Sonics Get First Look At Lewis The Opponent

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The shooting stroke remains the same. Rashard Lewis takes passes from teammate Hedo Turkoglu and drains 3-pointers, just as he did for nine years with the Sonics, the same concentration and precision, the same attention to his release point.

The most dramatic offseason change for the Sonics was not the trade of Ray Allen to the Boston Celtics on draft night. It was Lewis accepting a free-agent contract from the Orlando Magic four days later, a Sonny Liston one-two punch to Seattle fans who had hoped the Sonics would retain both and make a playoff run this season.

While Allen is flourishing for the new-look Celtics, Lewis is putting up steady numbers for the Orlando Magic in the first year of a six-year, $118 million maximum contract that shocked many NBA observers. Lewis admitted he was stunned by the Magic's offer and even more surprised the Sonics agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that added a sixth year and about $27 million to his treasure chest.

Tuesday at Amway Arena, Lewis will face the team that nabbed him crying from that green room during the 1998 draft, dabbed his eyes with tissue and allowed him to flourish into one of the game's premier power forwards.

In nine years with the Sonics (1998-2007), Lewis reached the top 10 in 10 offensive categories in club history, and is the team's all-time 3-point leader.

"It's always going to be a little emotion in it because I wasn't the type of person that was on a lot of teams," Lewis said Monday after the Magic's practice. "At the same time I knew it was a business and I had to look to the future and not the past. I couldn't dwell on the past because it would have messed up my mind going to Orlando."

Lewis said he had no idea he played his final game for the Sonics when the regular season ended. He opted out of the final two years and $21 million of his contract to test the market but always maintained his desire to return to Seattle.

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source : seattlepi.nwsource.com