OKC Thunder – Top 10 moments of 2008-2009 season

UNITED STATES - MARCH 24: Fans wait to enter the Ford Center for a National Basketball Association (NBA) game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. Nearly three decades after an energy bust that forced 122 banks to close statewide, Oklahoma City is in the fifth year of an economic expansion that's produce the lowest jobless rate for a major metro U.S. area. Oklahoma City demonstrated it could support a NBA team, encouraging the Seattle Supersonics to move permanently and become the Thunder, which now draw crowds as large as the Boston Celtics. (Photo by J.P. Wilson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - MARCH 24: Fans wait to enter the Ford Center for a National Basketball Association (NBA) game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. Nearly three decades after an energy bust that forced 122 banks to close statewide, Oklahoma City is in the fifth year of an economic expansion that's produce the lowest jobless rate for a major metro U.S. area. Oklahoma City demonstrated it could support a NBA team, encouraging the Seattle Supersonics to move permanently and become the Thunder, which now draw crowds as large as the Boston Celtics. (Photo by J.P. Wilson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
8 of 12

The wrong foot

The Thunder’s first regular season game was at home, in the then Ford Center, against the Milwaukee Bucks. KD, Nick, and Jeff Green started. Russ came off the bench. Number 27, jumping for the tip against Andrew Bogut, is someone you’ve almost surely never heard of.

In a case of severe overcompensation for not having a highlight video for the first preseason game, the internet has provided this game in its entirety. Russell Westbrook scored 13 points off the bench, KD only scored 12. The OKC Thunder lost this game 98-87, allowing three 20-point scorers for the Bucks, but who cares?

In that blurry video, you can see the pregame activities for the first OKC Thunder game ever. In perfect Oklahoma fashion, they’re all lined up like the beginning of a football game. Somebody’s waving a flag, but it doesn’t look like Rumble. The stadium is full, like it always will be.

The OKC Thunder were here, and they were here to stay.