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The Oklahoma City Thunder (abbreviated as OKC) are an American professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). [1] The team plays its home games at Paycom Center.[2]
The Thunder's NBA G League affiliate is the Oklahoma City Blue, which it owns. The Thunder is the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma City previously hosted the New Orleans Hornets (now the Pelicans) for two seasons following devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
The team was originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967–68 season. The SuperSonics moved in 2008 after a settlement was reached between the ownership groupled by Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle, Washington following a lawsuit. In Seattle, the SuperSonics qualified for the NBA playoffs 22 times, won their division six times, and won the 1979 NBA Championship. In Oklahoma City, the Thunder qualified for their first playoff berth during the 2009–10 season. They won their first division title as the Thunder in the 2010–11 season and their first Western Conference championship as the Thunder in the 2011–12 season, appearing in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in franchise history and first since 1996, when the team was based in Seattle.
The team has yet to win a championship since moving to Oklahoma City.
Franchise history[]
1967–2008: Seattle SuperSonics[]
The Thunder's previous incarnation, the Seattle SuperSonics, were formed in 1967. In their 41 seasons in Seattle, the SuperSonics compiled a 1745–1585 (.524) win–loss record in the regular season and went 107–110 (.493) in the playoffs. The franchise's titles include three Western Conference championships and one NBA title in 1979.
Creation of the Thunder[]
Paycom Center (Ford Center at the time) began hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2007-08.[3]
In the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana and the surrounding areas, the New Orleans Hornets temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, playing the majority of their home games during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons at the Ford Center. Consequently, the city showed it could support an NBA franchise such as the uprooted Hornets. Spurred by a reporter's question, NBA commissioner David Stern came to comment unequivocally that Oklahoma City could support a franchise of its own.[4]
In 2006 the SuperSonics were sold for $350 million to a group of Oklahoma City investors led by Clay Bennett, a move approved by NBA owners the following October.[5] Terms of the sale required the new ownership group to use a "good faith, best effort" for the term of 12 months in securing a new arena lease or venue in the greater Seattle area.[6] Bennett spent much of 2007 attempting to gain public funding for a new arena or a major renovation of the Key Arena. After 12 months and numerous disagreements between local and state governments and the team, Bennett announced that the franchise would move to Oklahoma City as soon as the lease with KeyArena expired.[7]
In June 2008, a lawsuit between the City of Seattle and Bennett regarding Bennett's attempts to break the final two years of the Sonics' lease at KeyArena went to federal court, and nearly a month later the two sides reached an agreement to settle. The terms awarded the city $45 million to get out of the remaining lease at KeyArena, and could provide an additional $30 million payment to Seattle in 2013 if certain conditions are met. The owners agreed to leave the SuperSonics name, logo and colors in Seattle for a possible future NBA franchise;[8] however, the items would remain the property of the Oklahoma City team along with other "assets," including championship banners and trophies.[9] On September 3, 2008, the team name, logo and colors for the Oklahoma City franchise were announced.
In 2009, Seattle-area filmmakers calling themselves the Seattle SuperSonics Historical Preservation Society produced a critically acclaimed documentary film titled Sonicsgate: Requiem For A Team that details the rise and demise of the Seattle SuperSonics. The movie aimed to shed a scandalous light on the team's departure from Seattle, and it won the 2010 Webby Award for Best Sports Film.[10]
2008–09: Move to Oklahoma City and inaugural season[]
The Thunder participated in the Orlando Pro Summer League featuring their second-year players, potential free agents and rookies. The players wore generic black and white jerseys reading "OKC-NBA" against an outline of a basketball. The Thunder's temporary practice facility was the Sawyer Center at Southern Nazarene University, which had been used by the New Orleans Hornets when they relocated to Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina.[11]
The Thunder played several preseason games before the 2008–2009 regular season, but only one of those games was in Oklahoma City. The Thunder made their first appearance in Billings, Montana on October 8, 2008 in an 88–82 preseason loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves.[12] The Thunder played their first Ford Center game on October 14 against the Los Angeles Clippers.[13]
In their regular-season home opener, the Thunder faced (and lost to) the Milwaukee Bucks. Earl Watson scored the first points of the season with a layup. Three nights later on November 2, the Thunder won their first game as a franchise by defeating the Timberwolves, improving their record to 1–3. The team then went on a 10-game losing streak before deciding on November 22 to fire head coach P. J. Carlesimo and assistant Paul Westhead. Assistant coach Scott Brooks then took over on an interim basis.[14] Oklahoma City lost its next four games to tie the dubious franchise losing streak of 14 set in Seattle the previous season. But the team managed to prevent history by winning their next game on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies.[15]
As the season continued, the Thunder began to improve. After starting 3–29, the Thunder finished the regular season 20–30 for the remaining fifty games. Not only were they winning more often, they played much more competitively than in the first part of the season. The team ended their first season in Oklahoma City with a win against the Los Angeles Clippers, bringing their record to 23–59 and improving upon their record of 20–62 from the team's final season in Seattle. The late-season successes of the Thunder contributed to the signing of Scott Brooks as the team's official head coach.
As a result of moving to Oklahoma City from Seattle, the team's operating situation improved markedly. In December 2008, Forbes Magazine estimated the team's franchise value at $300 million – a 12% increase from the previous year's $268 million when the club was located in Seattle.[16] Forbes also noted an increase in percentage of available tickets sold, from 78% in the team's last year in Seattle (playing as a virtual lame-duck franchise) to 100% in 2008–09.[17]
2009–2012: Rise to contention and first Finals appearance[]
2009–10: The turnaround season[]
After an inaugural season filled with many adjustments, the Thunder hoped to improve during their second season in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City did not make any major moves in the offseason, other than drafting James Harden from Arizona State University with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft. The Thunder selected Rodrigue Beaubois with the 25th pick in the 2009 draft before immediately trading him to the Dallas Mavericks for the 24th pick, C Byron Mullens from Ohio State University. The team then added veterans C Etan Thomas and G Kevin Ollie. The last major change to their roster occurred on December 22, 2009, when the team traded for Eric Maynor from the Utah Jazz. Maynor immediately supplanted Ollie as the backup point guard.
