You guys remember when downtown Oklahoma City was frothing at the mouth with love for the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Back before they lost 55 games so far this season, including a 10-run loss last month?
Remember the days before the players this city loved to rally behind and obsess about were traded away or left?
Remember the days when it seemed like Kevin Durant was slated to be the king of OKC’s first professional sports franchise dynasty before he declared independence from the Thunder on Independence Day in 2016?
Oklahoma Gazette remembers.
Rather than rubbing salt in the wound, our goal here is to remind this city about the team spirit it had right after the franchise relocated to the city. You know, when the team also sucked.
It’s easy to be a huge fan during the best of times, but while there’s a million and one new things to do since the National Basketball Association planted its flag on Oklahoma City soil, this is a reminder to buy some tickets and fill seats even through the rough times.
There are endless stories of always-losing underdogs whose arenas, fields and ballparks have been filled to the brim even through the worst of times, which is always. And there’s no reason that OKC should be an exception.
It wasn’t an uncommon opinion that the next few years were going to be a rebuild. After the dumpster fire that was the Thunder’s 22-50 record last year, that guess has proven correct. But there’s no reason that, if they’re going to lose, that 18,000 residents can’t be there sharing their defeat and wishing them luck for the next time they hit the court.
