One state, one team: The Thunder's historic title and what it means for Oklahoma

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship season comes after years of highs and lows for the team.

Three members of the News On 6 Sports staff have been covering the Thunder since the team first arrived in Oklahoma City in 2008.

Sports director John Holcomb sat down with producers Scott Pfeil and Jeremie Poplin to talk about what the team means to fans across the state.

On the Thunder's Move to Oklahoma City

In 2008, the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City. Between 2005 and 2007, OKC was the temporary home of the New Orleans Hornets, after Hurricane Katrina brought extensive damage to the team’s arena.

“It's the ‘Oklahoma City Thunder,’ and I can remember when the name was finalized that there were some people up here… who were just dismissive of it because they said it should be the ‘Oklahoma Thunder,’” remembered Holcomb. “My response to that has always been… if everybody could have gotten on the same page and you build the BOK Center… you build that earlier, then maybe you're in the game for this.”

“You have to applaud the vision that the Oklahoma City leaders had,” Pfeil said. “Especially Mayor Ron Norick at the time… and when you have a creative thinker… who's not scared to do something big and something that had never been done before and something that really wasn't popular – you have to have those visionary leaders.”

“My perspective changed when I saw corporate sponsorship come in the way that the city embraced them and the fact that which helped they were good from the jump,” Poplin said.

OKC Thunder's Statewide Appeal

“So the first time they go to the finals, I felt like, I don't know, is it safe to say like 85 percent of the city of Tulsa was probably behind them?” Poplin estimated.

“You've seen more of Thunder flags, car decals, car tags through the years… not just this year…I think this that all goes back to that point that we've been hammering, they've done it the right way,” Pfeil said.

Oklahoma’s Team

“The one image that is still burned into my brain is when we had the devastating tornadoes, and there are Thunder players that are there in those individual cities that are helping hand out water,” Poplin remembered. “That are helping people pull their belongings out, just going, shaking hands, having a presence and not just a photo op.”

“I think it's almost… It's poetic [to be celebrating a championship] on the 30th anniversary of the bombing, which was such a tragic day, but it was really a turning point for the state,” Pfeil said.

The Beginning of Something Big for the Thunder?

“I just hope fans enjoy this,” Pfeil said. “You're so busy thinking about the D-Word, the dynasty, and multiple titles, you don't enjoy something that you've never seen before.”

“The league does not want multiple champions in a row,” Poplin noted. “They've designed it this way. This is what the owners have decided. It's the reason we've got seven different champions [in seven years]. The good thing, though, is that Sam Presti and the front office have put in so much work. They have put themselves in such a good position to fight against what the league doesn't even want; it almost seems like it's a little unfair.”

“Just enjoy it and never play chess against Sam Presti,” Holcomb said.

Watch more of John, Scott, and Pop's discussion on the OKC Thunder, including about the team's potential for even greater success in the future.

Thunder offseason moves/news in Summer 2025:

1. June 24 - Thunder celebrates NBA Championship with parade
2. June 28 - Thunder trades forward Dillon Jones and a second-round pick to the Wizards for Colby Jones, who was released.
3. June 29 - Re-signs forward Jaylin Williams to a veteran extension
4. July 1 - Signs MVP guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a four-year, $285 million supermax contract extension through the 2030-31 season.
5. July 3 - Signed rookie guard Brooks Barnhizer to a two-way contract, Signed center Thomas Sorber to a rookie scale contract
6. July 6 - Re-signed guard Ajay Mitchell to a contract extension
7. July 8 - Re-signed forward Branden Carlson to a new two-way NBA contract
8. July 9 - Signs forward/center Chet Holmgren to fully guaranteed five-year rookie maximum contract extension worth upwards of $250 million | Thunder's SGA is revealed as the cover athlete for NBA2K26
9. July 10 - Signs forward Jalen Williams to five-year maximum rookie contract extension