From the outset the young team looked determined and cohesive. The increasing leadership of Kevin Durant, along with the growing experience of the Thunder's younger players, were encouraging signs that the Thunder were improving. The 2009–10 season included several victories over the NBA's elite teams, including a 28-point blowout over the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic and a 16-point blowout of the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. Road victories over the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks greatly enhanced their reputation. Though they hovered around .500 for the first half of the season, they eventually went on a 9-game winning streak that sent them into serious playoff contention. Kevin Durant became the youngest player in league history to win the scoring title, averaging 30.1 points per game while playing in all 82 games.
The Thunder finished 50–32, more than doubling their win total from the previous season. The 50-32 tied with the 2008 Golden State Warriors as the best 8 seeds in the modern Playoffs era, at least in terms of record. The Oklahoma City Thunder also had the same record as the Boston Celtics in this season. [18] They finished fourth in the Northwest Division and eighth in the Western Conference playoff standings, and earned a spot in the 2010 NBA Playoffs. On April 22, the team secured their first playoff win in Oklahoma City when they defeated the defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers 101–96. This was also the Thunder's first playoff win at the Ford Center. However, the Thunder were eliminated by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, 4 games to 2.
Oklahoma City ranked twelfth in overall attendance in the NBA, and seventh in percentage of available seats occupied (98%, including 28 sellouts in 41 home games).[19] The team's operating situation also continued to improve in 2009–10. Forbes Magazine estimated the team's franchise value at $310 million (an increase of $10 million over the prior year) with a estimated operating profit of $12.7 million (the first operating profit in years for the franchise).[20]
2010–11: Building on success[]
Financially, the Thunder organization continued to build on the positive returns experienced from relocating from Seattle to Oklahoma City. In January 2011, Forbes Magazine estimated the franchise's worth at $329 million, up 6% from 2009–10 and ranking #18 in the NBA.[21] The magazine also estimated the franchise's revenue at $118 million and operating profit at $22.6 million – up 6.3% and 78%, respectively, from the previous year.[20][21] The Thunder also captured their first division title since moving to Oklahoma City, and seventh in franchise history.[22]
In the wake of a fourth-seed versus fifth-seed match-up against the Denver Nuggets, Kevin Durant scored 41 points in Game 1 to set a new career playoff high. In the final game of the series, he again scored 41 and forward Serge Ibaka nearly tied the record for most blocks in a playoff game (10, set by Mark Eaton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Andrew Bynum) with nine blocks. The Thunder won the series four games to one and were set to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies who achieved an eight-seed upset over the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs just days before. The Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Finals with a seven-game series triumph over the Grizzlies. Durant was again the star, scoring 39 points in the clinching Game 7, while Russell Westbrook also had a triple-double. Despite hard-fought battles with the eventual NBA champs, the Thunder fell to the Dallas Mavericks 4–1 in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder had a chance to tie the series in Game 4, but they were unable to hold a 15-point lead with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They ended up losing in overtime, 112–105.
2011–12: Making the NBA Finals[]
During the extended lockout, Thunder players (notably Durant, Harden, Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha) played in exhibitions in the United States and in other countries to stay in shape. When the abbreviated training camp began, OKC started with an intact roster and all players, with the exception of Russell Westbrook, under contract up for the near future. In addition, Kendrick Perkins lost more than 30 pounds during the lockout. The Thunder made their two pre-season appearances, after the lockout, against the Dallas Mavericks, winning both games. They won their first regular-season game against Orlando at home and went on a five-game winning streak. Kevin Durant became the sixth player to score 30 or more points in four consecutive games at the start of a season. In addition, the Thunder was the first to sweep their back-to-back-to-back games, winning a home-and-home series with the Houston Rockets, then routing the San Antonio Spurs. In addition, Thunder players Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Perkins, and Ibaka made it onto the 2012 All-Star ballots. After the Thunder's win over the Utah Jazz on February 11, 2012, Scott Brooks was named the Head Coach of the Western Conference All-Star squad for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida. In the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the Thunder swept the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in the first round to advance and face off against their first-round foes from 2010, the Los Angeles Lakers. They defeated the Lakers in five games and advanced to play the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder lost the first two games against the Spurs but won the next three including a Game 5 road win, to take a commanding 3–2 game lead in the series. In Game 6, the Thunder defeated the Spurs 107–99 and advanced to the 2012 NBA Finals, returning to the Finals for the first time since 1996, back when the franchise was the Seattle SuperSonics. Durant led the way with 34 points, playing all of regulation time in the game. In the 2012 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, the Thunder won the first game at home, but then lost four in a row and lost the series in five games.
