What Was OKC Without The Thunder?

What was OKC Without the Thunder?
The Oklahoma City Blazers, the Oklahoma Redhawks, the University of

Oklahoma Sooners, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In 2005, chances are you were
a fan of at least one of these teams or schools. Whether you had a house divided, or
you and your family made the trip to Norman or Stillwater on Saturday afternoons, we all
stood as fans of someone from Oklahoma; but who was your favorite NBA team?
My little league AAU team was called the Oklahoma Suns, and I was number 13.
Steve Nash was my favorite player, and the Phoenix Suns were my favorite team. I loved
watching Steve Nash keep his dribble for what seemed to be way too long as he would
drive baseline under the goal and around, then make the pass to a streaking Amare
Stoudemire for the dunk. Or maybe it was Leandro The Blur Barbosa rushing past
everyone on a fast break for a sweet reverse layup. The occasional, yet every
surprising 3 by the ever-questionable shot form of Shawn Marion was the best. I have a
friend who just loved the Miami Heat. He would buy every D-Wade sneaker, and wear
them to school so he could play in them at recess. Another friend of mine was obsessed
with the Sixers and the incredible heroics by the pound-for-pound greatest of all time,
Allen Iverson. He was the happiest person ever when The Answer released his
sneakers, the AI IVs, with the useless dial on the side. Everyone was used to being
able to watch their favorite players and teams play only once or twice a month, and that
was fine. Then, as odd as it sounds, Hurricane Katrina hit.
When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the New Orleans Arena was partially
damaged. The Citys infrastructure needed repairs badly. As a result of this, the New
Orleans Hornets signed a deal to play most of their Games at the Ford Center in
downtown Oklahoma City. The Hornets sold out every game. With soon-to-be rookie of
the year Chris Paul leading the way, the team looked like it was going to make the
playoffs with ease. The City was in love with the Hornets. It felt like maybe, just maybe,
the Hornets would stay forever. However, all good things must come to an end, and the
Hornets returned to New Orleans just before the season ended. They only won 3 of
their last 14 games and missed the playoffs with a below .500 record. Just like that, the
NBA was gone, and we missed it.
Then we waited.
A year or so went by, then on July 18, 2006, Clay Bennett and a few investors
bought the Seattle Supersonics for $350 million. On August 13, 2007, rumors broke
that the purchase of the franchise was made with intentions on moving the team to
Oklahoma City. After going through multiple obstacles and confrontations with the city
of Seattle, the Sonics finished the 2007-2008 season with the franchises worst record
ever at 20-62. This was the last straw. OU had lost yet another national championship
and it was time for something new in Oklahoma. Emails of Clay Bennetts leaked in
which he said he was a man possessed in regards to getting the team moved to
Oklahoma City. On April 18, 2008, NBA owners held a vote for the relocation of the
Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City. The vote results were 28-2, and on July 3, 2008,
the nameless team began their move to Oklahoma City.
When the NBA Summer League began, the team wore blank, black uniforms that
read Oklahoma City. There were articles in the Daily Oklahoman about possible
names for the new NBA franchise in Oklahoma City. It was becoming official. It was
between the Barons, with a blue and gold color scheme, and the Thunder. The Thunder
would have a light blue, yellow, and orange color scheme and they would have close
ties with the song Thunderstruck by AC/DC. This seemed to be more popular among
the people of Oklahoma. When the name of the team, just like when New Orleans
changed their name from the Hornets to the Pelicans, everyone made fun of the new
alias. The people weren't too thrilled about the uniforms of the newly-named Thunder
either. Nevertheless, the NBA was back in Oklahoma City, and it looked like it was there
to stay.
The Oklahoma City Thunder began their inaugural season in
OKC on October 29, 2008, when they lost to the
Milwaukee bucks. It didn't seem the city really cared
about that, due to their excitement to just have a team in
the
first place, but when the Thunder got their first win as a team
in
Oklahoma City on November 2nd, the fans didn't seem to mind
either. The
