Oklahoma City Thunder LINES, ODDS, PICKS AND REVIEWS

How is the Oklahoma City Thunder' History?

The Oklahoma City Thunder is a professional basketball team from the United States that is based in Oklahoma City and competes in the National Basketball Association's Western Conference (NBA). The first 41 years of the franchise's existence were spent in Seattle. During this time, the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics and was successful enough to win three conference titles (1978, 1979, and 1996) and the NBA championship in 1979. In 2012, the Thunder was crowned champions of the Western Conference.

How Were the Oklahoma City Thunder Founded?

Originally founded as the Seattle SuperSonics, the team became a National Basketball Association (NBA) member during the 1967–1968 season as an expansion squad. The ownership group led by Clay Bennett reached a settlement with lawmakers in Seattle that resulted in the relocation of the SuperSonics from Seattle, Washington, to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 2008. It occurred after a lawsuit had been filed against the ownership group. 

The SuperSonics of Seattle reached the NBA postseason a total of 22 times, won their division six times, made it to three NBA Finals, and ultimately won the NBA championship in 1979. During the 2009–10 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team in franchise history to earn a spot in the playoffs. 

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. As a result, they made an appearance in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in the franchise's history and for the first time since 1996, when the team was still based in Seattle. Since relocating to Oklahoma City, the team has not been able to secure a championship victory.

How is the Oklahoma City Thunder's Gary Payton Era?

Between 1993 and 1999, Payton stole at least 2.2 balls per game on average. He was selected for nine first teams of the All-Defensive Team, two first teams of the All-NBA, five-second teams of the All-NBA, two-third teams of the All-NBA, and nine All-Star teams. It is possible that he would finish third in the MVP voting.

In the first eight years of his career, he was only absent from two games, making him one of the league's top triathletes.

Payton's performance on the court appeared to improve with age, as evidenced by the fact that he finished his career averaging 24 and 23 points per game in the years 2000 and 2001, respectively, when he was 31 and 32 years old. In addition to scoring 24 points per game on average in 2000, he also recorded a career-high 8.9 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game during that season.

There was nothing that "The Glove" was unable to accomplish. After being selected second overall in the 1990 draft, he began his career with the Seattle Mariners and played there for the first 13.5 seasons of his career.

The table shows the career summary of Gary Payton as of this writing:

How is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant Era?

In all six years of Durant's career, he has averaged at least 20 points per game, and he became the youngest player to ever win the scoring title after averaging an astounding 30.1 points per game in only his third year as a 21-year-old in only his third year of his career.

He repeated his success to demonstrate that it was no accident. He would repeat the process for the third time in a row to demonstrate that it wasn't a one-off occurrence.

And if it weren't for the fact that Carmelo Anthony went completely insane towards the end of the 2012–13 season, Kevin Durant would have won the scoring title for the previous four seasons in a row. He fell short of Anthony by a few percentage points in the race to the top.

In spite of this, Durant has been the driving force behind the Thunder's most consistent run of success since the days when Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp were leading the Sonics. In 2012, under his leadership, Oklahoma City made it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1996, but they were ultimately unable to prevail and lost in five games to the dominant Miami Heat team.

Despite heavy defense from players such as Shane Battier, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James, Kevin Durant scored over 30 points per game on better than 50 percent shooting from the field. He had a field goal percentage of better than 50 percent. It is possible that Kevin Durant could have won an NBA championship by the time he was 23 years old had it not been for a few specific events, such as James Harden vanishing into thin air.

However, as long as Kevin Durant is a part of the Thunder roster, there is a good chance that they will remain title contenders, just as they are heading into the upcoming season.

Throughout his career, Durant has scored 26.6 points, with a shooting percentage of 48 percent overall and 38 percent from beyond the arc, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. He has already won Rookie of the Year, made four consecutive first teams on the All-NBA list, played for four different All-Star teams, and finished in second place in the MVP voting on three separate occasions, including the most recent two seasons.

The table shows the career summary of Kevin Durant as of this writing:

How is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook Era?

Westbrook, who is now 33 years old and has played in the NBA for only five years, has quickly risen to become the most explosive player in the league and arguably the best point guard in the league. Westbrook has a career assist average of seven, and in the three most recent seasons, he has averaged at least 7.4 assists per game on top of his career assist average of seven. It is despite the fact that some people assert that he is not a point guard.

Since being selected fourth overall in the 2008 draft, Westbrook has not only amassed a large number of assists, but his point totals have also continued to rise steadily. He had finished the previous three seasons averaging at least 21 points per game, with his highest point total coming in the 2012-13 season when he averaged 23.2 points on 44 percent shooting.

