Oklahoma City Thunder Events Near Ashburn

Starting out as the Seattle SuperSonics before making the move to Oklahoma, the team now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder have a rich yet complicated history dating back to 1967. During their 4 decades in Seattle, the team had some of the greatest players in the league, particularly during the 1990s era of Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, and Nate McMillan. The team’s time in Seattle brought 6 division titles, 3 conference championships, and an NBA Finals victory over the now-Washington Wizards. Today, based in Oklahoma City, the Thunder are continuing this legacy of success, taking 5 more division titles since their move in 2008 and making it to the NBA Finals again in 2012. With tickets to home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena, you can watch all the above-the- rim action brought by stars like Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony.

History of the Oklahoma City Thunder

Founded in 1967, the Seattle SuperSonics—like most new expansion teams—didn’t have a winning season until several years after their debut. However, by 1974, the team had packed a roster with All-Stars such as Spencer Haywood, Fred Brown, and Slick Watts and made it into the NBA Playoffs for the the very first time. Within a few years, they had added players like Jack Sikma and Dennis Johnson, who helped lead the team to 2 conference championships and the ultimate victory in 1979. Unfortunately, this success didn’t last long. Soon, the team lost many of its best players and fell into a period of ups and downs that lasted until the early ‘90s. They returned to the playoffs 7 times between 1980 and 1990 but never managed to make it again into the championship.

The Sonics then had another period of great success following the signing of players like Shawn “Reign Man” Kemp and Gary “The Glove” Payton. Between 1993 and 1998, they finished first in the Pacific Division 4 times and returned to the playoffs each year. The strongest roster perhaps ever for the Sonics came in 1995 with the addition of players like Detlef Schrempf, Sam Perkins, Nate McMillan, and Hersey Hawkins. They made it all the way to the NBA Finals in 1996 but lost to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in 6 games. Following another loss of the some major players, the Sonics fell into a decade of decline. Though the addition of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis helped the team take a surprising division title in 2005, the highest they placed otherwise in the conference was seventh place.

Oklahoma City Thunder Today

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced its 2022-23 regular season schedule! The Thunder is set to tip off the upcoming season with a pair of road contests against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 19 and the Denver Nuggest on October 22, before hosting the Timberwolves for the team’s home opener at Paycom Centert on Sunday, October 23. The 2022–23 Oklahoma City Thunder season will be the 15th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 57th in the National Basketball Association. Get your tickets at Expedia to witness some of the best games in this season!

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