The OKC Thunder are officially slated to take part in their 11 Christmas exhibition in franchise history. In the NBA, this is the biggest day of the regular season from a viewership standpoint.
Generally speaking, Christmas is when the league showcases its best teams and brightest stars for a full day of action-packed showdowns.
Now, while Oklahoma City's inclusion on this particular date is a sign of respect, the details behind their primetime matchup could actually be taken as a serious slap in the face to the oft-dissed ball club.
Thunder hitting the road on Christmas Day yet another sign of disrespect
Right on the surface, it's easy to come away from their recently announced matchup against the Timberwolves a tad underwhelmed, especially when considering the other possible opponents they could have faced.
However, the fact that the Thunder will be hitting the road for their already less-than-exhilarating opponent makes this situation all the more disappointing.
Yes, Minnesota is coming into the 2026-27 season with some serious buzz after striking on a blockbuster trade for All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball and pairing him with superstar Anthony Edwards.
However, that's no reason to give them homecourt honors over a team like the Thunder that has finished with the best record in the association in three straight seasons, has gone to two straight Western Conference Finals, and is headlined by the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Their road status becomes all the more polarizing when considering the fact that of the last three champions that will be playing on Christmas Day, with the Knicks set to kick the festivities off at 11:00 p.m. (CT) and the Celtics jumping into action right after at 1:30 p.m. (CT), they are the only ones not set to host.
This is far from the first time the NBA has made decisions that, to many, have undervalued and disrespected the Thunder.
Whether it's them initially receiving just the 10-most, non-NBA TV nationally televised broadcasts in the league two years ago or their only time playing on arguably the regular season's second biggest day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, coming just last year, time and time again, the small-market Thunder are being overlooked by the league's decision-makers.
Though some may see the Thunder being sent on the road for Christmas as a minor issue, when looking at the track record, it's merely just the latest example of the league showing subtle signs of disrespect to the organization.
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