OKC Thunder Trivia: uncovering 50 fun, surprising and random facts
James Harden used to wear a Thunder jersey.
If youâre new to OKC Thunder fandom, you may not know the team once comprised of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. However, in October of 2012, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets. Simply put, it came down to money. OKC couldnât afford to keep Harden on the roster, and Harden wasnât willing to budge. When neither party could agree upon a contract extension, the trade was finalized.
Out of the trade, the Thunder received Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, a first-round pick who became Steven Adams, a second-round pick who became Alex Abrines, and a 2014 pick who became Mitch McGary.
Despite some on-the-court rivalry, Westbrook and Harden actually grew up together. In the year 2000, when Westbrook and Harden were 11 and 10, respectively, they crossed paths at an organized basketball game in Compton, CA. A few years later, they met at another basketball game. To this day, they can still be seen attending events together and remain close despite playing for different teams. .