[62] They also traded forward Jerami Grant to the Denver Nuggets for a 2020 protected first-round pick. [89][90], A second alternate uniform was unveiled on March 1, 2015. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. NBA Privacy Center | They met the Memphis Grizzlies for the third time in the playoffs, which set a record for most consecutive overtimes in a playoff series, with four. The increasing leadership of Kevin Durant, along with the growing experience of the Thunder's younger players, including future MVPs Russell Westbrook and James Harden, were signs of the Thunder's improvement. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Oklahoma City Thunder seasons. After the George trade, general manager Presti sensed that the future of the franchise was in jeopardy as the team could not seriously contend with Westbrook as the lone star. The 22% stake has been held by McClendon’s estate since his 2016 death. These people arrived a good 45 minutes early for last night's Game 1 — and by "these people" I mean "everyone with a ticket" — then clapped their way through pregame warm-ups with such infectious enthusiasm that I remember saying to a friend, "No way these yahoos keep this up for three hours, they're going to burn out." Fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder are mourning, as Aubrey McClendon, co-owner of the NBA team, is dead in what appears to be a possible suicide. In addition, the SuperSonics awarded an honorary microphone to longtime broadcaster Bob Blackburn, who had called the majority of the team's games from 1967 through 1992.[82][83]. SportsMoney. [26] Forbes also noted an increase in percentage of available tickets sold, from 78 percent in the team's last season in Seattle to 100 percent in 2008–09.[27]. [64] Following the season, Billy Donovan’s contract was not renewed, and both sides agreed to mutually part ways.[65]. [8][9] The team plays its home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena.[10]. The Thunder participated in the Orlando Pro Summer League featuring their second-year players, potential free agents and rookies. Accessibility and Closed Caption | [105] On September 17, 2014, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that 15-year NBA veteran Michael Cage would be the new color analyst, joining Brian Davis on television and Matt Pinto on the radio when the game is exclusive to a national television broadcast. According to majority owner Clay Bennett, the team's logo takes several of its elements from other Oklahoma sports teams, such as the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls. The Oklahoma City Thunder also had the same record as the Boston Celtics in this season. The team brought their record to 23–59 and improved upon their record of 20–62 from the team's final season in Seattle. The team was originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967–68 season. Ultimately, the OKC Thunder ownership road the storm of retaining superstar talent in a small market and paid the price this past year. A city ballot initiative approved by a 62 percent margin on March 4, 2008, extended a prior one-cent city sales tax for a period of 15 months in order to fund $101 million in budgeted improvements to the arena and a separate $20 million practice facility for a relocated franchise.[68]. [29] The team's operating situation also continued to improve in 2009–10. Not only were they winning more often, they played much more competitively than in the first part of the season. In addition, the Thunder was the first to sweep their back-to-back-to-back games, winning a home-and-home series with the Houston Rockets, then routing the San Antonio Spurs. [31] The magazine also estimated the franchise's revenue at $118 million and operating profit at $22.6 million – up 6.3 percent and 78 percent, respectively, from the previous year. [clarification needed] On July 3, the Thunder signed Sebastian Telfair. During the middle of the season Westbrook and Durant both came back, and similarly suffered more injuries. The Thunder's NBA G League affiliate is the Oklahoma City Blue, which it owns. Earl Watson scored the first points of the season with a layup. Oklahoma City has lost seven straight and 21 of 22. The late-season successes of the Thunder contributed to the signing of Scott Brooks as the team's official head coach. The move to join the 73-win team from last season was heavily criticized by the public and sports media, with many comparing the move to LeBron James' 2010 off-season departure from Cleveland to the Miami Heat. Manage Preferences, The Official Site of the Oklahoma City Thunder. [75], Thunder fans are also reportedly much more likely to attend major home games than most other NBA fanbases. 