Before I congratulate the 2025 NBA Champions and talk about 17 years of memorable moments while eating pizza rolls, I have to say this: I kind of hate the Oklahoma City Thunder.
I don't hate the city, the team, or any player on the roster (I'm actually a fan of most of them). I hate that the team exists because the Seattle SuperSonics were the second-favorite team of my childhood.
The Glove!
The Reign Man!
Slick, Downtown, X-Man, Flip, The Hawk, Bones, and Kevin Calabro screaming, "Get on that magic carpet and ride!"
Top 10 Alley Oops: Gary Payton to Shawn Kemp
I love it all and wish the NBA would stop sharing the Sonics' history with the Thunder. Have you seen Gary Payton's
NBA.com profile page
with the Thunder logo? Yuck!
So, even though Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said selling the Sonics was "one of the biggest regrets of his professional life," I still refuse to buy anything at Starbucks. And I'm a caffeine addict who drinks an Iced Coffee within five minutes of waking up every morning and another after lunch.
Looking back at the 2006 sale of the Sonics, the most surprising aspect is the $350 million price tag. That price is $30 million less than the contract extension MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is eligible for.
More surprising than a team being worth "only" a few hundred million in the late 2000s is that Schultz bought the team in 2000 for $200 million from Barry Ackerley, who had purchased the team in 1983 for $16 million. $16 million doesn't even cover Lu Dort's salary in 2025.
As for the current value of the franchise, it was $3.7 billion prior to their 2025 Championship win. Considering this young group has the potential to be even better with experience and future draft picks, I'm confident this team could fetch $4 billion or more if it were on the current market. A market that has just seen the Lakers receive a $10 billion valuation.
In honor of the championship by the team I don't actually "hate," let's revisit some great, funny, not-so-funny, and WTF moments from the past 17 years.
THEY WERE ALMOST THE OKC BISON? (2008)
15 Years Ago: Thunder is Born | Relive the Day the OKC Thunder Logo Was Unveiled | September 3, 2008
When the NBA was trying to come up with a new team name,
they filed trademark requests
for the following names:
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Marshalls
Oklahoma City Energy
Oklahoma City Wind
Oklahoma City Barons
Oklahoma City Bison
On September 3rd, 2008 (two days after the Thunder logo was leaked online. It was cool but not as memorable of a leak as the Kim K/Ray J tape from the previous year), the franchise officially unveiled the final name and logo at Leadership Square in downtown OKC to the sounds of 'THUNDERSTRUCK' by AC/DC.
"There's just all kinds of good thunder images and thoughts, and the in-game experience of Thunder," Owner Clay Bennett said. "Just here was a good sense of how that evokes emotion. It's very powerful."
I don't know how close BISON was to being chosen for the team name, but they did decide to make a Bison the mascot. He's cool but not as cool as Squatch,
the dunking Sasquatch.
THE FIRST GAME, BUCKET, & WIN (2008)
First Ever OKC Thunder Game 2008 1
On October 10, 2008, the Thunder played their first regular-season game. This was the starting lineup they introduced to the sell-out home crowd:
Kevin Durant
Nick Collison
Jeff Green
Earl Watson
Johan Petro
Petro attempted and missed the first shot in franchise history. After a bucket by Bucks center Andrew Bogut, point guard Earl Watson drove baseline and scored the first bucket for the Thunder. Jeff Green scored the next Thunder points at the free throw line, and it was a struggle for the rest of the half. The Thunder finished with 14 points in the first quarter, 35 at the half and went on to lose the game 87-98.
KD started his sophomore season hitting just 5-of-14 shots for 12 points. Chris Wilcox and rookie Russell Westbrook each had a team-high 13 points off the bench.
Their first win came against the Timberwolves in their third game of the season. KD had a team-high 18, but Westbrook was the star of the game with 14 points, a pair of steals in the 4th, and the clutch layup that gave them the lead in the final two minutes.
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THE TOP DRAFT PICKS (2009-2022)
James Harden 2009 Draft 2009
FYI: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were drafted by the Seattle Supersonics. KD played one season with a Sonics jersey, and Westbrook got to shake David Stern's hand with a Sonics hat. The team became the Thunder a month after the Westbrook Draft.
