OKC Thunder: Just what does Kevin Durant mean to Oklahoma City

The whispers and concerns involving Kevin Durant‘s pending free agency can be heard on every major sports network and every local sports address. It’s stressful to the fans of “Big Blue” to know that the man who helped build this team and this city may set off into the sunset to finish his own mission.

Just what does Kevin Durant mean to Oklahoma City? When the OKC Thunder arrived here in the fall of the 2008 NBA Season, there was excitement. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook weren’t quite the household names we all know today. However, Oklahoma City embraced KD and Russ and became a true NBA city.

Housing the New Orleans Hornets in the wake of Hurricane Katrina during the 2005-2006 season, Oklahoma City got a sample of what the NBA could do for this city. The Hornets had superstar Chris Paul, Oklahoma State alum Desmond Mason and everyone’s favorite Cavalier J.R. Smith (you tryin’ to get the pipe).

Fast forward to the year 2016. The OKC Thunder have gone from a 23-59 win season to multiple runs in the NBA playoffs including an NBA finals appearance. In 2008 the roster of players had players such as Robert Swift, Steven Hill, Chucky Atkins, and Nenad Krstic. Now Oklahoma City has exceptional play makers including Steven Adams, Serge Ibaka, Enes Kanter, and Dion Waiters.

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The team has grown with the city over the last eight years. The arena went from the Ford Center to the Chesapeake Energy arena. Our downtown tourist spot “Bricktown” went from an a local date night area, to having KD’s restaurant and housing the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league baseball team (OKC Dodgers). Bricktown is contentiously growing, becoming a hot tourist spot in America’s heartland.

As a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, I am proud to see my adopted city do what my birth-city couldn’t do: support a NBA franchise. However, Oklahoma City has done so much more; there is a culture here, a living-breathing entity that makes Oklahoma City thrive. The Thunder have capitalized on multiple successful seasons and now have two of the NBA’s biggest superstars playing for them and this city game-in and game-out.

KD’s decision will undoubtedly affect this young thriving city. However, it will not destroy Oklahoma City. I can assure you that Oklahoma City will not result to what Cleveland went through when LeBron James took his talents to South Beach.

You won’t see Oklahoman’s burning Kevin Durant’s jersey or calling for his head. You will not see general manager Sam Presti send out a massive letter to the fans promising an OKC Thunder championship before Kevin Durant. No, Oklahoma City will remain classy. They will wish Kevin the best of luck and watch as the Thunder revamp and retool, making a push to become a contender each and every year as they have done all along.

Oklahoma City is a sports city. When I go grocery shopping on the weekends (exciting life), I see people decked out in Thunder gear every weekend. Between OU and OSU football, the OKC Dodgers, the Energy FC (soccer), the OKC Blue (D-League), and the Thunder, there’s always a game to go to and that translates to money going into the city. These fans are passionate about their community; it’s a standard that you don’t usually see in small market cities.

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Oklahoma City will remain a great city if Kevin Durant does join another team. We also must remember that Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder helped mold and build Oklahoma City into what it is today. It’s a great place to live and work. Our hope is that KD will stay and eventually retire as a Thunder and walk the same line as Nick Collison. Staging, Oklahoma City’s version of Kobe Bryant.

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