Thunder Travels: Steve McGehee Discusses Gear Troubles, Packing Mishaps, Grind Of The Road

Non-stop is a perfect way to describe the Thunder season so far. We’re approaching game 25 Saturday night against Houston in the NBA Cup Semifinals.

In year number ten as Griffin Media’s Thunder reporter, the travel casualty’s mount up: luggage, batteries, camera, microphone cords, etc.

The only one that still irritates me to this day is my iPad. I was shooting a close game in Denver, so once the game was over, I was in a hurry to hustle through the crowd for post-game interviews downstairs. My iPad case was black, the table I was working on had a black tablecloth, so it blended right in. I searched to no avail and Lost and Found was honest by saying their cleaning crew rarely turns in lost items. Ugh!

Trying not to get in a rush and leave equipment behind is one of the biggest challenges when you follow the Thunder around the country. 

The luggage takes a beating. A good suitcase lasts maybe two seasons. Same for a carry-on roller. About two weeks ago, I had to buy a new carry-on, along with a new backpack, before I departed for Toronto. My backpack lasted some 9 ½ seasons. The replaced roller was struggling with a bad wheel, and the final straw was a cracked handle.

The new backpack and roller bag have been game-changers. Now it’s on to Nevada. Will it be a quick trip? That depends. If OKC loses to Houston on Saturday night, I’ll fly home on Sunday. If they win, I won’t head back until after the game in Miami on Dec. 20.

I sure hope I packed enough for potentially nine nights on the road. I’ve already made one mistake: I left home with my wife’s News 9 winter coat instead of mine. They’re identical, and in my rush, I grabbed the wrong one.

Does anybody know a good spot to buy a winter coat in Las Vegas?