We Are Not “Ch-Oklahoma,” We Are Thunder
We’ve had a few days to recover from the heartbreak that was Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. We’ve had time to reminisce about what went wrong, what went right, and how quickly the season came to an end. Sure, it still hurts. But as with most things, time will heal the Oklahoma City Thunder fans who may or may not have sunk into a temporary depression Monday night.
Despite the season’s end, I continue to perform habitual searches for all the Thunder news I can get my hands on. If I can’t see Russell Westbrook race up and down the court like a pinball, I can at least read about him, right?
In my latest search, I came across several hateful articles referencing the Thunder as something that makes me cringe:
“The Ch-Oklahoma City Thunder”
Fans, can we please make a collective promise to avoid, at all costs, using this phrase to define the ’15-’16 NBA season? Because here’s the thing, OKC didn’t choke. At least, not in Game 7. Game 6…well, probably.
But, you can’t really choke when you weren’t expected to make it as far as they did. You can’t choke when you take down a San Antonio team that is widely considered to be one of the best in the league. You can’t choke when you force a Game Seven on the greatest regular-season NBA team of all time.
Of all time.
If Golden State had lost in Game 7, they would have choked. Then, our narrative would be about how they blew it big time because they were favored—and expected—to become the Western Champs.
When you look at it, OKC far from failed. In fact, they actually outscored the Warriors. The combined totals for all seven Western Conference Finals games prove just what a force the Thunder is. While Golden State scored a total of 743 points, Oklahoma City scored 750.
Granted, most of the “Ch-Oklahoma” references came from Seattle bloggers and journalists who are still upset about the relocation of the SuperSonics. I read articles where Seattle reporters called the Thunder “evil” and laughed at their loss. What about OKC is evil? Can you really look in the young face of Kevin Durant, America’s sweetheart, and say he’s evil?
Seattle friends, I get it. From what I’ve read, the way Oklahoma moved your SuperSonics was pretty dirty. I 100% get that, and I’m not happy about it either. But, don’t blame the players. Don’t blame the current coach. And please, don’t blame the fans. If my beloved basketball team had been ripped from my homeland, I’d be upset too. But hear me out.
See, the Thunder have been a catalyst for improvement and hope in our state. In the last two games of the Western Conference Finals, there were two Oklahoma cities that made up the top five viewing markets. Oklahoma City was, of course, number one. But, Tulsa also made the list. That’s really saying something about the power of a basketball team in our state.
We’re a state that faces a lot of disaster. We had the Murrah Building bombing. We had the Moore tornadoes. We continue to have tornadoes, floods, and devastation. But, as cheesy as it may sound, we have the Thunder to unite us. Because in the middle of the stormiest months of the year, Oklahomans gather to cheer on our boys. We unite with our neighbors, we converse about sports analytics with our coworkers, and we celebrate with our fellow Oklahomans.
More from Thunderous Intentions
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- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Seattle, ya’ll have the Seahawks, who brought Super Bowl fame to your city in 2013. You have coffee, grunge music roots, Robert Joffrey, Amazon.com fame, the first American team to win the Stanley Cup, the Space Needle, tornado-free summers, and Bruce Lee.
We have…none of that. And we say things like, “ya’ll.”
Please let us have the Thunder.
For Thunder fans, the next month will be nerve-wracking. Trades, drafts, and free agency always causes a bit of turmoil in the most loyal of basketball fans. And no one is naïve to the fact that Kevin Durant has a huge decision to make.
Don’t stress about what Mr. Durant may or may not do in the next few weeks. Instead, take time to reflect on a season that was way bigger and far better than most imagined it would be.
Think about how much growth (athletically and in hair mass) Steven Adams experienced this year. Think about the dancing Cameron Payne and Russell Westbrook blessed us with. Think about Andre Roberson becoming a defensive superstar when it really counted.
As a group, the Thunder have been through a lot this year. The tragic death of assistant coach Monty Williams’ wife, Ingrid. The death of Dion Waiters’ brother, Demetrius. The passing of minority owner Aubrey McClendon.
Yet, they were one half game away from the Finals. All with a brand new coach. It’s time to applaud our boys and lose the “Ch-Oklahoma” narrative once and for all.