If you are a long-suffering 76ers fanand as Col. Nathan Jessup might say, is there any other kind?your reaction the night of the 2006 NBA draft could likely be summed up as follows:
Thabo who? What in the name of Billy King are the Sixers doing now?
It wasnt too much later that we discovered what the team was up to when it used the 13th overall pick on Thabo Sefoloshaa guard from Switzerland, of all places. The Sixers were taking him on behalf of the Chicago Bulls, then trading him for the guy the Bulls plucked at No. 16, Rodney Carney, as well as an 07 second-round pick and some cash.
And that was fine. At least we had all heard of Carney, a wiry forward who played his college ball at Memphis.
Funny how things work out. Carney never had much of an impact with the Sixers. Or anywhere else in the NBA, for that matter; in all he played for four teams over his five seasons, and is now out of the league.
And Sefolosha, who was property of the Sixers for roughly an hour, is making the most of his 15 minutes of fame.
Now with the Oklahoma City Thunder (his employer the last three-plus seasons, after two-plus with the Bulls), the defensive-minded Sefolosha had a vital role in Game 1 of the NBA Finals Tuesday night against the Miami Heat. He jousted with Dwyane Wade early and LeBron James late, and lived to tell about it. He also collected nine points and a couple stealsit seemed like moreas the Thunder came from behind to win, 105-94.
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On a mediocre team (as the Sixers were in 2006), his impact is minimal. But on a title contender like the Thunder, he is invaluable. Because not only does he help set the tone on the defensive end, he also spares OKCs stars, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, from having to do too much of the grunt work.
After Game 1 Thunder coach Scott Brooks (an ex-Sixer himself) told reporters that Sefolosha understands that he has to be able to guard every possession like it's his last.
And, Brooks added, he does that.Thabo is a very important part of how we defend as a team. His individual pride is at a high level.
In the Western Finals against San Antonio, Brooks sicced Sefolosha on Spurs point guard Tony Parker after the Thunder fell into an 0-2 hole, a major reason Oklahoma City was able to storm back and win the series in six games. And Sefolosha figures to have a major role going forward, given the threat Wade and James pose.
In other words, he will likely be in the spotlight for a while. Much longer than he was under the microscope, as was the case that night in 2006.
Gordie Jones is an award-winning journalist who has worked in the Philadelphia market for 29 years. He also co-authored a book about the 76ers' 1982-83 championship team with former Sixers general manager Pat Williams.