4", "Where Are They Now? [54] Additionally, the Thunder traded a 2019 second-round pick to acquire Hamidou Diallo, who had been selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 45th pick. To further bolster the roster and improve Westbrook's supporting cast, the Thunder's front office made a series of aggressive moves to reshape the team. After the Thunder's win over the Utah Jazz on February 11, 2012, Scott Brooks was named as the head coach for the Western Conference All-Star squad for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida. The Thunder wore the sunset alternates for 18 games in the 2015–2016 season, including all 13 of its Sunday games. According to majority owner Clay Bennett, the team's logo takes several of its elements from other Oklahoma sports teams, such as the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls. Video: Oklahoma City Thunder Owner Clay Bennett Wants all 30 Teams in Orlando. The franchise's titles include three Western Conference championships and one NBA title in 1979. This was also the Thunder's first playoff win at the Ford Center. In addition, Kendrick Perkins lost more than 30 pounds during the lockout. the NBA Privacy Center, it will apply to data controlled independently by the NBA. The Thunder finished with a 60–22 regular season, taking both the Northwest division title and top seed of the Western Conference. Durant led the way with 34 points, playing all of regulation time in the game. Aubrey McClendon -- co-owner of the OKC Thunder -- crashed his car into a bridge and killed himself in what appears to be a suicide mission... one day after he was charged with conspiracy. The Thunder’s Owner, Called The Professional Basketball Club, Has Eight Members Including … Buy and sell locally. Adam Augustyn is Managing Editor, Reference Content at Encyclopædia Britannica. [98] As in 2019, the Thunder's appearance in the 2020 NBA playoffs gave them an "Earned" uniform for the 2021 season. Copyright © 2021 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Terms of Use | Few local results found. [This quote needs a citation] Oklahoma City also signed Semaj Christon in the draft. [106], Davis was replaced as the television play-by-play announcer by Chris Fisher prior to the 2018–19 season. [99], All Thunder games are broadcast on the Thunder Radio Network, fronted by flagship stations WWLS-FM 98.1 and KWPN AM 640 in Oklahoma City. Their sunset orange "Earned" uniforms from the previous season became the basis of their new "Statement" uniform, albeit with lighter blue lettering. The 2009–10 season included several victories over the NBA's elite teams, including a 28-point blowout over the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic and a 16-point blowout of the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. Paul made the 2020 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve, making it his tenth selection, and his first since 2016. Though they hovered around .500 for the first half of the season, they went on a 9-game winning streak that sent them into serious playoff contention. In Seattle, the SuperSonics qualified for the NBA playoffs 22 times, won their division six times, advanced to three NBA Finals, and won the 1979 NBA Championship. [76] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams. [59] Additionally, the Thunder acquired center Nerlens Noel in free agency,[60] and traded for Abdel Nader from the Boston Celtics.[61]. The SuperSonics relocated from Seattle, Washington to Oklahoma City in 2008 after a settlement was reached between the ownership group led by Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle following a lawsuit. It was finished at a cost of $89.2 million. McClendon owned an estimated 20 percent of the Thunder and was part of the ownership group led by Clay Bennett that relocated the … [13] The sale of the SuperSonics and Storm was approved by NBA owners the following October. Oklahoma City did not make any major moves in the off-season, other than drafting James Harden from Arizona State University with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft. In their 41 seasons in Seattle, the SuperSonics compiled a 1745–1585 (.524) win–loss record in the regular season and went 107–110 (.493) in the playoffs. The Thunder also signed free agents Hasheem Thabeet and Daniel Orton, and signed guards Andy Rautins and DeAndre Liggins. [11] The Thunder are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the state of Oklahoma. American basketball team. A new "City" uniform for the season commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing and it featured a black and gold palette. [12] Oklahoma City previously hosted the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons following devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. All televised games are called by Brian Davis on play-by-play and Michael Cage as color commentator. He Was Involved in the Relocation of the team from Seattle. Kevin Durant became the sixth player to score 30 or more points in four consecutive games at the start of a season. Players have included University of Oklahoma alumni, former major college standouts, and former NFL players, … Following the suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season, the Thunder were one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble to participate in the final 8 games of the regular season. In the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the Thunder swept the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in the first round to advance and face off against their first round foes from 2010, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Oklahoma City Thunder have gone through a turbulent offseason, ... the Thunder will be looking for a new part-owner of the franchise, as a … With the 21st and 29th picks in the 2014 NBA draft, the Thunder selected Mitch McGary from Michigan and Josh Huestis from Stanford. [73] Rumble was the winner of the 2008–2009 NBA Mascot of the Year.