The OKC Thunder’s first Playoff season was one for the ages. Here are the top 10 moments of the 2009-2010 season.
As the OKC Thunder prepare for the 11th season it’s time to reflect back on a decade of franchise excellence. To that end, TI will feature the top 10 moments from each individual season of the past 10 seasons. With that it’s time to review season two (2009-10) and the plays which stand the course of time. Let’s time travel.
We’ve all been spoiled. Since their first Playoff appearance in 2010, the OKC Thunder have been a mainstay, an assumption in the post-season. With the exception of one, the accursed 2014-2015 season, OKC has played past the 82nd game every time. Even in that one hellish season, they finished tied for the eight-seed.
Now, the Thunder are an expectation in late April. With the commitment of Paul George, with Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams also locked down, they are now an expectation in May, as well. It’s easy to take it all for granted, but there was a time before all of that. There was a time before banners and All-Stars, before the Big 3 and departures and the OK3.
Loud City began in 2010, and OKC never looked back.
2010 wasn’t the start of the culture that would go on to win the heart of Paul George in 2018, but it was the beginning of that culture’s validation. While Russ, Kevin Durant, and James Harden would go on to blossom into full-fledged superstars quickly – perhaps too quickly – the start of the 2009-2010 season had them as just assets.
This season was when they exploded onto the scene and into the national consciousness. They stopped waiting at the door and kicked it open with youthful disrespect. In retrospect, it would have been better for the Thunder franchise if they’d been bad for one more year. But Russ, KD, and the Beard were in no mood to wait their turn.
They were here, and they would not be ignored.