Former OKC Mayor Mick Cornett reflects on Thunder’s legacy ahead of Champions Parade

As Oklahoma City prepares for the 2025 Champions Parade, past and current city leaders are getting involved with building the excitement for Tuesday morning's events.

SEE ALSO: Looking back on the Thunder's road from newcomers to champions

Former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, who presided over the city when the Thunder first arrived in 2008, spoke with News 9 on Tuesday to discuss the history between the Thunder and the city.

Q: When you think back to first hosting the Hornets, did you ever think we'd be celebrating an NBA championship in OKC?

A: No, it is really hard to imagine. My interest in the beginning was around trying to improve Oklahoma City's brand because of the bombing in 1995. People from the outside didn't know anything else to connect us with, and I knew with my background in sports that if we could somehow get a professional sports team, either an NHL hockey team of an NBA basketball team, people would be able to connect Oklahoma City with something positive. It would be the "Oklahoma City whatever," and that's really when I started talking to the commissioner of the NBA and the NHL, that kind of got the ball rolling. 

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Q: The city has completely transformed in just a short period. What does it mean to you to see this team in this moment, and how far the city has come? 

A: No city in American history has come as far as fast as Oklahoma City, and that's partially because we have a long way to go. But in, let's say, 30 years, if you look at the skyline, it's completely different, but what's really changed, I think, is that people are immensely proud of the city. Our young people who grew up in Oklahoma City are now much more likely to stay in Oklahoma City and improve their fortunes. When I grew up or came of age in the 80s, people were leaving, and there's a sense now that young people growing up in Oklahoma City are not leaving. There's data that shows people from other places are moving in, so we're attracting an entire generation of highly educated young people that kind of help ensure our economy going forward. 

Q: So many of our Thunder fans have grown up only knowing the Oklahoma City Thunder and the NBA in Oklahoma City. What is your hope for the future?

A: We took a big step a couple of years ago when we passed Mayor Holt's proposal that we build a new arena for the Thunder in hopes of getting a new long-term lease. So the voters passed that initiative, and then Mayor Holt helped negotiate a new deal with the Thunder, so they are going to be here for another 25 years, or so, minimally. I can't express to you how important that is, because in a small market, you cannot take your team for granted. You don't want to be naive. The fact that we have stepped forward, improved our arena situation, and got a new long-term lease with the team is so huge for Oklahoma City. It is part of the new reality, as you say, and there are young people [who] don't know that the ballpark hadn't always been downtown, that the river hasn't always had water, and with that, we haven't always had an NBA team, so we should not take those things for granted. 

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