JAMES HARDEN (2009 - 3RD PICK)
Many teams likely wish they could redo this draft. Memphis selected future Thunder player Hasheem Thabeet with the second pick. Minnesota used the 5th and 6th picks on point guards not named Stephen Curry. OKC did well by taking Harden with the 3rd pick. Surprisingly, many voters in a live ESPN draft poll weren't as excited. 30% of the voters gave the pick a B rating, 23% gave it a C, and 12% an F!
Can you believe that?
Can you also believe The Beard only started in seven games during his three years with the Thunder? Equally hard to believe is he averaged just 9.9 points and 1.8 assists as a rookie. The only way I can imagine Harden putting up those numbers for an entire season is if every game that season was an elimination game.
He did win 6th Man of The Year during his third and final year with the Thunder. That wasn't enough to convince management that they should do everything they could to sign him instead of Serge Ibaka. They went with Ibaka, and Harden went to Houston, where he won MVP and put up some of the gaudiest numbers in NBA history. H-Town is also home to a strip club featuring a giant Harden poster behind the stage.
STEVEN ADAMS (2013 - 12TH PICK)
Steven Adams is simply Thunder-struck
"Everybody loves his personality. People are talking about this guy like he's Eddie Murphy, circa 1983."
That's what Bill Simmons had to say about Adams while the center, who averaged just seven points and six boards a game in college, while he was walking to the Draft stage to shake David Stern's hands.
He was right. Besides being good for a double-double every game, Adams was good for some hilarious stories and postgame quotes, often with Russell Westbrook on his side ("Next question!"). One of my favorite stories about their friendship is when Adams told
STUFF
about this moment in the showers.
"One of our players was having a tough time, and I was kinda in the background, hidden. I wasn’t stalking or anything; I was actually taking a shower, to be honest. But I kinda peeked over, and he was having a word, really trying to just bring one of our teammates up and really help him out mentally and get him back on track. It was really good stuff what he was saying. That’s when I was like, 'Man, this guy’s legit. He’s actually a legit dude for doing that.' Most players will just be like, ‘Oh, we all have troubles, whatever,' but he went out of his way to really help the dude out.”
Adams also told an amusing story on the
Old Man And The Three podcast
about Rick Carlisle being the only person who was honest with him at the NBA Draft combine.
"I was just there for the ride. I had no expectations of even making the NBA. Carlisle was the only one brutally honest with me, 'You averaged 6 and 6, why'd you come out of college? That's not a good number.'"
What is a good number is $39 million. That's how much the 11-year vets' new 3-year deal with the Houston Rockets is.
CAMERON PAYNE (2015 - 14TH PICK)
Who do you think helped Russ come up with all of those great pre-game dances that pissed off Charlie Villanueva (more about that later).
DOMANTAS SABONIS (2016 - 11TH PICK - Draft Night Trade)
Remember that scene in JOHN WICK when Viggo explains to his idiot son that "the bodies Wick buried that day laid the foundation of what we are now?" Sam Presti can tell a similar story about Sabonis.
Traded Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic for Sabonis and Victor Oladipo on Draft night.
After one season, Presti traded Sabonis and Oladipo to the Pacers for Paul George.
After two All-Star seasons in OKC, Presti sent George to the Clippers for SGA and 1,547 future draft picks, including the 2022 1st-round pick that became Jalen Williams.
After a few All-Star seasons in Indiana, the Pacers sent Sabonis to the Kings for Tyrese Haliburton.
Welcome to the 2025 NBA Finals!
JOSH GIDDEY (2021 - 6TH PICK)
The youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double was a mixtape favorite during his first few years with the Thunder. That's not why he's on this list. The reason is because he was traded for Alex Caruso. Quite a few Thunder fans weren't initially fond of the trade, but I'm sure they have changed their minds since.
Jalen Williams selected No. 12 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder| 2022 NBA Draft | CBS Sports …
CHET HOLMGREN & JALEN WILLIAMS (2022 - 2ND AND 12TH PICK)
Now, this is what you call a great draft. Chet would have been Rookie Of The Year if the NBA didn't allow aliens to play. Jalen Williams was All-NBA 3rd team this year and just became the third-youngest player ever to score 40 in a Finals game.
My favorite example of a team getting two greats out of a single draft is when the Mavs traded their 6th pick for the 9th and 19th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft. They took Dirk Nowitzki with the 9th and traded the 19th for Steve Nash.
