Oklahoma native finds inspiration in Thunder Parade, honors city’s resilience in viral video

Oklahoma native Christopher Oven didn’t set out to create a viral video; he said he just felt moved while watching the Thunder’s championship parade.

“I was watching the parade on Tuesday,” Oven said. “I was just kind of—really energized, I guess, by how cool it was to see everybody having fun in Oklahoma City and celebrating and the players running down the street and everyone just having such a good time.”

Born and raised in Broken Arrow and a 2020 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Oven no longer lives in the state. But he said the energy of the celebration pulled him back emotionally and creatively.

“Growing up in Oklahoma, I've learned so much about the bombing. I wasn't born yet when it happened, but I've heard stories from people who remember it,” he said. “In college at OU, I even did a video project with the memorial for one of my classes… so I'm very familiar with it. I know how much that day has had an impact on Oklahoma and the people here.”

Inspired by a powerful photograph from Thunder photographer Jimmy Do, Oven decided to merge moments from the parade with coverage of the April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City bombing, including clips of News 9 anchor Robin Marsh.

“I think there’s a lot of power in seeing Robin in both settings,” Oven said. “This parade was going down the same street that it happened. But I think seeing Robin kind of makes it personal, you know? Like, look how far Oklahoma City’s come. But it’s also all the same people… the same community.”

Oven said he didn’t initially plan to share the piece. “I created it, and then the next morning I sent it to my sister and was like, look at this, I edited this last night. She’s like, ‘You have to post that. That’s so cool. People would love that.’ And she was right.”

Oven emphasized giving full credit to the original photographers and fans who captured the footage, saying their work inspired him to piece the video together and helped him feel connected to the celebration from afar

The response, he said, has been overwhelming.

“People are saying they’ve shed some tears watching it… especially Oklahomans who understand the gravity of both moments,” he said. “There’ve also been comments on TikTok from family members of victims from the bombing, which is really cool. They were saying, ‘Oh wow, this is really impactful.’ That’s been rewarding to see.”

Oven also noted the Thunder organization’s longstanding tradition of introducing players to the city’s history through visits to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

“One of the biggest parts of the video is that every player goes through the memorial museum, which has always been really admirable,” he said. “They understand the city they’re representing.”

Oven included footage of Thunder forward Jaylin Williams, who later reposted the video.

“That was pretty cool… it shows that he gets it. That they all get it,” Oven said.

The video’s central emotional arc was strengthened by Oven’s memory of Marsh’s role in bombing coverage, something he had seen in recent documentaries. “When I was watching the parade the other day, I was like, oh wow, that’s pretty cool. And as I decided to sit down and put something together, I thought, how cool is that? Just another one of those strange, weird connected dots in the history of Oklahoma City.”

He credits Sam Anderson’s book Boom Town as another source of creative fuel, especially in its ability to link seemingly unrelated moments across the city’s chaotic and resilient history.

In the end, he hopes viewers take away a message of progress and pride.

“We’ve come from being known for tragedy and bad things… April 19, May 3, May 20, Oklahomans remember all those dates. But now Oklahoma City is being known for a championship, for a world-class NBA team,” Oven said. “Maybe June 22nd, when we won the title—or June 24th, the day of the parade—can be dates we remember for something good.”

And for those outside the state, Oven said the reaction has been just as touching.

“There’s been comments from people who didn’t know about the bombing or Oklahoma City’s history,” he said. “Even fans from other NBA teams have said, ‘I was one of the haters during the Finals, but this is pretty cool.’”

That quiet pride, Oven said, is what it’s all about. “For somebody who doesn’t live in Oklahoma anymore, it’s pretty cool to say, ‘I’m from there.’”