoffs.

2007 Cleveland Cavaliers


Statement Moment: Made it to the NBA Finals by getting past Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals, though they would get swept by San Antonio.
Reason for Hope: Cleveland's trip to the Finals was seen as a signal that the King (LeBron James) had arrived. Though their showing against San Antonio was awful, by beating four straight a Detroit team that had made the Eastern Conference Finals five years in a row, Cleveland showed that they were among the bests of the East, and they could definitely get better. James, at just 22 years of age, posted a stat line of 27.3/6.7/6.0 and already showed he was one of the best in the NBA. Cleveland also had a lot solid players who were 25 or younger, in Drew Gooden, Anderson Varejao, and Daniel Gibson.
What Happened: In the following seasons, James would get better, but none of his fellow young teammates would emerge as a true star alongside him. Aside from Mo Williams, James would have to rely on older veterans like Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Antawn Jamison to help him out. Cleveland had the NBA's best record in 2009 (66-16) and 2010 (61-21), but didn't make it to the Finals either year. After sweeping the first two rounds in 2009, Cleveland had difficulties matching up with Orlando in the ECF. The following year, a supposedly old Boston team beat them in 6.
Time for a New Direction: Following their playoff failures, James left for Miami. In 2011, Cleveland ended up with a 19-63 record and it was time for them to start anew.

2009 Orlando Magic


Statement Moment: Reaching the NBA Finals after defeating the 66-win Cleveland Cavaliers in the ECF, and beating the defending champions Boston Celtics in the second round.
Reason for Hope: Orlando had improved from 21 wins in 2004, 36 wins in 2005 and 2006, 40 wins in 2007, 52 wins in 2008, and finally 59 wins in 2009. By beating both Boston and Cleveland, they proved themselves to be among the top tier of Eastern Conference teams. Better yet, the stars of their team were younger than that of their opponents. Dwight Howard averaged 20.6 PPG and 13.8 RPG at just the age of 23, and Jameer Nelson made his first All-Star team as a 26 year old. Rashard Lewis, 29, also made the All-Star and was in his prime, and Orlando had several young pieces like Courtney Lee, Marcin Gortat, and JJ Reddick.
What Happened: 2009 would be the only season that Orlando had an All-Star besides Dwight Howard. Following an injury during the 2009 season, Nelson would not return back to his All-Star form. Lewis would not prove to be worth his huge contract and declined each year. The team's third leading scorer, Hedo Turkoglu, would leave the team after the season and sign with Toronto. Still, with the addition of Vince Carter, the 2010 Orlando Magic ended up with an identical 59-23 record. After sweeping the first two rounds, and controlling home-court against Boston in the ECF, Orlando looked poised for a return to the Finals. Unfortunately for them, Boston would win the first three games and win in six.
Time for a New Direction: With no one stepping up alongside Dwight Howard, and the rise of Chicago and Miami, Orlando had fallen from the upper echelon of the East in 2011. Both Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis were traded during the season. Orlando dropped to a 52-30 record, but to make matters worse, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to Atlanta. With another first round exit in 2012, and Howard wanting a trade, Orlando won't be winning a championship anytime soon.

Best "Wow...Look at this!" moments

First of all, Happy 4th of July! I love America so this is a special day for me, though I guess it's not too obvious considering the extent of my celebration today was drinking some Vanilla Coke. From my home, I'll be watching the fireworks go off. These fireworks celebrate the birth of our nation, though to people in Los Angeles, they'll interpret it as celebrating the signing of Steve Nash. We'll get back to that some other time.

For now, I want to continue my season review by going over the top "Wow...Look at this!" moments. This is  a category that I kind of randomly came up with, but I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the more impressive or memorable moments from this past season. It's really difficult to provide a criteria for this category, but here's kind of what I'm looking for:

• Something that is impressive and really catches your attention.
• At the same time, I want something that makes people want to find our more about it. I'm not looking for a super good game, but an amazing streak or moment that needs to be replayed again and again.
• As well, what makes something memorable is the fact that I didn't expect it to happen, nor do I expect it to happen too often in the future.
• Moments that a lot of people knew about and were talking about.
• I also want to focus on positive things that happen; there's too much negativity in sports
• Basically, whatever made you go to someone and say "Wow...Look at this!"

10. The Philadelphia 76ers become the fifth 8-seed to beat a top seed in the playoffs

Okay, so while Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah both got injured during the season, I still expected Chicago to pull of the series win. Philadelphia was just 15-18 in the second half of the season, and Chicago still had the likes of Carlos Boozer, Taj Gibson, Luol Deng, and Rip Hamilton. I guess I was wrong...

9. The LA Clippers' 27-point comeback against Memphis

The Clippers made the playoffs for just the second time in the last 15 years and were the slight underdogs against a dangerous Memphis Grizzlies team. In Game 1, Los Angeles appeared as if they weren't ready for the postseason, as the Grizzlies were stomping all over them at Memphis. In something we probably won't see for a while, the Clippers came back from 27 down to win the game, and eventually win the series in 7.