The best game Westbrook ever played for the Thunder was when the Heat eliminated them from the NBA Finals. In that game, which the Heat won, Russell turned into a one-person wrecking crew, and Westbrook scored an incredible 43 points.

He has been selected for three different All-Star teams and three different All-NBA Second teams, and he reached as high as ninth place in the MVP voting for the most recent season.

The table shows the career summary of Russell Westbrook as of this writing:

Who are the Oklahoma City Thunder's Players?

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s players consist of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, and Isaiah Roby.

The table shows the Oklahoma City Thunder’s players: 

The selection of Josh Giddey by the Thunder with the sixth overall pick in the NBA Draft came as a complete and utter surprise to everyone. Giddey is a fantastic prospect; however, many industry professionals did not anticipate that he would be selected early in the draft. It is mind-boggling to think about how many other future draft picks the Thunder have in their arsenal in case Giddey does not pan out for whatever reason. Regardless, the Thunder are yet another team in the process of a significant rebuild. 

They have a lot of potential building blocks, but unless they can win many games in the Western Conference, which is stacked with teams such as the Lakers, Suns, Jazz, Warriors, Nuggets, Clippers, Mavericks, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers. Despite these excellent prospects, they will not win many games in this conference. Thunder fans need to savor any positive moments they can get their hands on this year because it could be several years before the franchise is back to its old self. There is a widespread consensus that the starting lineup for the Thunder will consist of Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Darius Bazley, and Derrick Favors.

How did Clay Bennett's Ownership Affect the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Clayton Ike Bennett is a prominent American entrepreneur born in 1959 and served as the Professional Basketball Club LLC chairman. This company is the ownership group of the Oklahoma City Thunder, a National Basketball Association franchise formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics. Bennett is the chairman of Dorchester Capital Corporation, which has its headquarters in Oklahoma City. He is also the chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the Oklahoma Heritage Association and was the chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma from 2011 until 2019.

Bennett is the owner and chairman of the Professional Basketball Club LLC, which is based in Oklahoma City and owns the NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bennett promised to do everything possible to keep the franchise in Seattle, where it was formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics.

However, he has been criticized for his handling of the team's relocation to Oklahoma City. Some have accused him of failing to live up to his promise to keep the team in Seattle, while others have praised him for investing in the Oklahoma City community. Regardless of whether or not you agree with his actions, there is no denying that Bennett is a successful businessman and a powerful figure in the world of professional basketball.

The team was purchased from Howard Schultz in 2006 for approximately $350 million, and Bennett made the purchase contingent on there being a public commitment to a new arena. Bennett informed the National Basketball Association on November 2, 2007, of the ownership group's intention to relocate the team to Oklahoma City. This decision was made after the ownership group was unable to secure $500 million in public funding from local taxes to construct a new suburban arena for the team.

On March 21, 2008, Bennett publicized his intention to move the basketball franchise to a new location. The previous ownership group filed a lawsuit to rescind the purchase, and the city of Seattle filed a lawsuit to uphold the lease. On April 18, 2008, NBA owners approved moving the franchise away from Seattle for the 2008–2009 season, pending the outcome of both of these legal battles. The lawsuit that was brought against the city of Seattle by Bennett's ownership group was resolved on July 2, 2008, and a settlement agreement was reached. This made it possible for the franchise to relocate from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

What are the Symbols of Oklahoma City Thunder?

The symbols of Oklahoma City Thunder are derived from the state's Native American and Western heritage. The primary logos feature a Thunderbird, which is a Native American symbol of power and protection, set against a landscape of mountains and plains.

What is the Oklahoma City Thunder's Logo?

In 1967, when the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics, the initial emblem for the club now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder was designed. The badge had a chic and contemporary appearance, with a color scheme of green and white, and featured a stylized green orbit around the basketball that was green in color. The rocket was going to finish off the orbit which was aiming upward. The lettering, which was written in a thin italicized Sans-serif, was positioned on the right side of the ball.

In 1970, when the logo was redesigned, the only element that was retained was the green ball with a white wordmark superimposed on it. It was a very straightforward badge, but due to the utilization of a vivid color scheme, it managed to stand out in people's minds.

The shuttle and space needle from the Oklahoma City Thunder logo was removed in 1971, leaving only the green basketball with the team's previous name written across it. The following year, a massive wordmark appeared to the right of the basketball, which, as a result, shrunk considerably. This change occurred in response to basketball's decline.

In 1975, the designers revised the badge concept, and the palette was expanded to include yellow as a new color. Now, the strange mark was placed beneath the yellow and green basketball on two levels, with the bottom part of the basketball's surface cut horizontally. The green stitching of the ball stood out against the yellow background of the ball, which depicted a green landscape of Seattle.

