As a native Oklahoman, it is past time for me to welcome the Sooner State to the NBA. You are going to love it.

One word of warning: Don’t expect a winner anytime soon.

Or ever.

You think just because the Seattle Sonics went 29 years without a title means the Oklahoma Team With No Name or Colors is due?

Guess again.

The NBA title is the toughest in pro team sports. It’s not baseball, in which 17 franchises have won the World Series in the last 25 years. And they didn’t even play one in 1994.

You think 29 years entitles you to something?

In Dallas, Mavericks fans have waited, mostly patiently, for 28 years. The team sniffed a title once, but let it slip from its grasp.

The Oklahoma Whatevers won 20 games last year in Seattle. You have some nice young players, starting with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and rookie Russell Westbrook, but they are green – just not Sonic green.

The Mavericks have the league MVP from two seasons ago. They have one of the 10 greatest point guards ever, and he isn’t quite finished. They are one year removed from a 67-win season.

And you know how many people in Dallas think the Mavericks are on the brink of a title now?

About five unless Mark Cuban has removed his name from the pursuit of a true winner – the Chicago Cubs.

The Sonics may have gone one more year than Dallas without a title, but that’s nothing in NBA terms.

Phoenix and Atlanta joined the league 40 years ago (the Hawks moved from St. Louis). Lots of exciting players have passed through, mostly through Phoenix. Number of titles: 0.

In 1976, the San Antonio Spurs joined the NBA. Thanks to the magic of bouncing ping pong balls and some shrewd drafting after receiving the gifts of David Robinson and Tim Duncan, the Spurs have won four titles. They are a model franchise.

But three other former ABA teams joined the NBA with the Spurs. That was 32 years ago. Number of titles in 96 combined seasons for the Nets, Nuggets and Pacers: 0.

It has been 30 years since the last title for Washington, 31 for Portland, 33 for Golden State and 35 for the once-relevant New York Knicks.

The San Diego-LA Clippers have been around 30 seasons without a title.

Cleveland may have LeBron, but the Cavaliers also have a 38-year history without a crown.

So get in line behind those teams if you think you are due.

Wait. It gets worse.

It has been 57 years since the Sacramento Kings franchise celebrated a title. And no one in California celebrated that one.

They were the Rochester Royals when they won the NBA title in 1951. That was at a time when NBA teams averaged 35 percent shooting. Think maybe Durant was just born too late?

Kidding. Love the guy.

The Kings moved to Cincinnati in 1957, Kansas City in 1972 and Sacramento in 1985 (all that westward travel and they still couldn’t reach the Pacific Ocean). All those years of Oscar Robertson, Tiny Archibald, Chris Webber. Number of titles: 0.

But, really, it’s a great league. Well, once you get past the notion that you are ever going to win something, it’s not that bad.