Thunderstorms in OKC

Now, I know I just sang the praises of one expansion team, the Texans (introduced in 2002). But let me sing the praises of one more.

I know the Oklahoma City Thunder is not really an expansion team; the Seattle SuperSonics just relocated to Oklahoma City, and changed their name and jerseys. But it does feel like a whole new team. In the three seasons from the ‘05-06 to ‘07-08, the SuperSonics compiled a record of 86-160 and failed to make the playoffs once—which you almost have to try to do in the NBA. After averaging a little over 15,000 fan attendance from 2002 to 2008, the SuperSonics moved to OKC, where attendance now hovers around 18,000 per game, which is good enough for 11th in the NBA. This season, the Thunder have a winning record, and, should the season end today, they would be in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Such a turnaround has certainly been unexpected. Look at some of the previous relocations in professional sports: Montreal Expos became the Nationals in 2005, who have yet to have a winning season or make the playoffs; the Washington Senators moved to Dallas to become to Rangers in 1972, and didn’t make the playoffs for their first 24 years in Texas, and still have only won one playoff game ever.

The move to OKC feels a different, though. For the first time ever, Oklahoma houses a major professional sports team, and the fans have welcomed the Thunder as well as they possibly could have. Personally, I'm not surprised; college football draws a huge crowd there, and I don't see why no pro team has ventured there before the Thunder. Regardless, the team has reacted to the support accordingly. Kevin Durant is becoming one of the most electrifying players in all of basketball, currently fourth in the NBA with 28.5 PPG (he just broke a 37-year-old franchise record, scoring 30 points in his 6th straight game). He leads an extraordinarily young team with tons of potential: the average years of experience on the roster is 2.8, including four rookies. The team's 18-14 record is a 14-game improvement from where it was at this time last season, and the Thunder have had some big wins, including against the Magic, Suns, Spurs, and Heat. I also have to give them credit for two losses against the Lakers by a combined six points.

So check your city’s forecast, and make sure there are no eminent thunderstorms. This might be The Inconvenient Truth talking, but something tells me that thunderstorms are growing more powerful every year.