For a brief stretch in the 1990s, before they helped change music history and make flannel cool, Pearl Jam briefly went by the name "Mookie Blaylock." Yes, that Mookie Blaylock. The same one who played point guard for the University of Oklahoma during the Billy Ball craze of the 1980s. The name didn't last long – you can read the back story behind it here – but to pay homage to Mookie, the Seattle rockers named their debut album after his jersey number. That album was "10," and it helped changed the future and landscape of rock and roll.
Well, it looks like that's not the only weird basketball-related connection the band has with Oklahoma.
On Wednesday Night, Pearl Jam played a concert at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte for their Fall 2013 Tour. It's the same tour that will make a stop in Oklahoma City later this month.
The Charlotte Observer published a review of the concert, which includes a strange note about Oklahoma City:
Vedder’s patter was kept to a minimum, but left an impression.
He made light of the fact that Pearl Jam hadn’t been through Charlotte in 10 years: “To be honest, we might be a bit upset because you have a basketball team and we don’t,” he said, lamenting the SuperSonics’ move to Oklahoma City in 2008.