2012–2016: Durant and Westbrook era[]
2012–13 season[]
In the 2012 NBA Draft, the Thunder selected Baylor University forward Perry Jones III with the 28th overall pick. The Thunder also signed free agents Hasheem Thabeet, Daniel Orton and signed guards Andy Rautins, and DeAndre Liggins, as well as re-signing forward Serge Ibaka to a 4-year, $48 million extension. After failing to sign James Harden to an extension that was worth 4 years and $52 million, OKC decided to trade Harden rather than having to pay the luxury tax penalty. On October 27, 2012 the Thunder traded Harden along with center Cole Aldrich, and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first round draft picks from Toronto and Dallas and one second round draft pick. Martin took over Harden's sixth-man role for the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder finished off with a 60-22 season, taking both the Northwest division title and top seed of the Western Conference. They faced the 8th seeded Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, featuring former team member James Harden. In game 2 of the series, Russell Westbrook fell down with an injury and was forced to miss the rest of the playoffs after having knee surgery. Without the team's 2nd leading scorer, the Thunder, who had a 3-0 lead, allowed the Rockets to bring series back to 3-2. In game 6, the Thunder defeated the Houston Rockets to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, facing a rematch of the 2011 second round, Memphis Grizzlies. The Thunder lost the series 4-1, losing 4 straight after winning Game 1 at home.
2013–14 season[]
The Thunder selected Steven Adams as the 12th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
In the 2013 NBA draft, the Thunder selected 12th pick Steven Adams, traded for the 26th pick Andre Roberson, and selected 47th pick Grant Jerrett. Kevin Martin was not re-signed, and he opted to join the Timberwolves, while the team were only able add free agent Ryan Gomes, and re-sign Derek Fisher, to conclude their off-season movements. The team finished second in the Western conference with a 59–23 record. They met the Memphis Grizzlies for the third time in the playoffs, which set a record for most consecutive overtimes in a playoff series, with four. Oklahoma City prevailed in seven games to play the Los Angeles Clippers in the semi-finals, whom they defeated in six games. Their final playoff opponent, in the Western Conference Finals, was the San Antonio Spurs, with the Spurs winning, 4–2.
2014–2016[]
With the 21st and 29th picks in the 2014 NBA draft, the Thunder selected Mitch McGary from Michigan and Josh Huestis from Stanford. "He brings energy, passion, and great basketball IQ and toughness what we value" said Presti on drafting McGary. Oklahoma City also signed Semaj Christon in the draft. On July 3, the Thunder signed Sebastian Telfair. But they lost shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha as his contract expired and he agreed to a three-year, $12 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks. Several weeks before the season started, the Thunder suffered a setback as Durant was diagnosed with a Jones fracture in his right foot and missed the first 17 games of the season. During the opening game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Westbrook scored 38 points, but found himself sidelined due to a small fracture in his right hand. He missed 16 games, during which Oklahoma City went 4–12. During the middle of the season Westbrook and Durant both came back, and similarly suffered more injuries. Durant was ruled out of the rest of the season in March, deciding to have foot surgery. Westbrook also had to undergo surgery in early March, to repair a fracture in the zygomatic arch bone of his right cheek. Several days later he returned and recorded several triple-doubles on his way to Western Conference Player of the Month honors from February to April. He also won the 2014–2015 NBA scoring title. However, despite the effort, the Thunder missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with the New Orleans Pelicans, and Westbrook fell short of the MVP award, finishing fourth in voting. They finished with a 45–37 record. On April 22, 2015, Scott Brooks was fired as the Thunder head coach. Billy Donovan was hired on April 30, 2015. This was Donovan's first major NBA coaching job, after he initially accepted and then left the Orlando Magic job in 2007. With the 14th and the 48th picks in the 2015 NBA draft, the Thunder selected Cameron Payne from Murray State and Dakari Johnson from Kentucky. With Billy Donovan as the team's head coach the Thunder won the Northwest Division and clinched the third seed in the Western Conference. The team reached the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time in a span of six seasons, but was eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in seven games, blowing a 3-1 series lead.
2016–2017: Durant's departure, and Westbrook's MVP season[]
After much speculation on the future of free agent superstarKevin Durant, he announced on July 4, 2016 that he was joining the Golden State Warriors, the team that he had both blown a 3-1 series lead and lost to in last season's Western Conference Finals. The move to join the 73-win team from last season was not well received by the public or NBA analysts, with many comparing the move to LeBron James' 2010 off-season departure from Cleveland to the Miami Heat. On July 7, he was officially introduced by the Warriors organization and signed a two-year, $54.3 million contract, with a player option after the first year.
On August 4, 2016, Westbrook agreed to a 3-year extension to remain with the Thunder. With an average of 31.6 points, 10.4 assists, and 10.7 rebounds, Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple double for an entire NBA regular season, and only the second in NBA history (the other being Robertson). On April 2, 2017, Westbrook tied Oscar Robertson's record for most triple doubles in an NBA season (41); he broke the record on April 9th against the Denver Nuggets, marking his 42nd triple double of the season. Westbrook, in that game, also hit the game winning buzzer beater from 36 feet, ending the Nuggets' playoffs hopes and securing the Thunder's 3rd seed matchup with the Houston Rockets in the NBA playoffs. Oklahoma City lost the playoff series in the first round to the Houston Rockets 4–1. Despite the team's loss, Westbrook averaged a +14 while on the court and a triple double during the series and was named league MVP after the season.
2017–2019: Westbrook and George era[]
In the 2017 NBA Draft, the Thunder selected guard Terrance Ferguson with the 21st pick, and signed him to a four-year rookie-scale contract.
To further bolster the roster and improve Westbrook's supporting cast, the Thunder's front office made a series of aggressive moves to reshape the team. On July 6, 2017, the Thunder acquired four-time All-Star Forward Paul George in a trade with the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Guard Victor Oladipo and Forward Domantas Sabonis. The team then signed veteran Point Guard Raymond Felton and sharp-shooting Power Forward Patrick Patterson in free agency on July 10. Finally, on September 25, the Thunder acquired ten-time All-Star Forward Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks in exchange for center Enes Kanter, Forward Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second round draft pick they had previously acquired from the Chicago Bulls in the Cameron Payne trade. On September 29, 2017, the Thunder signed Russell Westbrook to a 5-year extension. The Thunder finished the 2017–18 season with a 48–34 record and lost to the Utah Jazz 4–2 in the first round of the playoffs.