[74]. The team has yet to win a championship since moving to Oklahoma City. He missed 16 games, during which Oklahoma City went 4–12. But they lost shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha as his contract expired and he agreed to a three-year, $12 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks. This was Donovan's first major NBA coaching job, after he initially accepted and then left the Orlando Magic job in 2007. The woman pictured above with a very large, fancy ring on her finger is Jennifer Saba. Several weeks before the season started, the Thunder suffered a setback as Durant was diagnosed with a Jones fracture in his right foot and missed the first 17 games of the season. The team and its fanbase regularly use the slogan "Thunder Up!" On April 22, the team secured their first playoff win in Oklahoma City when they defeated the defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers 101–96. Westbrook, in that game, also hit the game winning buzzer beater from 36 feet, ending the Nuggets' playoffs hopes and securing the Thunder's 3rd seed matchup with the Houston Rockets in the NBA playoffs. Note: All arenas used before 2008 were used by the defunct Seattle SuperSonics franchise. [86][87][88], An alternate uniform was unveiled on November 8, 2012, featuring only navy blue and white colors. On March 20, 2019, the club officially retired number 4 in honor of Nick Collison, who played for the team from 2003 to 2018. Durant was ruled out of the rest of the season in March, deciding to have foot surgery. He is a co-owner of the Thoroughbred bay stallion Caleb's Posse, winner of the $1 million Dirt Mile at the 2011 Breeders' Cup. For details on Seattle SuperSonics history, see Seattle SuperSonics records. Oklahoma City Thunder co-owner Aubrey McClendon died Wednesday at the age of 56 following a car accident. [23], In their regular-season home opener, the Thunder faced (and lost to) the Milwaukee Bucks. [33] The Thunder won the series four games to one and were set to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies who achieved an eight-seed upset over the San Antonio Spurs just days before. You know what burned out? The Thunder finished 50–32, more than doubling their win total from the previous season. With Billy Donovan as the team's head coach the Thunder won the Northwest Division and clinched the third seed in the Western Conference. After starting 3–29, the Thunder finished the regular season 20–30 for the remaining fifty games. Billy Donovan was hired on April 30, 2015. 19,537 talking about this. [103] On October 22, 2012, the Thunder announced that Lesley McCaslin would be the new Thunder sideline reporter. The Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Finals with a seven-game series triumph over the Grizzlies. There's genuine devotion here. Here are some from nearby areas. [53] Kevin Hervey signed with the Thunder's NBA G-League affiliate, Oklahoma City Blue. Around 15 to 20 regular-season games were broadcast over the air on KSBI, which had a network of re-broadcasters spanning the entire state. [107], For the minor league American football team, see, Professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 2008–2009: Move to Oklahoma City and inaugural season, 2009–2012: Rise to contention and first Finals appearance, 2016–2017: Durant's departure and Westbrook's MVP season, major professional North American sports leagues, devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City, relocated to Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina, List of Oklahoma City Thunder accomplishments and records, List of Oklahoma City Thunder head coaches, "History: Team by Team–Oklahoma City Thunder", "NBA.com/Stats–Oklahoma City Thunder seasons", "Thunder Unveils New Uniform in Partnership with Oklahoma City National Memorial", "Oklahoma City Thunder Reproduction and Usage Guideline Sheet", "The Heart of OKC: Thunder, Love's Expand Partnership to Include Prominent Placement on Thunder Jersey", "Western Conference Insider: Realigning the West", "City Preparing Ford Center For NBA Team", "28 Teams In 28 Days: Meet The Oklahoma City Blue", "The Thunder Hits Oklahoma City Wednesday", "Basketball Club of Seattle Announces Sale of Sonics & Storm", "NBA board approves sale of Sonics, Storm", "THE PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL CLUB, LLC AND CITY OF SEATTLE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT", "SuperSonics, Seattle reach last-minute settlement", "Seattle and Oklahoma City will share the Sonics' franchise history", "Oklahoma City will be named Thunder, wear blue, orange, yellow", "Oklahoma City NBA team to face hectic pace in preseason", "Carlesimo fired; Brooks to take over Thunder in interim", "Thunder snap 14-game losing streak behind Durant's 30", "NBA Playoffs in Numbers: Eight Statistics You Weren't Expecting", "Thunder beats Clippers to wrap up Northwest Division title", "Durant's epic performance in Game 5 is what legends are made of", "Kevin Durant, Washington win city battle", "Kevin Durant's move to leave Thunder for Warriors is worse than LeBron James' 'Decision': That's Debatable", "Warriors Sign Free Agent Forward Kevin Durant", "Splash! On April 22, 2015, Scott Brooks was fired as the Thunder head coach. For their first two seasons, the Thunder's TV broadcasts were split between Fox Sports Oklahoma (a regional fork of Fox Sports Southwest), which broadcast most of the games, and independent station KSBI (channel 52), with around 65 Thunder games airing during the season and more than half of the games available in HD on Fox Sports Oklahoma, along with other team-related programming such as pre-game shows. After moving to Oklahoma City from Seattle, the team's operating situation improved markedly. [67], A plan for such build-out improvements began in 2007. It was reported