OKC Thunder @ Indiana Pacers IP Autographs

Ndudi44Ebi

Bench Warmer
I made sure to go to this game as the Thunder only came once this season so that I could make an attempt at Kevin Durant again. I'm glad I got KD during the preseason of his rookie year as that is when his auto was awesome and now it is very poor, especially after he signs so much. It is safe to say his auto will never be anywhere near what his auto was like when he first entered the NBA. Anyway, as you all know by now lots of people wore KD out on signing the night before...drunk or not lol. Proof of this in the final score of the Thunder/Pacers game yesterday...KD was TERRIBLE and he even apologized to all his fans, the game of basketball, and said it was a disgrace of a performance he put on lol. Anyway, security was tight on KD yesterday (this was Sunday--game day, not the day before as what has already been posted) as he came out of the hotel and made sure he was only doing 1 per and nobody was trying to get multiples from him. He did sign a bunch, but not for me. Still most of the people there were in basically 1 group all getting stuff signed to be put on eBay (probably later on last night...pitiful). Most of the people of course did not stay behind the stantion poles that the security puts out, so that is the main reason I did not get him. I probably would have but the security had had enough of it and told KD he had to go. I had a real cool item, which I customly made. It was printed on photo paper and included a few comments KD made to me on Twitter wanting to see a pic of the DIME magazine he was on the cover of, which I made it look really cool, but that will have to wait to get signed at a later date...well hopefully it will be able to get signed at a later date lol. I'm just glad that I already have an auto of him, one of the best-signed ones ever, as he is quickly becoming one of the top players in the NBA.

So besides KD, the security never had a problem with any other player signing...not Westbrook, Harden, Jeff Green, or anybody else.

I will say that at the game, the security totally sucked. At the entrance I was going to go through, the security waited a few minutes after the person on the radio said "Let them in" for him to allow me in. By then practically everybody was let in and the place was a mess. It had to have been the most people there on both sides of the court wanting autos in the past month or more so there wasn't a good spot at either tunnel to be ready for the players to sign, but the thing is...hardly anybody signed lol. I had a hard time getting to Jeff Green and in the end, he just ignored me at the game after he signed on both sides and just went into the tunnel...I kept switching sides and couldn't get to him fast enough. Only 2 Pacers players came out and did shootaround (Granger and Ford) and both signed a few for some little kids and had to go in for shootaround (fine with them signing for the little kids but the people telling the Pacers players when they have to go in for a team meeting is total BS, and I know that for a fact, and they keep having to go in earlier and earlier now). So I didn't get anything this time around at the game. From what I saw though, practically nobody signed at the game for the Thunder either...just Collison & Green, plus Thabo Sefolosha just did 2 and went in.

So back to what I got at the hotel...I will say that every player that signed for me, I told them "Thanks a lot" and "Good luck tonight" and each one told me either "Thanks," "No problem," or something along those lines. They were all pretty darn nice and in good moods.

Nick Collison: signed for everybody, did 1 per for everybody as he always does. I told him that I followed him on Twitter and he laughed and said "Thanks."

Jeff Green: signed for only 3 people and hopped on the bus.

James Harden: most of the players had their Beats by Dre's on and I guess he couldn't hear people calling his name, but he signed for about 3 people and went to get on the bus, but a few people moved in closer and he stopped and signed for everybody else. I heard he made a pretty funny comment about all the signing KD was doing for some people last night, but I won't get into it on here lol.

Serge Ibaka: nobody asked him to sign and he hopped right on the bus as Harden was signing...nobody knew who it was and some were hoping it wasn't KD lol. I managed to get ahold of Serge's only RC so far, so I'll hang onto it to get signed later on as it may be his only RC made. He's a good player though, that's for sure, and he's a perfect fit for the Thunder.

Nenad Krstic: signed 1 per for everybody wanting him. Pretty nice about it, too.

Eric Maynor: not sure what his maximum would be on signing and I know he usually does lots of multiples if asked, but I only offered him the magazine to sign and not the card as I had lots of stuff with me and I was fine with just the magazine signed.

B.J. Mullens: don't think he traveled...may still be assigned to the D-League yet again.

Kevin Ollie: signed for everybody that wanted him to sign.

Thabo Sefolosha: I left the hotel before he came out, so I'm not sure if he signed, but check the comments about him above from the game...

Mustafa Shakur: this was pretty cool and funny at the same time...He was walking down the street and I made eye contact with him, had my pen in hand, and pointed to my binder and asked him if he could sign for me (he couldn't hear me because of the Beats by Dre's of course), and just sorta looked at me and handed his luggage to the security people and the bus driver. He thought about getting on the bus, but stopped. He opened moved one of his headphones off of his ear, and asked me what I wanted. I asked him if he could sign for me and he responded with what I had for him and I said an index card. He then said oh ok and proceeded towards me, took my pen and signed the index card real slowly and asked if that was all I had for him and I told him yes it is. He handed the pen back and told him thanks and good luck and he told me thanks a lot and that he appreciated it and got onto the bus. It seemed to me like he was shocked that I wanted his autograph haha.

Etan Thomas: I left the hotel before he came out, so I don't know if he signed at all.

Kyle Weaver: signed for everybody and was very nice.

Russell Westbrook: to my surprise, he signed for everybody there I do believe. I thought I'd have a better chance at Green than at Westbrook lol.

D.J. White: real cool guy and everybody still loves him in Indiana. He'd probably sign lots of multiples if asked, but I just wanted 1 as I have a couple others from him over the years. A cousin of my actually took a class at IU with D.J. and sat right next to him everyday in that class.

Coach Scott Brooks: cool guy...as he was signing for each person, he asked how each of us was doing and then got to talking with me about college hoops (he initiated the conversation about college hoops). Sounds like he's keeping up with his brackets!!

Maurice Cheeks: sort of weird like he just can't sit down lol...he constantly walked through the hotel, then outside and made a circle back through another entrance of the hotel...he did this several times and even walked the mall for a while (my parents and sister saw him in the mall just walking around real fast). He finally stopped walking as he had to board the bus right before it left lol. Each circle he made, he signed for a few more people, but got to everybody that wanted him after all his walks lol.

Mark Bryant: signed for everybody and even did multiples. Nice guy as well.


That's all for the Thunder game and my next game will be Wednesday with the Wizards and Pacers. This game should be real easy as 1. No Jamison anymore, 2. No Butler anymore, 3. No Gilbert due to suspension. Hopefully the team is in a good mood, too. Thanks for reading and any comments you may have are welcomed!!


Scans:
03-21-2010093652PM.jpg

index cards are of Mustafa Shakur and Kevin Ollie

03-22-2010025023PM.jpg

magazine of James Harden and Eric Maynor...will try to add more signatures later on to it
 
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