SHOUT OUT TO THE DEFENDERS (2010-2025)
Why this defense is crushing modern offenses
Six players have made an All-Defensive team. Ibaka is the only one to make it more than once. He was also runner-up for the 2012 Defensive Player Of The Year award that went to Tyson Chandler.
Thabo Sefolosha - Second Team (2010)
Serge Ibaka - First Team (2012, 2013, 2014)
Paul George - First Team (2019)
Andre Roberson - Second Team (2017)
Lu Dort - First Team (2025)
Jalen Williams - Second Team (2025)
SHOUT OUT TO THE ALL-STARS (2010-2025)
Russell Westbrook 41 Points in Under 20 Minutes! | 2017 NBA All-Star Game | 02.19.17
Six players have made an All-Star team, and only four have made it more than once. KD (2012) and Westbrook (2015 & 2016) both won MVP awards.
Kevin Durant (2010-16)
Russell Westbrook (2011-13, 2015-19)
Paul George (2018, 2019)
Chris Paul (2020)
Shai Gilgeoius-Alexander (2023-2025)
Jalen Williams (2025)
CRAZY STAT:
Westbrook scored 41 points (16/26 FG) in 19 minutes during the 2017 All-Star game.
WHO IS OKC'S SUPERFAN?
Hader and Simmons at The Finals
They don't call Chesapeake Energy Arena "Loud City" for nothing. The Thunder are known for having some of the loudest fans in the league, and Gregg Popovich once said it's the hardest road arena to coach in due to the volume of the fans.
But does OKC have any superfans like Spike Lee and Timothee Chalamet for the Knicks or Jack Nicholson for the Lakers?
Do they even have a Selena Gomez (Spurs), Kevin Hart (76ers), or E-40 (Warriors)?
I don't think they do, but here are a few nominees and celebrities who have made cameos at Thunder games:
Beyonce
Bill Hader (watch the video above)
Hanson (wrote a Thunder rally song)
Kristen Chenoweth (named her dog 'Thunder')
James Marsden
Lil Yachty (wears Shai's Converse shoes)
Olivia Munn
Waka Flocka Flame
THE THUNDER'S HISTORY IN THE DUNK CONTEST (2009-2018)
Russell Westbrook tells you why he should get your vote
Russell Westbrook wanted to be in the 2009 NBA Dunk Contest. The NBA thought it would be a good idea to let the fans decide if Russ or Rudy Fernandez(!) should be in the event with Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson, and J.R. Smith. Rudy won the online vote (thanks to his international popularity) and put up a pair of 42 scores in the event.
Then, in 2010, the NBA actually invited Kevin Durant to be in the dunk contest! KD declined and said, "I don't even do any good dunks in games."
Russ was still waiting for that invite in 2011, so what does the NBA do? They invite Serge Ibaka to compete against Blake Griffin, DeMar DeRozan, and JaVale McGee. His best dunk involved him
rescuing a little kid's toy bear
by grabbing it off the rim with his teeth. He got a 45 from the judges, a 'thank you' from the kid, and then started dating Keri Hilson.
Eight years later, Hamidou Diallo got the invite and became the first and last Thunder player to
win the NBA Dunk Contest. Russ assisted him on the first dunk by throwing it off the side of the backboard. Diallo's best dunk was an elbow hang after jumping over Shaq. While hanging on the rim, Diallo revealed a Superman logo under his Thunder jersey.
THE FIRST GREAT OKC SEASON (2011/2012)
Oklahoma City Thunder Top 10 Plays of the 2011-2012 Regular Season
Until this year, the 2012 season was the greatest season in franchise history.
47-19 Regular Season Record
Swept Defending Champs (Mavs)
Went to the NBA Finals (second-youngest finalists in NBA history)
James Harden wins 6th Man Of The Year
Kevin Durant leads the league in scoring, makes All-NBA 1st Team and is runner-up for MVP
Serge Ibaka is runner-up for Defensive Player Of The Year
Russell Westbrook makes All-NBA 2nd Team
Think about this. The 2012 team almost won the scoring title, MVP, DPOY, Sixth Man, and the NBA Championship, with all four core players being under the age of 24.
Many thought this team was a lock for multiple more Finals appearances. I knew better because I grew up with the 90s Orlando Magic team featuring Penny and Shaq. I said they were going to be a lock for more Finals appearances, and thanks to injuries, egos, trades, and free agency, that team never returned. After this great OKC season, they sent Harden to Houston, and it took the franchise 13 years to return to the Finals.