after the trade was announced that George had privately requested the trade to the Clippers as a result of superstar free agent Kawhi Leonard convincing George to team up with him on the Clippers. Thunder players Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Perkins, and Ibaka made it onto the 2012 All-Star ballots. He’s an uber wealthy executive who owns Oak Tree Country Club, is a former co-owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and really really really wants to get that ring back. In 2006, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz sold the SuperSonics and its Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) sister franchise, the Seattle Storm, for $350 million to the Professional Basketball Club LLC, a group of Oklahoma City investors led by Clay Bennett. it will apply to data controlled jointly by the NBA and WarnerMedia as well as other data controlled by WarnerMedia. Opened on June 8, 2002, as the Ford Center, Chesapeake Energy Arena was built without luxury accommodations but designed to accommodate luxury "buildouts" should a professional sports franchise make the Chesapeake Energy Arena their home arena. The white "Association" uniform now featured the city name in front along with the outline of the state of Oklahoma on the beltline. [96], Nike also released an "Earned" uniform starting with the 2018–19 season and were only given to the 16 teams who qualified in the 2018 NBA playoffs. [81], As the Thunder's original iteration, the Seattle SuperSonics had retired six numbers. Assistant coach Scott Brooks then took over on an interim basis. On July 6, 2017, the Thunder acquired four-time All-Star forward Paul George in a trade with the Indiana Pacers in exchange for guard Victor Oladipo and forward Domantas Sabonis. The front of the blue "Icon" uniform now reads the team name in front while keeping the OKC acronym on the beltline. On October 27, 2012, the Thunder traded Harden along with center Cole Aldrich and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, first round draft picks from Toronto and Dallas, and one second round draft pick. The Thunder would go on to tie the series at two games each, but the Lakers won the last two games in the series to win it 4–2. In the wake of a fourth-seed versus fifth-seed match-up against the Denver Nuggets, Kevin Durant scored 41 points in Game 1 to set a new career playoff high. This absurd story was posted on Twitter by MSN , where LeBron found it and decided to offer up a joke that he had to cancel his plans to watch the Lakers tonight at the bar. Mike Ozanian. Browse photos and search by condition, price, and more. [17] The terms awarded the city $45 million to get out of the remaining lease at KeyArena, and would have provided an additional $30 million payment to Seattle in 2013 if certain conditions had been met. The owners agreed to leave the SuperSonics name, logo and colors in Seattle for a possible future NBA franchise;[disputed – discuss][18] however, the items would remain the property of the Oklahoma City team along with other "assets", including championship banners and trophies. [92], Moving to Nike in 2017, the Thunder kept their existing white ("Association") and blue ("Icon") uniforms almost intact with the exception of the "OKC" abbreviation on the beltline and truncated shoulder stripes. The Thunder made their two pre-season appearances, after the lockout, against the Dallas Mavericks, winning both games. General manager Sam Presti traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers on July 10, 2019. They ended up losing in overtime by the score of 112–105. In Game 6, the Thunder defeated the Spurs 107–99 and advanced to the 2012 NBA Finals. The Thunder selected Rodrigue Beaubois with the 25th pick in the 2009 draft before immediately trading him to the Dallas Mavericks for the 24th pick, center Byron Mullens from Ohio State University. Wrong. [57] In July 2018, the Thunder traded forward Carmelo Anthony and a 2022 protected first round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-way trade. The 50–32 record tied the 2008 Denver Nuggets for the most wins by an 8th seed in the modern Playoffs era. [3], The "City" uniform for 2020–21 contained a black base along with the Thunder's signature blue and orange colors splashed throughout. [97], Beginning with the 2019–20 season, the Thunder unveiled new uniforms. Starting with the 2011 season, the team competes in the Gridiron Developmental Football League, playing in the Midwest-North Division in the GDFL's Impact Conference. During the opening game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Westbrook scored 38 points, but found himself sidelined due to a small fracture in his right hand. Martin took over Harden's sixth-man role for the season. On April 2, 2017, Westbrook tied Oscar Robertson's record for most triple-doubles in an NBA season (41); he broke the record on April 9 against the Denver Nuggets, marking his 42nd triple-double of the season. Maynor immediately supplanted Ollie as the backup point guard. The name "Thunder" was chosen in reference to Oklahoma's location in Tornado Alley and Oklahoma City as the home of the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division, the Thunderbirds. They won their first division title as the Thunder in the 2010–11 season and their first Western Conference championship as the Thunder in the 2011–12 season, appearing in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in franchise history and first time since 1996, when the team