In 1995, the team selected the colors green and brown to become part of the emblem's color scheme. This time, the lettering took the form of a star that was part of the emblem. It was arranged in a diagonal fashion and was done in a bold and thick Sans-serif typeface. The word "Seattle" was written in small, delicate white letters over the green background of the inscription.

In 2001, Oklahoma City Thunder updated the visual identity of the Seattle Sonics to a badge that was more traditional in appearance. The team placed a yellow basketball on the bottom portion of a green crest, and a white and yellow inscription was placed above the basketball.

On September 3, 2008, the brand-new team logo was unveiled to the public. Because they were kept in Seattle in preparation for a potential new basketball franchise there, the new organization could not use the last name of the team and its logo and colors. Clay Bennett, the majority owner of the club, stated that the design of the Oklahoma City Thunder logo was inspired by elements of the symbols of other local sports teams, specifically two university teams.

The new logo for the Oklahoma City Thunder is based on the shape of a shield, and it consists of the letters "OKC" overlaid on a portion of a basketball, with the word "Thunder" appearing above.

How is the Oklahoma City Thunder's Uniform?

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s uniform got a very clean look, with a simple color scheme of blue and white. The jersey is white, with blue trim on the sides and sleeves. The shorts are also white, with blue trim on the legs. Overall, it's a very clean and sharp-looking uniform.

What are the Oklahoma City Thunder's Colors?

The Oklahoma City Thunder colors are blue, blue, sunset, and yellow.

The Oklahoma City Thunder colors in Hex, RGB, and CMYK can be found below:

Who are the Rivals of the Oklahoma City Thunder?

The rivals of the Oklahoma City Thunder are Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers.

Memphis and Oklahoma City are similar to two childhood best friends who grew up together, but one is more successful than the other and tends to overshadow the other. However, when they play, they are trying to get the upper hand so they can brag about it until the next time they play.

Rudy Gay and Kevin Durant are good friends, and it is always entertaining to watch them play basketball because they are so competitive.

The energy is incredible, and it's fun watching young teams give effort on the defensive end. Both of these teams are relatively young and are on the verge of becoming more successful.

The only other team Oklahoma City has ever faced in the postseason was the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though the Thunder have only been around for the past two and a half years, the statement is still accurate.

However, throughout the previous year's regular season, every game was tense, and the series between the Thunder and the Lakers was arguably the most exciting round of the previous year's playoffs.

When Artest attempted to behave in his usual manner, Ibaka greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

My memory will forever be etched with the Westbrook dunk on Lamar Odom as the single best Thunder moment that occurred in the foreseeable future. The 8-0 run that the Thunder went on in the final 30 seconds of Game 3 to tie the game, which was started by Westbrook's dunk, is probably in the running for the top spot.

The Thunder have made it abundantly clear that the Lakers are the top team on their list of targets for every game. There is a clear presence of passion. The excitement is present.

What are the Oklahoma City Thunder's Championships?

The Oklahoma City Thunder won the 1979 Championship as the Seattle SuperSonics. 

The table shows the game summary of 1979 NBA finals:

The Washington Bullets, who won the Eastern Conference crown, faced off against the Seattle SuperSonics, who boasted a better record during the regular season. The SuperSonics defeated the Bullets 4–1 in the 1978 NBA Finals, which was a rematch of the 1978 NBA Finals between the Washington Bullets and Seattle Supersonics. The original series had ended with the Bullets winning 4–3.

Gus Williams of the SuperSonics was the leading scorer in the NBA Finals, averaging 28.6 points per game, and Dennis Johnson of the SuperSonics was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament.

It's the first time in NBA history that a team from the Western Conference has won a title. It is also the final of just two occasions, with the 1976–1977 Portland Trail Blazers and the 2013–2014 Memphis Grizzlies, when a club from the current Northwest Division has claimed the title. The drought is the longest in any of the four major North American sports leagues for any division, having gone on for 27 years.

How are the Oklahoma City Thunder's last five years?

The table shows the Oklahoma City Thunder's last five years: 

How is the Oklahoma City Thunder's season-by-season record?

The table shows the Oklahoma City Thunder' season-by-season record:

The Oklahoma City Thunder have played for 55 NBA seasons.

What Is the Average Cost for Oklahoma City Thunder Tickets?

The starting price for a seat at an Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game in their home arena is $14. The Chesapeake Energy Arena will have these tickets located in the 300-level section of the venue. On average, tickets for the Oklahoma City Thunder will cost $79 each.

Where to Buy Oklahoma City Thunder Tickets?

The best place to buy Oklahoma City Thunder tickets is through Ticketmaster. You can buy tickets online, by phone, or in-person at the box office. Ticketmaster is the official ticketing partner of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have a wide selection of tickets available for all home games. You can purchase tickets for individual games or the entire season.