Kevin Durant
on the OKC BIG3: "I think we exceeded expectations with that team. We sped up the timeline too fast. All of us. Each individual player. Serge came out of nowhere and ended up being the best shot blocker in the league. I'm averaging 30 at 21 years old. Russ is 22 and an All-Star. James is Sixth Man at 25. So we exceeded the timeline. They wasn't ready for that...We were ahead of our time."
One of my favorite moments of this season was
KD's game-winning three vs the Mavericks.
As all of his teammates tried to mob him with hugs and head pats, KD walked right to "the real MVP" in the crowd.
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YOU THE REAL MVP (2014)
Kevin Durant 2013-14 MVP Speech
Kevin Durant averaged a career-best 32 points, captured his fourth scoring title in five seasons, and led the Thunder to a 58-23 record during the 2013/14 season. But the best thing he did this season was his emotional seven-minute MVP speech that thanked 38 different people. The most memorable thank you was to his mother.
"You had my brother when you were 18 years old. Three years later, I came out. The odds were stacked against us. Single parent with two boys by the time you were 21 years old. We wasn’t supposed to be here. You made us believe, kept us off the street, put clothes on our backs, food on the table. When you didn’t eat, you made sure we ate. You went to sleep hungry and sacrificed for us.
You the real MVP."
This day also gave us the
amusing Westbrook meme
of him looking at the MVP trophy.
Speaking of memes and Moms, we can't forget the 2011 Thunder gave us the "Mom made Pizza rolls" meme.
FUNNIEST THUNDER BEEF (2016)
Exclusive: Charlie Villanueva responds to Russell Westbrook #PROcast
The most known "beef" in franchise history is clearly the KD vs Russ one. You would need a book to do this beef justice, so I'm just going to say they had issues. Even some of their ads took subtle and ambiguous shots at the other. In this
2016 Nike ad, the voice says, "Some run, some make runways."
My favorite Thunder beef story involves Charlie Villanueva. It all started when the Mavs forward tried to mess up Russ and Cam Payne's pregame dance routine during the 2016 NBA Playoffs. After the game, KD called it "fake s**t," and Russ said, "It's for the guys that don't play."
Villanueva released a response video and said, "If you want to go dancing, go to a nightclub. Go on DANCING WITH THE STARS and be a dancer. If you want to battle and dance, we can battle. But not in a basketball game. Plus you were in my way, so I wasn't necessarily interrupting their dance."
Villanueva also had the following to say on his
blog: "Now listen, I'm all for pregame hype and rituals. I do them myself all the time. BUT bro, when your pregame routine starts off with '5-6-7-8' that's just too much. I wasn't feeling all that right in front of me. Take that to the nightclub or to your side of the court. All due respect, but naaah."
The Thunder won the following three games and the Mavs were free to go to the club.
THE TRIPLE-DOUBLE KING (2017)
Russell Westbrook wins the 2017 Most Valuable Player Award | NBA on TNT
Westbrook only had to wait three seasons after the meme until that MVP trophy was his. He was awarded it after leading the league in scoring and becoming just the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season.
For decades, averaging a triple-double for a season was seen as an accomplishment as untouchable as Wilt's 100-point game. Russ not only pulled it off, he did it in four out of five seasons and made people think it was a normal thing.
Triple-doubles have become so common that it doesn't impress most NBA fans nowadays. But, even if you aren't impressed with the casual triple-double, you have to be in awe of his
20-20-20 triple-double
against the Lakers in 2019 in honor of Nipsey Hussle, who was killed a few days earlier.
"That wasn't for me. That's for my bro, man. That's for Nipsey. 20+20+20. They know what that means."
CHRIS PAUL THE MENTOR (2019)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FbQrinfETnw
Not only was CP3 just one of six Thunder players to make the All-Star team, he was just one of five Thunder players to make an All-NBA team (2nd), and more importantly, he was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's mentor during his one season with the franchise.
Here's what Shai had to say about CP3 earlier in this year's playoffs:
"He's been great. Like you said, not only like a big brother, mentor, just like a friend. He's always there to lean on. He was the first guy in my life that I was like close with that like achieved the things that I wanted to achieve, and I really lean on him for advice. And not only basketball advice but business advice, taking care of your body advice, like, handling a family when they don't live with you. There's so many things you deal with as an NBA player, especially of his caliber, that go under the radar. His guidance with that has been great, and like I said, not only with all the mentorship and stuff, but just being there as a friend. He's been special."