In the 2018 NBA Draft, the Thunder selected guard Devon Hall with the 53rd pick and Forward Kevin Hervey with the 57th pick. Devon Hall did not sign with the Thunder, instead signing with the Cairns Taipans of the Australian National Basketball League. Hervey signed with the Thunder's NBA G-League affiliate, Oklahoma City Blue. Additionally, the Thunder traded a 2019 second-round pick to acquire Hamidou Diallo, who had been selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 45th pick. Diallo signed a 3-year contract with the Thunder.
On July 6, 2018, Paul George re-signed with the Thunder. In July 2018, the Thunder traded forward Carmelo Anthony and a 2022 protected first round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-way trade. In the trade, the Thunder acquired guard Dennis Schroder from the Atlanta Hawks and forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from the Philadelphia 76ers. The Thunder also acquired guard Deonte Burton, signing him to a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Blue. Additionally, the Thunder acquired center Nerlens Noel in free agency, and traded for Abdel Nader from the Boston Celtics.
2019–present: Post-Westbrook rebuild[]
2019–2020: Chris Paul era[]
Following Damian Lillard's series-winning shot in Game 5 in the first round of the playoffs, which ended the Thunder's 2018–19 campaign, the Thunder faced difficult decisions. Although many believed they would simply retool and try again in 2020, they chose to rebuild, sending Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers on July 10. In return, they received Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a record collection of future first-round draft picks. It was reported after the trade was announced that George had privately requested the trade to the Clippers as a result of superstar free agent Kawhi Leonard convincing George to team up with him in Los Angeles. They also traded forward Jerami Grant to the Denver Nuggets for a 2020 protected first-round pick.
After the George trade, general manager Sam Presti sensed that the future of the franchise was in jeopardy as the team could not seriously contend with Westbrook as the lone star. On July 16, the Thunder officially traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. In exchange, the Thunder received guard Chris Paul, two future first-round draft picks, and the rights to two future pick swaps with the Rockets, thus Westbrook reuniting with Thunder teammate James Harden.
Paul made the 2020 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve, making it his tenth selection, and his first since 2016.
Following the suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season, the Thunder were one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble to participate in the final 8 games of the regular season.
The Thunder finished the regular season with a 44–28 record, clinching the 5th seed in the Western Conference.
In the playoffs, the Thunder faced the Houston Rockets in the First Round. However, they lost the series in seven games, extending the Thunder's postseason series victory drought to 4 seasons.
2020–2023: Young core rebuild[]
Following the season, Billy Donovan's contract was not renewed, and both sides agreed to mutually part ways. On November 11, 2020, Mark Daigneault was promoted from the assistant coach position to become the new head coach.
Before the start of the 2020–21 NBA season, Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, two additional players and a 2022 first-round draft pick. Oubre, Rubio, and several Thunder veterans from the 2019–20 season, such as Steven Adams, Dennis Schröder and Danilo Gallinari were traded away in the next several days as well, with Thunder receiving draft picks as part of compensation in most of those transactions. Overall, Thunder executed 14 separate trades after the end of the 2019–20 season and before the 2021 trade deadline.
5-time NBA All-Star Al Horford was one of the players acquired before the season. After one season, he was also traded for a 4-time All-Star Kemba Walker, with Thunder acquiring first-round draft picks as well in both transactions.
By the summer of 2021, Thunder accumulated 36 total draft picks over the next seven years, 18 in the first round and 18 in the second.
In the 2021 NBA Draft, Thunder drafted Josh Giddey, Alperen Şengün and Tre Mann with their first-round picks, Şengün was then traded for two future draft picks.
On August 6, 2021, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a 5-year maximum contract extension worth $172 million. On the same day, Thunder waived Kemba Walker after he agreed to a buy-out.
On December 2, 2021, the Thunder lost to the Memphis Grizzlies by an NBA record–setting 73 points, 79–152, the largest blowout loss ever in NBA history. Just eight months earlier in the previous season, the Thunder lost at home to the Indiana Pacers 152–95 on May 1, 2021. The team now holds two of the most ignominious records in the league: largest blowout home and road losses in NBA history.
On December 27, 2021, Josh Giddey became the second player in NBA history to record a double-double while also going scoreless (Norm Van Lier).
On January 2, 2022, Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double at 19 years and 84 days, surpassing the record set by LaMelo Ball last season. Giddey also became the youngest player in NBA history to lead all players in points, rebounds, and assists in one game, becoming the second teenager to do so along with Luka Dončić.
On February 14, 2022, Giddey became the 7th rookie in NBA history to record back-to-back triple-doubles following a triple-double in Chicago the prior day. Giddey also became the third rookie to record a triple-double in his Madison Square Garden debut.
On February 16, 2022, Giddey, 19, joined Oscar Robertson as the only rookies in league history to record three consecutive triple-doubles.
On March 21, 2022, Tre Mann set a Thunder rookie record with 35 points on 13-20 shooting, 7 threes. Mann scored 23 of his 35 points on a perfect 6-6 shooting in a single quarter marking the new Thunder rookie record for points in a quarter.
On March 28, 2022, all five Thunder starters made two or more 3-pointers for the first time in OKC history.
On April 1, 2022, Jaylen Hoard became the sixth Thunder player to record a 20-rebound game.
On April 3, 2022, Aleksej Pokuševski became the 12th youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists at 20 years and 98 days old.
On April 5, 2022, Hoard became the seventh player in OKC history to post a 20-point, 20-rebound game and the fifth to record multiple 20-rebound performances.
