I no longer care for this title.

As Sonics fans, you don't want anyone who is currently on this team to be christened the above. What the Sonics have going now is a good thing. We have a very respectable level of young talent with most everyone running, playing hard, and hustling. This young team has a sense that they all put their 'draws' on the same way, and they should bring their hard hat to work like everyone else, get floor burns like everyone else.

There is a phobia shared from fans and owners that if you don't have a superstar, you are somehow not a professional team. You somehow lack an identity or any ability for the team to be competitive. It has gotten so crazy, that every team in the league has at least 2 of these stars on the roster. There are teams with 3 and 4 of these stars that have losing records. They take the strategic creativity out the game and put the potential of 1, over the potential of 12. Game plans are hastily based around guys who are talented but are not dominant, and cannot, and often do not prove they can win.

Once superstardom lost its association with winning and forged a partnership with scoring, this goal has turned into a distraction. Not since Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson has this meant something about winning. It effectively adds to a league swearing by overvalued and over privileged celebrity, and for most NBA teams have served themselves high payrolls and little else.

'Superstar' in the NBA is now effectively a misnomer.

The message board thread asking whether Rashard Lewis could be a superstar tangentially motivated this observation. It's a question that most Sonic fans including myself have asked over the past 3 seasons.

Back then, this question meant something. Rashard Lewis was the only young player, on a team filled with veterans, arriving with some recognizable fanfare, offensive ability, athleticism, and size. He was the only player that served as proof that the Sonics had a future.

And how bright the future? No one knew, and we continue to ask ourselves that until this day.

In the meantime, Lewis has already been joined by at least 3 other young gifted players, Vladimir Radmanovic, Earl Watson, and Desmond Mason who will be just as integral to the Sonics future as he is.

Yet the question remains, can Lewis be a superstar?

We may be trying to answer an old question that no longer needs to be answered.

This is a different team now. The demographic of our team has gone from old to young, out-of-shape to athletic. Lewis is no longer the youngster surrounded by aging veteran faces, the sole beacon that shines on an unknown future. The Sonics have added an abundance of very capable talent, each year another piece to the puzzle. Right now, looking at our roster, we have at least 4 players outside of Payton capable of great things in their own right.

Further, the NBA already has run out its lease on individualism to the downfall of its league. Most fans are simply not buying into the one or two-man shows. I rather the Sonics brass not send this franchise in that direction. Having this team run through Lewis, or any of the above-mentioned individuals will certainly produce star-like numbers for the individual it caters to. But Twenty-two or so 'superstar' points a game is not bringing this franchise any further tomorrow then what Gary's 24 points is doing today.

Team play is what's bringing and will continue to bring this franchise out of stagnation, not the relative celebrity of any one of its players.

This unit: Rashard Lewis, Desmond Mason, Vladimir Radmanovic, Earl Watson, et al -- individualism is not going to make this group special. Watching Radmanovic tussle with Alonzo Mourning, Watson and Barry getting up the floor on both ends, Mason and others, I would hate to see their contributions diminished.

Being the man for the Sonics shouldn't even be a goal for Lewis any longer. Superstardom and individual accolades should be extracted from his lexicon. His goals should now become one with the team. Lewis will, for as long as he is a Sonic, be in the top 3 in scoring, and at least the top 3 in rebounding. With that contribution, whether he be considered a superstar shouldn't even be a concern.

The success of the Sonics, with his teammates -- his equally talented teammates -- should be the goal on his and everyone's minds, and I can't see winning consistently if they don't play, hustle, win, lose and share the glory.

In concert.

Certainly there will raise players who are more clutch then others. But as to not let the 48th minute of a game become the focus of the franchise, the bigger picture is the potential of 12, not 1.

Somewhere along the line, whether Rashard Lewis can be a superstar has become largely academic, as the Sonics would be shooting themselves in the foot to not take full advantage of their complete depth and all their emerging talent.

If a team doesn't happen to have a true bona fide superstar -- then so what: As to not add to the repugnance that has already seized the entire league, we, the Sonics, can win as a team.

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