was based in Seattle. The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. Hakeem Onafowokan joined the Oklahoma City Thunder in May 2021. The Thunder made their first appearance in Billings, Montana on October 8, 2008 in an 88–82 preseason loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves. [55] Diallo signed a three-year contract with the Thunder. Seattle arenas had hosted two NBA All-Star Games; the 1974 game in Seattle Center Coliseum and the 1987 game in the Kingdome, where SuperSonics forward Tom Chambers grabbed MVP honors. From the outset the young team looked determined and cohesive. On August 3, 2010, the Thunder signed a new exclusive multi-year agreement with Fox Sports Oklahoma (since rebranded as Bally Sports Oklahoma as of 2021), beginning with the 2010–11 season, ending the team's broadcasts on KSBI. If you make a request through the WarnerMedia Privacy Center, In his role as vice president of Corporate Legal, he advises on a broad range of … Despite hard-fought battles with the eventual NBA champs, the Thunder fell to the Dallas Mavericks 4–1 in the Western Conference Finals. It came in the wake of the acquisition of the Seattle SuperSonics by an Oklahoma City-based ownership group the previous October. Do Not Sell My Personal Information | [75], Simmons speculated that the Oklahoma City bombing played a major part in the team's culture, noting that Thunder general manager Sam Presti has every new Thunder player visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial, and encourages players to look into the stands and consider that many of the team's fans were personally affected by the event. For the complete list of Seattle SuperSonics executives, see: Seattle SuperSonics executives. They defeated the Lakers in five games and advanced to play the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. [101][102] During the 2009–10 season, KSBI telecast all Thunder games it aired in high definition (KSBI had previously aired in HD the first regular-season game played at the Ford Center – against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 29, 2008 – while all other games during the 2008–09 season were telecast on KSBI in standard definition). He also noted, however, that the fact that the Thunder is the only team from Oklahoma City (or indeed the state of Oklahoma) in one of the nation's four major leagues contributes mightily to the city's devotion. The team finished second in the Western conference with a 59–23 record. ''The biggest issues was our first-half defense,'' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault … Matt Pinto is the radio voice of the Thunder.[100]. [58] The Thunder also acquired guard Deonte Burton, signing him to a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Blue. The Oklahoma Thunder are a professional American football team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. [34][35][36][37] When the abbreviated training camp began, Oklahoma City started with an intact roster and all players, except for Russell Westbrook. Traffic cop at the intersection of money and sports. Renovation work on the arena was delayed by a sales tax-receipts shortfall during the 2008–10 economic crisis. But the team managed to prevent history by winning their next game on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies.[25]. On August 4, 2016, Westbrook agreed to a three-year extension to remain with the Thunder. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced the 8th-seeded Houston Rockets, featuring former team member James Harden. [14][15] In 2007, Bennett announced that the franchise would move to Oklahoma City as soon as the lease with KeyArena expired.[16]. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. [95] For 2018–19, the Thunder's "City" uniform featured a turquoise base and bold white lettering with navy and sunset orange trim; the uniform was inspired by Oklahoma's Native American heritage. The 2017–18 "City" uniform featured a grey base with sunset orange and blue lines that were inspired by the Thunder's uptempo style. During the extended lockout, Thunder players played in exhibition games and even local pickup games to stay in shape. Despite the team's loss, Westbrook averaged a +14 while on the court and a triple-double during the series and was named league MVP after the season. [20][84][85] The uniform design was unveiled on September 29, 2008. Road victories over the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks further enhanced their reputation. In the 2017 NBA draft, the Thunder selected guard Terrance Ferguson with the 21st pick, and signed him to a four-year rookie-scale contract.[45]. The dude pictured with her is G. Edward Evans. All rights reserved. [51] The Thunder finished the 2017–18 season with a 48–34 record and lost to the Utah Jazz 4–2 in the first round of the playoffs. In June 2008, a lawsuit brought by the city of Seattle against Bennett due to his attempts to break the final two years of the Sonics' lease at KeyArena went to federal court. They re-signed forward Serge Ibaka to a four-year, $48 million extension. 18 in the NBA. [38][39] With the 14th and the 48th picks in the 2015 NBA draft, the Thunder selected Cameron Payne from Murray State and Dakari Johnson from Kentucky. This site is operated jointly by NBA and WarnerMedia. which was prominently displayed on T-shirts during the 2012 playoffs. Note: All mascots used before 2008 were used by the defunct Seattle SuperSonics franchise.
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