At the 2022 NBA draft, the Thunder used their second overall pick to select Chet Holmgren and the twelfth pick to select Jalen Williams. On August 25, 2022, it was announced that Holmgren would miss the entire 2022–23 NBA season due to a Lisfranc injury in his foot that occurred during a Pro-am game. In the 2022–23 season, the Thunder finished regular season with the 10th-best record in the Western conference, qualifying for the play-in-tournament. After defeating the New Orleans Pelicans in their first play-in game, the Thunder lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves and did not qualify for the playoffs despite SGA’s leap to superstardom, averaging 31.1 Points Per Game.
2023–present: Return to title contention[]
In the 2023–24 season, the Thunder acquired former All Star Gordon Hayward. Chet Holmgren returned from injury and made an immediate impact as a rookie, Jalen Williams improved and Gilgeous-Alexander made his second All Star team. Starting shooting guard Josh Giddey sparked a controversy when he was allegedly caught in a relationship with a minor. All charges were later dropped. On March 31, against the New York Knicks, the Thunder officially clinched a playoff berth with a 113–112 victory. This is their first playoff berth since the 2019–20 season. The Thunder finished with a record of 57 wins and 25 losses, clinching the top seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 2013. The Thunder became the youngest team to earn the 1-seed since seeding began in 1984 (with an average age almost two years younger than the previous record holder, the 2004–05 Phoenix Suns).
In the playoffs, the Thunder swept the 8th-seeded New Orleans Pelicans in the first round in four games to win their first playoff series since 2016. In the conference semifinals, the Thunder faced the 5th-seeded Dallas Mavericks. The two teams previously met in the first round of the 2016 playoffs, with the Thunder winning in five games. However this time, the Thunder would go on to lose to the Mavericks in six games.
Season-by-season records[]
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Percentage
| Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle SuperSonics | |||||
| 1967–68 | 23 | 59 | .280 | ||
| 1968–69 | 30 | 52 | .366 | ||
| 1969–70 | 36 | 46 | .439 | ||
| 1970–71 | 38 | 44 | .463 | ||
| 1971–72 | 47 | 35 | .537 | ||
| 1972–73 | 26 | 56 | .317 | ||
| 1973–74 | 36 | 46 | .439 | ||
| 1974–75 | 43 | 39 | .524 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Seattle 2, Detroit 1 Golden State 4, Seattle 2 |
| 1975–76 | 43 | 39 | .524 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Phoenix 4, Seattle 2 |
| 1976–77 | 40 | 42 | .488 | ||
| 1977–78 | 47 | 35 | .549 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Seattle 2, Los Angeles 1 Seattle 4, Portland 2 Seattle 4, Denver 2 Washington 4, Seattle 3 |
| 1978–79 | 52 | 30 | .634 | Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
Seattle 4, Los Angeles 1 Seattle 4, Phoenix 3 Seattle 4, Washington 1 |
| 1979–80 | 56 | 26 | .683 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Seattle 2, Portland 1 Seattle 4, Milwaukee 3 Los Angeles 4, Seattle 1 |
| 1980–81 | 34 | 48 | .415 | ||
| 1981–82 | 50 | 32 | .634 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Seattle 2, Houston 1 San Antonio 4, Seattle 1 |
| 1982–83 | 48 | 34 | .585 | Lost First Round | Portland 2, Seattle 0 |
| 1983–84 | 42 | 40 | .512 | Lost First Round | Dallas 3, Seattle 2 |
| 1984–85 | 31 | 51 | .378 | ||
| 1985–86 | 31 | 51 | .378 | ||
| 1986–87 | 39 | 43 | .476 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Seattle 3, Dallas 1 Seattle 4, Houston 2 LA Lakers 4, Seattle 0 |
| 1987–88 | 44 | 38 | .537 | Lost First Round | Denver 3, Seattle 2 |
| 1988–89 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Seattle 3, Houston 1 LA Lakers 4, Seattle 0 |
| 1989–90 | 41 | 41 | .500 | ||
| 1990–91 | 41 | 41 | .500 | Lost First Round | Portland 3, Seattle 2 |
| 1991–92 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Seattle 3, Golden State 1 Utah 4, Seattle 1 |
| 1992–93 | 55 | 27 | .671 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Seattle 3, Utah 2 Seattle 4, Houston 3 Phoenix 4, Seattle 3 |
| 1993–94 | 63 | 19 | .768 | Lost First Round | Denver 3, Seattle 2 |
| 1994–95 | 57 | 25 | .695 | Lost First Round | LA Lakers 3, Seattle 1 |
| 1995–96 | 64 | 18 | .780 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Seattle 3, Sacramento 1 Seattle 4, Houston 0 Seattle 4, Utah 3 Chicago 4, Seattle 2 |
| 1996–97 | 57 | 25 | .695 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Seattle 3, Phoenix 2 Houston 4, Seattle 3 |
| 1997–98 | 61 | 21 | .744 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Seattle 3, Minnesota 2 LA Lakers 4, Seattle 1 |
| 1998–99 | 25 | 25 | .500 | ||
| 1999–00 | 45 | 37 | .549 | Lost First Round | Utah 3, Seattle 2 |
| 2000–01 | 44 | 38 | .537 | ||
| 2001–02 | 45 | 37 | .549 | Lost First Round | San Antonio 3, Seattle 2 |
| 2002–03 | 40 | 42 | .488 | ||
| 2003–04 | 37 | 45 | .451 | ||
| 2004–05 | 52 | 30 | .634 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Seattle 4, Sacramento 1 San Antonio 4, Seattle 2 |
| 2005–06 | 35 | 47 | .427 | ||
| 2006–07 | 31 | 51 | .378 | ||
| 2007–08 | 20 | 62 | .244 | ||
