OKC Thunder Nation bids a bittersweet farewell to Lesley McCaslin

Above is one of my Top 3 favorite OKC Thunder moments. Lesley handled the Freaky Friday moment as if it was an everyday occurrence and it made for one comical post-game interview.

With players as feisty as Russell Westbrook, as sassy as Steven Adams, and as meme-able as Raymond Felton, sometimes I wonder how Lesley even put up with these guys for seven years!

In her goodbye letter, it was easy to see how she did it. She became friends with the players, staff, faculty, all the people that make up the organization and that really showed in the way she conducted herself with the players.

"…now I can’t imagine life without OKC. It did start with the team: these amazingly athletic, larger than life (and way larger than me), talented athletes became my friends. They laughed with me on the court and off, let me into their lives, took care of me when I was pregnant, and taught me so many things about the world."

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

Then she began to name co-workers and reminisce on the memories made with them, once again calling them family. 

In closing, she makes it very clear that her decision to leave is nothing personal to the franchise, players, fans… it’s just the ending of a chapter. Her next chapter begins as her family is growing and while the Thunder family will miss her, we must give her back to the McCaslin family. At least, for now.

Luckily, she is parting us with hopeful words: “I will still be around, and on your TV from time to time – so it’s not totally goodbye.” 

And, it isn’t a complete goodbye as she still posts often on her blog LifeWithLesley.com. Her accounts are constructed with such admirable transparency and very worth the read.

"I would be remiss if I didn’t say thank you to the fans!  You immediately took me in and accepted me as I grew. You said hello, made me feel special, and reached out in so many different ways over the years. In a world that can be so hateful on social media, you were always encouraging and supportive.  I will forever be a Thunder fan, and I will forever say that the Thunder fans are the best in the NBA."

So, from all of us at Thunderous Intentions, from all of us Okies, from the diehard Thunder fans… we say a bittersweet farewell to Lesley McCaslin and a HUGE congratulations as she grows her own family and changes course for a new journey.

Happy Mother’s Day Lesley, we wish you all the best and look forward to cheering you on in all your future endeavors!