8. Oklahoma City defeats the LA Lakers

This has two meanings. It could either refer to Oklahoma City defeating Los Angeles in 5 in the second round of the playoffs, or it could refer to OKC's 119-90 win against them in Game 1. Either way, OKC's success against LA sort of showed a passing of the torch. Oklahoma City was the team of the future, while Los Angeles was the team of the past (or are they...)

7. Boston Celtics come one win away from the NBA Finals

I watched Game 5 of the ECF with a friend, and after Boston pulled away for the win to take the series lead, I looked at him and said, "You can never count out Boston." Boston was considered old and many expected New York to pull away with the division crown. However, despite starting 4-8, Boston rallied to end up 39-27 and win the division. Still, they didn't have home-court against Atlanta, and lost Game 1, but managed to win the series. They lucked out with the Rose injury, and faced the No. 8 Philadelphia 76ers. They beat them, though it didn't look too good that it took 7 games. This didn't matter, though, as they took the series lead against Miami, before dropping the last 2 games. Somehow, Boston is always in the mix...

6. Shane Battier lights it up in the Finals

Fact: Shane Battier is old. He was 34 years old when the season started. Fact: Shane Battier didn't shoot well in the regular season. His shooting line was .387/.339/.622. Yet, in an NBA Finals where I thought the OKC role players were greatly superior to the Miami ones, Battier stepped it up big. He found the fountain of youth, scoring 17 points in both Games 1 and 2, while hitting 9 threes in those games. For the series, he shot 61% from the field and 58% from three.

5. Blake Griffin dunks over Kendrick Perkins

We all know that Blake Griffin is an exciting dunker. Whether he dunks over a car, Pau Gasol, or Serge Ibaka, he gets some kind of attention. However, his dunk over Kendrick Perkins in a game against the Thunder this year took the internet by storm. Dubbed the best dunk of the year, it was the talk of basketball fans everywhere for days.

4. Kyrie Irving impresses in his rookie season

Kyrie Irving was the No. 1 pick in the draft, so I figured he would be good, but I didn't know he would be this good. He posted great numbers across the board, averaging 18.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. What makes this more impressive is that it happened in just 30.5 minutes a game! Rookie guards also tend not to shoot well, but Irving put up an excellent shooting line of .469/.399/.872. The future sure is bright in Cleveland.

3. San Antonio Spurs go on a 20-game winning streak

Coming off a season where they lost in the first round, the future for an aging Spurs team looked a little bleak. However, the Spurs surprised everyone, tying for the season's best record at 50-16, and earning the No. 1 seed out West. San Antonio only seemed to get better as the season progressed, as they won their last 10 to end the season, before sweeping Utah, the LA Clippers, and taking the first two games against OKC. Though they couldn't make it to the NBA Finals, their 20-game win streak was the most dominant any team was the entire season. Before losing to OKC, I had thought to myself that if San Antonio won the NBA Finals, could they be considered among the best NBA teams ever?

2. LeBron James finally gets his first ring

Even though the Miami Heat were the title favorites heading into the season, they finished with a somewhat unspectacular 46-20 record. While that equates to about 57 wins in a normal season, it doesn't exactly scream dominance. Heading into the playoffs, it was Chicago who was the East's No. 1 seed, and San Antonio who was on the double-digit win streak. Miami wasn't quite the most intimidating team once they made the NBA Finals either, having to go the distance against an aging Boston team. They were the underdogs going up against an OKC team that seemed destined to win, having beat the teams that made up the last 15 Western Conference Champions. Yet, LeBron James stepped up this time around, and after dropping Game 1, won four in a row to get him his first NBA Championship.

1. Linsanity 

What makes Jeremy Lin's rise to prominence the top "Wow...Look at this!" moment of the 2012 NBA season was that it wasn't just a basketball phenomenon, but a cultural phenomenon. Here, we had a guy who was basically a nobody and became, temporarily, the face of the NBA. When the New York Knicks were plagued with injuries, they needed Lin to step up, but I don't think anyone imagined he would average 26.8 points and 8.5 assists in his first six games as a "fill-in." New York was greatly struggling and underachieving the entire season, but when it was Lin's turn to steer the ship, they won their first seven games in a row. The high point came when he scored a career-best 38 points as he outdueled Kobe Bryant and the Knicks beat the Lakers. Lin was feel-good story for many because he defied stereotypes. Here was an undrafted Asian from Harvard playing as if he was the best player in the NBA.

Check-in for the remainder of my season review:

Part I: Looking back at my preseason predictions

Part II: Best NBA Memes

Part III: Best "Wow...Look at this!" moments

Part IV: Best NBA Teams

Part V: Best NBA Players