Thunder went on to finish their first season 23-59. A coaching
change was made when the Thunder named interim head coach Scott Brooks their new
official head coach. What in the world did we do before the Thunder came to town?
The 2009-2010 season was magical if I had to describe it in one word. The
Thunder made possibly one the most improbable turnarounds the league has ever
seen. Russell Westbrook went from a name around town to an emerging force. Kevin
Durant began to blossom as he would go on to become the youngest scoring champion
in league history. The thunder would go from 23-59 to securing a Western Conference
playoff spot. Now not only could you not remember what it was like to not have an NBA
team, you couldn't remember what it was like to suck. Scott Brooks received the coach
of the year award, and the Thunder would face the Lakers in the first round of the
playoffs. The Thunder gave them a run for their money, but the series ended in six
games when Pau Gasol hit a heart breaking put back layup with 0.5 seconds left in the
fourth quarter. The Thunder would move on to the offseason.
In the 2010-2011 season the Thunder only continued to get better. Kevin Durant
was named an all star starter, and Westbrook was named a reserve. KD earned his
second straight scoring title. The Thunder finished with a 55-27 record and went into the
playoffs as a 4 seed. This game 1 vs. the Nuggets was my first ever Oklahoma City
playoff game. The Thunder beat the Nuggets in 5 games, and moved on to beat the
Grizzlies in 7 games to advance to the Western Conference Finals. The Mavericks, and
soon to be NBA champions, beat the Thunder in 5 games.
Are you noticing a pattern? In the 2011-2012 season, the Thunder only. Got.
Better. After a lockout shortened the season, the Thunder finished the 66 game season
with a 47-19 record. They secured the 2 seed in the playoffs. The Mavericks were
swept, Lakers in 5, and Thunder pushed past the Spurs 4-2 when they won 4 straight
games after losing the first 2 fairly badly. The Oklahoma City Thunder were headed to
the NBA Finals. What in the world did we do before the Thunder came to town?
After winning game 1 against the heat in a pretty convincing fashion, the Heat
proceeded to win the next 4 games to win their first title with the big 3. When Lebron,
Wade, and Bosh won their first title against my team, I, and the whole state of Oklahoma
was the opposite of happy, whatever that is.
Since then, the Thunder have gone back down hill. The injury bug has come and
stayed, and the reality of the NBA struck. I was sitting at an OU vs. Notre Dame football
game when i received the despairing news that James Harden was gone. Yes, the
beard. Would anything ever be the same? But wait, it only got worse. After the Thunder
made it to the playoffs at the 1 seed with a 60 win season, it was looking promising that
they would only improve from last years NBA Finals loss. We got greedy. In game 2
against the rockets, guard Patrick Beverley took an unnecessary shot after the whistle at
Russell Westbrook, tearing his meniscus. The Thunder beat the rockets in 6 games, but
would be quickly eliminated in the western semis by the grizzlies. What in the world did
we do before the Thunder came to town?
It only got worse.
With Kevin Durant posting all 0s in 55 out of 82 games in the 2014-2015 season,
it was the Russell Westbrook show. KDs lingering foot issues caused him to miss a
whole lot more games than initially expected. Westbrook would miss a few games here
and there due to his knee, but he would finish his MVP candidate season strong as he
willed his team to a possible playoff spot.
Remember the Pelicans everyone made fun of?

I was at a friends house on that make or break night for the thunder. I had a $40
bet placed that the Thunder wouldn't make the playoffs, so I wasn't too worried either
way, but everyone else was pretty upset when we had to sit there in agony as the
Pelicans would win their final game, eliminating the Thunder from playoff contention for
the first time since 2008.
Who is your favorite NBA team? I know mine isnt the Phoenix Suns anymore.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the center of attention around these parts nowadays,
and i cant remember what it was ever like without them. What in the world did we do
before the Thunder came to town?

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The Oklahoma City Blazers, the Oklahoma Redhawks, the University of

Remember the Pelicans everyone made fun of?

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