An Open Letter to Nate Robinson

Hey Nate.  Wordaap.

My baby sister and I at the
rehearsal dinner with our
paternal (i.e., sane) cousins.

Back in November, my sister got married in New Orleans.  On the balmy night before her wedding, my wife, kids, and I took a strolled a dozen blocks through the fabulous French Quarter to attend her rehearsal dinner.  We arrived at the restaurant and there were police cars on the sidewalk and officers scattered amid the members of my wildly annoyed family.  Before our arrival, my aunt decided to swipe a cocktail from her daughter (my cousin), and as they pawed at it, the drink shattered.  Small shards got caught in the bartender's eye (which, thank God, were later removed without consequence).  In the name of Downtown Freddie Brown, why am I telling you all of this needless information?  Because that night is irreparably burned into my memory, and I distinctly recall watching the Celtics lose to the Thunder in Boston on the bar's TV while dealing with all of the fallout.  (We sent the two drunks home and partied, as happily as we could, through the rest of the night.)  So that means your new team won't be coming to Boston anytime soon, which is a shame, because you and Perk deserve the recognition of the city that adores you.

In the meantime, please find peace for yourself and take care of Perk.  I would tell him myself, but he's not the type to read a whole lot of blogs or notes from fans.  You, on the other hand, are that type of celebrity, and I hope that you get around to reading these thoughts.   And know that both of you were loved.  Not just liked, loved.

Perkins' last play as a Celtic.
 Moments after injuring his knee, he
blocked David Lee from behind.

Think about it for a moment:  Kendrick was the 7-foot everyman.  Unlike the other Celtics, he possessed no singular, jaw-dropping talent.  Ray had his jump shot, Rondo could handle the ball like no other, but Perk was just there to work.  He wasn't trying to 'do work' in a public show like Kobe, he was just plain working his butt off to make life as miserable as possible for the other team.  And it was never anywhere near perfect.  He could snag a game-changing rebound on one end and bounce the ball off his foot on the other.  But he always helped his team win because of his willingness to work.  Every New England male identified with Perkins, thinking (wrongly) that if we too were muscular and 84 inches tall, we could work hard and help the local team win in just the same way that he did.

On the other hand, you were the anti-Perk.  For every Perk scowl, there was a Nate smile.  When you were yammering, Perk was solemn.  For all the men who admired Kendrick's quietly industrious attitude, there were an equal number of women and children adoring you -- often on an eye-to-eye basis.  The hardcore fans appreciated Perk setting a screen or boxing out Pau Gasol; the casual fans loved the exuberance of your transition three-pointers and the mini-celebrations that followed.  The signature moment of Boston's 2010 playoffs was you jumping piggy-back-style on Big Baby to celebrate a great hustle play.  There are more Celtic fans in Boston now than there were before you arrived.  You brought them into the fold.

Now that you are in Oklahoma, I have good and bad news for you.  On the plus side, your new team will contend for the Western Conference title.  The piece they were missing was the muscle in the middle.  With Kendrick, the Thunder are primed and ready to make a long run.  The drawback:  you have to practice against Russell Westbrook on a daily basis.  Good luck with that.  Everyone says Perk is a beast, and clearly you've been a mini-beast for a long time (left), but if we are going to assign roles, then Westbrook would have to qualify as a freak of nature.  He may be the most explosive athlete (yes, even more than LeBron) in all of professional sports.  

Going up against Rondo in Boston's practices was tough, but the Celtics were older and the practices were designed for vets getting up into their 30's.  Your new team is rabid, young, and anxious to win now.  The practices will be intense; expect to get burned, but don't get discouraged.  Much like last year, there will be a game or two in the playoffs when OKC needs you.  Be patient and your time will come.  

Boston may be a better team with Jeff Green, Krstic and a future pick.  Oklahoma City IS definitely better with you and Perk.  But the real loser here is Seattle.  There's a twinge of sad irony that when you finally get traded to the hometown team, it's no longer where you want it to be.  They had an NBA championship team in 1979, and even though it happened five years before you were born, I am certain that you heard all about it growing up.  You and I both know that your basketball-crazy city would light itself on fire to have this team back, especially now that you are a part of it.  The League is incomplete without the Supersonics.

In any case, just know that when May rolls around, Celtics fans will be staying up past their usual bedtimes and rooting harder for your unfamiliar team than they ever have before.  A Thunder-Lakers series will produce the highest-ever TV ratings for a Western Conference playoff series in New England.  Mark my words -- skyrocketing ratings will happen.  Win the West and we'll see you in June.  I hope that, in spite of your absence, the Celtics are still good enough to get to the Finals so we can meet you there in-person.

Sincerely,

K L Chouinard