Here's what CP3 had to say after Shai won the 2025 MVP award:
"Shai, congrats my brother, congrats man. We talked about this last year, and to see you put the work in again, day in and day out, we knew it was coming and we knew it was just a matter of time. I couldn't be happier for you, man. For Hailey, for Ares, for your moms, pops, no flutes. You deserve this. You're one of the most selfless people I ever met in my life. But this moment is about you and what you did and your teammates, man. Enjoy it. I know you've got a lot more work to do, but congrats on MVP my brother. Love you."
CP3 and a few more future Draft picks ended up in OKC when the Thunder traded Westbrook to Houston so he could have a reunion with James Harden. The trade rejuvenated CP3, who finished 7th in MVP voting after two seasons without any MVP votes.
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OUCH! THE WORST INJURIES (2013-2022)
Patrick Beverley Dives into Russell Westbrook's Knee (Torn Meniscus)
As is the case with most teams, injuries have ruined seasons and playoff hopes. For the Thunder, injuries to their best players are the biggest reason why there was such a gap between Finals appearances.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK (2013/14)
Tore his meniscus after colliding with Patrick Beverley in Game 2 of the 2013 Playoffs. The Thunder still beat the Rockets but were eliminated by the Grizzlies in the second round.
SERGE IBAKA (2013/14)
Suffered a grade 2 calf strain in the Western Conference Finals vs the Spurs. The All-Defensive 1st teamer did play four games in that series but was not healthy. And you need to be healthy if you want to try to guard Tim Duncan.
KEVIN DURANT (2014/15)
Followed up his MVP season by only playing 27 games due to a Jones fracture in his right foot.
PAUL GEORGE (2018/19)
The only thing people remember about PG and the 2019 Playoffs is him saying Dame's incredible game winner was a "bad shot." What they don't remember is PG was 3rd in MVP voting that year and was playing with a hurt shoulder that required offseason surgery. That offseason is also known as the summer the Thunder traded Westbrook to the Rockets for Chris Paul and George to the Clippers for Shai and a 2022 first-round pick, which became Jalen Williams.
CHET HOLMGREN (2022/23)
The 2nd pick in the NBA Draft missed his entire rookie season after injuring his right foot while guarding LeBron in
Jamal Crawford's Seattle Pro-Am. Despite the setback,
he said
he didn't have any regrets:
"There's freedom of speech and criticism comes along with anything. Basketball players are going to play basketball. You have to feed the love of the game. I don't want an injury like this to take away from that."
THE 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
The 2025 Thunder Might Be The 2nd Best Team Ever — So Why Are Fans Skeptical?
Former OKC center Kendrick Perkins called the 2025 Thunder "the greatest team in franchise history" before they even won the championship. It's hard to argue.
68 wins (franchise record, 5th most in NBA history)
+12.9 point differential (highest in NBA history by .6)
54 double-digit wins (most in NBA history)
15-game win streak (most in franchise history)
107.5 defensive rating (best in the league)
10.3 steals per game (best in the league)
Shai led the league in scoring, second in steals, won MVP, WCF MVP, and FINALS MVP
Jalen Williams made All-NBA 3rd team
And they did all of this with the second-youngest team in Finals history.
Earlier in the year, KD was asked on Twitter if this team could beat the 2012 OKC team. His response:
"I'm not big on hypotheticals, so I don't know. But this 2025 Thunder team, they are historically great. Great shooting all across the board, efficient go-to scorer in deuce, size and athleticism all across the board, versatility, shooting big and bruiser big, great coaching. Just a flat out perfectly crafted unit. I f*ck with their approach to basketball. They are putting together great film to learn from."
And the film is just getting started. Let's just hope we get sequels instead of reboots.
THE FINAL CALL: Oklahoma City Thunder 2024-25 NBA Champions 🏆
OKC Thunder FULL Championship Trophy Presentation - SGA Finals MVP
WATCH: Aaron Wiggins kicks off Thunder championship parade opening ceremony by firing up fans
UPDATE (7/1/2025): SGA AND THE RICHEST ANNUAL DEAL EVER
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agreed to a super max contract extension: four-years, $285M!
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