| Oklahoma City Thunder | |||||
| 2008–09 | 23 | 59 | .280 | ||
| 2009–10 | 50 | 32 | .610 | Lost First Round | LA Lakers 4, Oklahoma City 2 |
| 2010–11 | 55 | 27 | .671 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Oklahoma City 4, Denver 1 Oklahoma City 4, Memphis 3 Dallas 4, Oklahoma City 1 |
| 2011–12 | 47 | 19 | .712 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Oklahoma City 4, Dallas 0 Oklahoma City 4, LA Lakers 1 Oklahoma City 4, San Antonio 2 Miami 4, Oklahoma City 1 |
| 2012–13 | 60 | 22 | .732 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Oklahoma City 4, Houston 2 Memphis 4, Oklahoma City 1 |
| 2013–14 | 59 | 23 | .720 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Oklahoma City 4, Memphis 3 Oklahoma City 4, LA Clippers 2 San Antonio 4, Oklahoma City 2 |
| 2014–15 | 45 | 37 | .549 | ||
| 2015–16 | 55 | 27 | .671 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Oklahoma City 4, Dallas 1 Oklahoma City 4, San Antonio 2 Golden State 4, Oklahoma City 3 |
| 2016–17 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Lost First Round | Houston 4, Oklahoma City 1 |
| 2017–18 | 48 | 34 | .585 | Lost First Round | Utah 4, Oklahoma City 2 |
| 2018–19 | 49 | 33 | .598 | Lost First Round | Portland 4, Oklahoma City 1 |
| 2019–20 | 44 | 27 | .620 | Lost First Round | Houston 4, Oklahoma City 3 |
| 2020–21 | 22 | 50 | .306 | ||
| 2021–22 | 24 | 58 | .293 | ||
| 2022–23 | 40 | 42 | .488 | Won Play-in game to advance to No. 8 seed game Lost Play-in game for No. 8 seed |
Oklahoma City 123, New Orleans 118 Minnesota 120, Oklahoma City 95 |
| 2023–24 | 57 | 25 | .695 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Oklahoma City 4, New Orleans 0 Dallas 4, Oklahoma City 2 |
| Totals | 2232 | 1902 | .540 | ||
| Playoffs | 160 | 159 | .502 | 1 Championship | |
Franchise accomplishments and awards[]
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Single game records[]
- Points: 58 (2 times), by Fred Brown vs. Golden State Warriors, March 23, 1974 and Russell Westbrook vs. Portland Trail Blazers, March 8, 2017
- Rebounds: 30, Jim Fox vs. Los Angeles Lakers, December 26, 1973
- Assists: 25, by Nate McMillan vs. Los Angeles Clippers, February 23, 1987
- Steals: 10 (2 times), by Gus Williams vs. New Jersey Nets, February 22, 1978 and Fred Brown vs. Philadelphia 76ers, December 3, 1976
- Blocks: 11, by Serge Ibaka vs. Denver Nuggets, February 19, 2012
Home arenas[]
Note: All arenas used before 2008 were used by the defunct Seattle SuperSonics franchise.
Seattle arenas had hosted two NBA All-Star Games; the 1974 game in Seattle Center Coliseum and the 1987 game in the Kingdome, where SuperSonics forward Tom Chambers grabbed MVP honors.
Seattle SuperSonics
- Seattle Center Coliseum (1967–1978) (occasionally used during the Kingdome years when the latter was unavailable due to either Mariners or Seahawks games)
- Kingdome (1978–1985)
- Seattle Center Coliseum (1985–1994)
- Tacoma Dome (1994–1995) (During Seattle Center Coliseum renovation)
- KeyArena (the remodeled and renamed Seattle Center Coliseum) (1995–2008)
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Paycom Center (formerly Ford Center, Oklahoma City Arena, and Chesapeake Energy Arena) (2008–present)
Paycom Center (2008–present)[]
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Opened on June 8, 2002, as the Ford Center, Paycom Center was built without luxury accommodations but designed to accommodate luxury "buildouts" should a professional sports franchise make the Paycom Center their home arena. It was finished at a cost of $89.2 million.
A plan for such build-out improvements began in 2007. It came in the wake of the acquisition of the Seattle SuperSonics by an Oklahoma City-based ownership group the previous October. A city ballot initiative approved by a 62 percent margin on March 4, 2008, extended a prior one-cent city sales tax for a period of 15 months in order to fund $101 million in budgeted improvements to the arena and a separate $20 million practice facility for a relocated franchise.
Renovation work on the arena was delayed by a sales tax-receipts shortfall during the 2008–10 economic crisis. Revised plans limited the size of a new glass entryway and eliminated a practice court to accommodate the shortfall. Major construction work on the arena expansion was also delayed from the summer of 2010 to the summer of 2011. Seating capacity of the stadium is 18,203 for professional NBA basketball games.
Similar revisions were made to the plans for the Thunder's separate practice facility, for a total savings of approximately $14 million. The Thunder's practice facility completion date was pushed back to approximately March 2011. The company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 28, 2020, with a debt of $9 billion, with the effect on the arena's naming rights not yet known at that time. However, on April 20, 2021, the company terminated the deal as part of its corporate restructuring. The arena retained its name during the Thunder's search for a new sponsor.
On July 27, 2021, it was announced that Paycom will acquire the naming rights for the arena for a 15-year period, renaming it Paycom Center.
Mascots[]
Note: All mascots used before 2008 were used by the defunct Seattle SuperSonics franchise.
