OKC Thunder Trivia: uncovering 50 fun, surprising and random facts

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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 18: The Oklahoma City Thunder play the Utah Jazz during the second half of game 2 of the Western Conference playoffs at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 18, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.(Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** ; /

The NBA brought professional sports to OKC.

Despite its significant population size, Oklahoma City did not have any professional sports involvement until the Thunder arrived in 2008. In fact, the NBA is the only professional sports presence in the entire state of Oklahoma.

Prior to the Thunder’s arrival, college football was the main area of sports following in the Sooner State—most notably the rivalry between the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Cowboys and the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners.

Despite the lack of a professional sports presence prior to the Thunder, Oklahoma has still produced a number of professional athletes. One notable athlete is Blake Griffin, who was born in Oklahoma City in 1989. He eventually attended Oklahoma Christian School, a private Christian school in Edmond, OK.

Outside of basketball, Oklahoma is also the home of athletes Jim Thorpe, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench, Joe Carter, Troy Aikman, Shannon Miller, and more.

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