Official Ticket Marketplace of the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder History
The Oklahoma City Thunder were originally founded as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1967. The SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 after qualifying for the NBA playoffs 22 times, winning their division six times, advancing to three NBA Finals, and winning the NBA Championship in 1979.
The Thunder are now the only professional sports team in Oklahoma. After relocating to Oklahoma City, the Thunder qualified for their first playoffs in the 2009–10 season. During the 2010–11 season, they won their first division title and the following season they won their first Western Conference championship.?
The 2011–12 season marked the team’s first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1996, but they have not yet won a championship since moving to Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Thunder's name comes from a reference to Oklahoma's location in Tornado Alley, and Oklahoma City being the home of the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division, which were known as the Thunderbirds.
The Thunder began their rebuilding process in 2019 after acquiring All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and drafting top prospects including Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. The new era Thunder qualified for the 2023 play-in game and won their first match-up, but ultimately did not advance to the playoffs after falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Following the 2023–24 season, head coach Mark Daigneault won the league’s Coach of the Year Award.?
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Info
Conference: Western
Division: Northwest
Year Founded: 1967
Team Colors: Thunder Blue, Sunset, Yellow, Navy Blue
Team Rivals: Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets
Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center
The Thunder have played in the same arena since Oklahoma City acquired the franchise in 2008, but it underwent several name changes before settling on Chesapeake Energy Arena in 2011. In 2021, its name was changed to Paycom Center.
But the volume and rowdiness of that college atmosphere has carried over into Thunder games, giving the metro's arena and fanbase the nickname "Loud City.” OKC has also taken to color blocking its crowd, giving different sections different colored shirts, a practice that has spread and become common among all teams in the NBA.