- Wheedle, 1978–1985
- Squatch, 1993–2008
Rumble the Bison[]
On February 17, 2009, Rumble the Bison was introduced as the new Oklahoma City Thunder mascot during the halftime of a game against the New Orleans Hornets. Rumble was the winner of the 2008-2009 NBA Mascot of the Year.[23]
Fanbase[]
During the 2012 NBA Finals, sportswriter Bill Simmons published a piece on the team's fan base in his ESPN-sponsored Web outlet, Grantland.com, in which he noted the unusual enthusiasm of the city for its team:
"With the possible exception of Portland, no NBA team means more to its city. This goes beyond having the loudest fans. There's genuine devotion here. These people arrived a good 45 minutes early for last night's Game 1 — and by "these people" I mean "everyone with a ticket" — then clapped their way through pregame warm-ups with such infectious enthusiasm that I remember saying to a friend, "No way these yahoos keep this up for three hours, they're going to burn out." Wrong. You know what burned out? My eardrums. My head is still ringing."
Simmons speculated that the Oklahoma City bombing played a major part in the team's culture, noting that Thunder general manager Sam Presti has every new Thunder player visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial, and encourages players to look into the stands and consider that many of the team's fans were personally affected by the event. He also noted, however, that the fact that the Thunder is the only team from Oklahoma City (or indeed the state of Oklahoma) in one of the nation's four major leagues contributes mightily to the city's devotion.
Thunder fans are also reportedly much more likely to attend major home games than most other NBA fanbases. According to a source in the ticket industry, only five percent of tickets to the 2012 NBA conference finals listed for sale on secondary market sites such as StubHub were for Thunder home games, and for every ticket listed for a Thunder home game in the 2012 NBA Finals, 10 tickets for Heat home games were listed.
The team and its fanbase regularly use the slogan "Thunder Up!" which was prominently displayed on T-shirts during the 2012 playoffs.
However, as of late the attendance has suffered. They ranked 28th out of 30 in attendance in the 2021-22 season, only filling under 82% of their arena.
Players[]
Current Roster[]
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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|
Roster |
Injured
Individual awards[]
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
- Kevin Durant – 2014
- Russell Westbrook – 2017
- Scott Brooks – 2012, 2014
- Kevin Durant – 2008
- Scott Brooks – 2010
- James Harden – 2012
- Russell Westbrook – 2015
- Kevin Durant – 2010–2012, 2014
- Russell Westbrook – 2015, 2017
- Kevin Durant – 2012
- Russell Westbrook – 2015, 2016
All-NBA First Team
- Kevin Durant – 2010–2014
- Russell Westbrook – 2016, 2017
- Paul George – 2019
All-NBA Second Team
- Russell Westbrook – 2011–2013, 2015–2018
- Kevin Durant – 2016
- Chris Paul – 2020
All-NBA Third Team
- Paul George – 2018
- Russell Westbrook – 2019
Template:Column NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Serge Ibaka – 2012–2014
- Paul George – 2019
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- Thabo Sefolosha – 2010
- André Roberson – 2017
NBA Rookie First Team
- Kevin Durant – 2008
- Jeff Green – 2008
- Russell Westbrook – 2009
NBA Rookie Second Team
- James Harden – 2010
- Steven Adams – 2014
- Josh Giddey – 2022
- Kevin Durant – 2010–2016
- Russell Westbrook – 2011–2013, 2015–2019
- Paul George – 2018, 2019
- Chris Paul – 2020
Template:Columns-end
Retired jersey numbers[]
Since relocating from Seattle to Oklahoma City, the Thunder has officially retired one jersey number. On March 20, 2019, the club officially retired number 4 in honor of Nick Collison, who played for the team from 2003–2018.
As the Thunder's original iteration, the Seattle SuperSonics had retired six numbers. In addition, the SuperSonics awarded an honorary microphone to longtime broadcaster Bob Blackburn, who had called the majority of the team's games from 1967 through 1992.
| Oklahoma City Thunder retired numbers | |||
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gus Williams | G | 1977–1984 |
| 4 | Nick Collison | F | 2003–2018 |
| 6 | Bill Russell | N/A | Retired across NBA on August 11, 2022 |
| 10 | Nate McMillan | G | 1986–1998 |
| 19 | Lenny Wilkens | G | 1968–1972 |
| 24 | Spencer Haywood | F | 1970–1975 |
| 32 | Fred Brown | G | 1971–1984 |
| 43 | Jack Sikma | C | 1977–1986 |
| MIC | Bob Blackburn | Broadcaster | 1967–1992 |
Notes[]
- Nate McMillan served as head coach (2000–2005).
- Lenny Wilkens served as head coach (1969–1972; 1977–1985).
Former players[]
- For the complete list of Oklahoma City Thunder players see: Oklahoma City Thunder all-time roster.
