The OKC Thunder has become a formidable competitor in the NBA, and we are here to give you all the essential information that every fan should know! If you are big on the Thunder, read on to discover the seven things that you don’t know about your favorite team!
Number Seven: The Start of the Thunder
Before the Oklahoma City Thunder emerged, the team started out as the Seattle Supersonics franchise. They played under this name from 1967 to 2008, when a legal dispute moved the team to Oklahoma City.
Number Six: Sprouting Greatness
The most popular and successful player in the history of the Thunder is arguably Kevin Durant, mainly because he is exceptional at making himself into a legend. In the 2009-2010 season, this astounding man became the youngest player of all time to attain the title of the NBA Scoring Champion, with an average of 30.1 points per game. Even more remarkable, he accomplished this in only his third season on the NBA court. The following year, he snatched up the title once more.
Number Five: Taking in a Lost Team
After the tragic effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the New Orleans Hornets found themselves lacking a court. Feeling charitable, the OKC Thunder allowed the team to share their home for two seasons. They also decided to share player Desmond Mason, when the Hornets were in need of a fill-in.
Number Four: The Resourceful OKC Thunder
As the Sonics transformed into the Thunder and moved to Oklahoma, they had a bit of trouble getting their team set up at first. Lacking a practice facility, the Southern Nazarene University offered their campus as the temporary home for the Thunder’s practices. During this time, the New Orleans Hornets also borrowed their facilities. By 2011, the Thunder attained a practice facility of their very own.
Number Three: A Big Hairy Bison
Because every sports team needs a fun mascot, Thunder’s Rumble the Bison emerged in 2009. This big, hairy mascot was named to be the NBA’s Mascot of the Year in the very same year he was introduced. This spunky personality was designed after the original mascot choice, an actual bison named Alphie, who currently works as the mascot of the University of Colorado.
Number Two: Team Stats
Throughout the OKC Thunder’s history, they have definitely proved that the team is capable of great feats. The Thunder experienced their longest win streak in all of Oklahoma City history with 12 games in the 2012 season; this streak is also the second longest winning streak in all of the franchise’s history. Since 2009, the only team to have won more games than the Thunder is the San Antonio Spurs.
Number One: Retired Jerseys
Since the team first began as the Sonics, they have retired only six jerseys to honor their star players. These players include Gus Williams (1), Nate McMillan (10), Lenny Wilkins (19), Spencer Haywood (24), Fred Brown (32), and Jack Sikma (43). Additionally, the team also decided to “retire” an honorary microphone to pay tribute to Bob Blackburn, who called the Sonics games for 25 years. We hope you enjoyed the seven things fans don’t know about the OKC Thunder!