Spencer Hawes Defends Seattle

Kings center Spencer Hawes has been reviled on the web for his political views. A devout Republican, Hawes got the most heat from his stance global warming is a myth. He took a less controversial but vastly more interesting political position at a brief Thursday media session in response to a question about his hometown Sonics. (The emphasis is mine.)

Yeah we always had season tickets. Especially when I was a little kid, I tried to go to as many games as I could. We remember watching (Gary Payton), (Shawn) Kemp, guys like Nate McMillan when you're growing up. That was my favorite team as a kid. Now to watch them, obviously you have to put that to the side, but still you have a soft spot in your heart for your childhood team. To see all the stuff it's going through now, I just think it's a little bit ridiculous.

Of course a Seattle kid -- especially one who grew up in the incredible Kemp-Payton era -- thinks the relocation efforts are "a little bit ridiculous." This isn't the Vancouver Grizzlies. This team has been in Seattle 40 years. It is a part of Seattle.

While it's not a hard position to take for you and I, it is for Hawes. While his comment was muted and brief, it was clear: He hates what Clay Bennett is doing to his town. Some players speak up about a lot of things -- Etan Thomas and the Jena 6, Tracy McGrady and Darfur. But players (especially young ones) don't talk about relocation, they don't meddle in ownership business. Hawes, however subtly, stuck his neck out there. And we should applaud him for it.