Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

OKC Thunder Nation bids a bittersweet farewell to Lesley McCaslin

By Tailor Finney

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 25: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder talks with Lesley McCaslin after Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Utah Jazz on April 25, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 25: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder talks with Lesley McCaslin after Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Utah Jazz on April 25, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKC Thunder (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKC Thunder (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) /

OKC Thunder Nation has faced many goodbyes in the last few seasons of revamping, but this season’s end brings a particularly sad farewell.

The OKC Thunder fan base has been iconic since its beginning. Maybe it’s the lack of professional sports franchises in Oklahoma. Maybe it’s the atmosphere of our good ole southern hospitality. Maybe it’s the phenomenal “characters” that bless our television screens every season. Or, maybe it is the fantastic combination of them all.

Russell Westbrook has been the face of OKC for the most part. He has put OKC on the radar (a comforting concept considering the only thing usually on our radars are tornado warnings). He’s changed the game for point guards with his insanity on the boards and historical triple-double streaks. And of course, the Paul George deal continued to validate the familial atmosphere of OKC Thunder.

"I think the notion is to look at it like everyday was a recruiting process. But, it wasn’t. Them just being hands-on, being open, being honest, keeping that relationship authentic… I thought ‘everything has just been real’. The relationship with Sam (Presti), connecting with Russ, I think I really built a family and a brotherhood in that organization. To the crowd: Oklahoma, y’all truly have made a big impact on me. I’m here to stay."

Familial. Family. What an interesting adjective to describe a franchise in which most of us have never even shared more than a handful of words (if that) with the faces we so easily (sometimes not so easily) support during basketball season. So, what makes the OKC Thunder feel so comforting?

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