Staff[]
Head coaches[]
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Other[]
Logo and uniforms[]
The Oklahoma City Thunder unveiled their first logo on September 3, 2008, showing a shield with a basketball on it. According to majority owner Clay Bennett, the team's logo takes several of its elements from other Oklahoma sports teams such as the collegiate Sooners and Cowboys.[citation needed] The uniform design was unveiled on September 29, 2008.[24][25]
Television and radio[]
Radio[]
All Thunder games are broadcast on the Thunder Radio Network[26], led by the flagship stations WWLS-FM 98.1 and WWLS AM 640, "The Sports Animal".[27] Matt Pinto is the radio voice of the Thunder.[28]
TV[]
For their first two seasons, the Thunder's TV broadcasts were split between Fox Sports Oklahoma (a regional fork of FS Southwest), which broadcast most of the games, and independent station KSBI (channel 52), with around 65 Thunder games airing during the season and more than half of the games available in HD on FS Oklahoma, along with other team-related programming such as pregame shows. Around 15 to 20 regular-season games were broadcast over the air on KSBI, which had a network of rebroadcasters spanning the entire state. All televised games are called by Brian Davis on play-by-play and Grant Long as color commentator.[29][30] During the 2009–2010 season, KSBI telecast all Thunder games it aired in high definition (KSBI had previously aired in HD the first regular-season game played at the Ford Center - against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 29, 2008 - while all other games during the 2008–2009 season were telecast on KSBI in standard definition). On August 3, 2010, the Thunder signed a new exclusive multi-year agreement with Fox Sports Oklahoma, beginning with the 2010 season, ending the team's broadcasts on KSBI. [31] Kelly Crull serves as the sideline reporter.[32]
References[]
- ↑ Darnell Mayberry (2008-04-21). "Thunder will stay in division". The Oklahoman. http://newsok.com/article/3232776/1208751773. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
- ↑ "City Preparing Ford Center For NBA Team". The Oklahoman. 2008-07-03. http://www.koco.com/news/16785490/detail.html. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
- ↑ "Ford Center / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma". Arena Digest. 2008. http://www.arenadigest.com/visits/ford_center.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
- ↑ "Stern: Oklahoma City top candidate if team moves". ESPN. 2005-11-09. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2219124. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
- ↑ "NBA approves sale of Sonics, Storm". ESPN. October 24, 2006. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2637335. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
- ↑ "Sonics' 'good faith efforts' never materialized". Seattle PI. June 17, 2008. http://www.seattlepi.com/thiel/367444_thiel18.html. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ↑ Johns, Greg (2007-11-02). "Bennett says Sonics going to Oklahoma". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/basketball/337871_arena03.html?source=mypi. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
- ↑ "SuperSonics, Seattle reach last-minute settlement". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3471503. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
- ↑ Allen, Percy (2008-07-06). "Seattle and Oklahoma City will share the Sonics' franchise history". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2008035531_soni06.html. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- ↑ http://webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?media_id=97&season=14#film_sports_vid
- ↑ SNU Sawyer Center
- ↑ Sites, Phil (2008-10-08). "T'Wolves Play Spoiler". Billings Gazette. http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/10/09/sports/local/18-wolves.txt. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
- ↑ Oklahoma City NBA team to face hectic pace in preseason
- ↑ Sheridan, Chris (2008-11-22). "Carlesimo fired; Brooks to take over Thunder in interim". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3718961. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
- ↑ Associated Press (2008-11-22). "Thunder snap 14-game losing streak behind Durant's 30". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2008-11-29-thunder-grizzlies_N.htm?csp=34. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
- ↑ "NBA Team Valuations". Forbes Magazine. December 3, 2008. http://www.forbes.com/sportsmoney/lists/2008/32/nba08_NBA-Team-Valuations_Rank.html. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ↑ "Oklahoma City Thunder". Forbes magazine. December 3, 2008. http://www.forbes.com/sportsmoney/lists/2008/32/nba08_Oklahoma-City-Thunder_329710.html. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ↑ Pimentel, Roger. "NBA Playoffs in Numbers: Eight Statistics You Weren’t Expecting". How To Watch Sports. http://howtowatchsports.com/2010/04/nba-playoffs-in-numbers-eight-statistics-you-werent-expecting/. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
- ↑ "2009–2010 NBA Attendance". ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance/_/sort/homePct. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "NBA Team Valuations". Forbes Magazine. Forbes.com Mobile. December 9, 2009. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/32/basketball-values-09_NBA-Team-Valuations_Rank.html. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "#18 Oklahoma City Thunder". Forbes Magazine. Forbes.com Mobile. January 27, 2011. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/32/basketball-valuations-11_Oklahoma-City-Thunder_329710.html. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ↑ Mayberry, Darnell (April 6, 2011). "Thunder beats Clippers to wrap up Northwest Division title". The Oklahoman. http://newsok.com/thunder-beats-clippers-to-wrap-up-northwest-division/article/3556066. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
- ↑ "Rumble the Bison Named NBA Mascot of the Year". www.nba.com. http://www.nba.com/thunder/news/release_090813.html. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ↑ Thunder 'flashes' new uniforms, September 29, 2008
- ↑ Kelly Dwyer, Introducing your Oklahoma City Light Blue Knicks, September 29, 2008
- ↑ (PDF). http://www.nba.com/media/thunder/tunein_081031.pdf.
- ↑ Mayberry, Darnell (2008-07-30). "NBA team reaches deal with local radio station". NewsOK.com. http://newsok.com/nba-team-reaches-deal-with-local-radio-station/article/3276819/?tm=1217456631. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ↑ "'Thunder' roars into OKC". News9.com. 2008-09-08. http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=8945631&nav=menu681_2. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ↑ "FS Oklahoma to air Thunder games". The Oklahoman. 2008-09-29. http://newsok.com/fs-oklahoma-to-air-thunder-games/article/3304544/?tm=1222733614. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
- ↑ Mel Bracht. "KSBI to air Thunder games". The Oklahoman. http://newsok.com/ksbi-to-air-thunder-games/article/3306605. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ↑ Thunder Signs Exclusive Television Agreement with FOX Sports Southwest NBA.com/Thunder August 3, 2010
- ↑ http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumblings/2010/10/08/getting-to-know-kelly-crull/
External links[]
- Official website of the Thunder
- Oklahoma City Thunder @ Basketball-Reference.com
- Page on Wikipedia
| Preceded by Washington Bullets 1978 |
NBA Champions Seattle SuperSonics 1979 |
Succeeded by Los Angeles Lakers 1980 |
| National Basketball Association | ||||
| Commissioners | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
