Oklahoma City Thunder 2012 NBA Season Preview:
If you’re looking for one of the most potent, young teams in the NBA, the list will always begin with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Led by small forward Kevin Durant, one of the most intriguing and popular players in the NBA, the Thunder have a starting five that is arguably one of the best in the NBA and ranked fifth in scoring. Point guard Russell Westbrook is the hidden gem that emerged last year to be the Robin to Durant’s Batman, and is now an All-Star who is looking to expand his game another year into his collaboration. Serge Ibaka is another revelation that OKC has stumbled upon, a hybrid center/forward that was one of the league leaders in blocks and one of the leaders of a frontcourt that ranked eighth in the league in rebounds. The mid-season trade with the Boston Celtics that brought in forward Jeff Green and Kendrick Perkins last year only solidified a team that’s going to be a perennial fixture in the championship run, and a fun one at that.
Recommended Thunder Games
Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies (February 3) – OKC & Memphis played had an epic series in 2011 playoffs.
Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers (February 23) – Durant vs Bryant brings mega star power to Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Thunder vs. Miami Heat (March 25) – To be the best, you have to beat the best. The Heat are top team in the Eastern Conference.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER FRANCHISE FACTS:
Founded: 1967 as the Seattle Supersonics
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Stadium: Chesapeake Energy Arena
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Northwest Division
Rivals: N/A
Mascot: Rumble the Bison
Dancers: Oklahoma City Thunder Girls
Notable Players: Fred Brown, Jack Sikma, Gus Williams
Oklahoma City Thunder Championship Titles: 0
Oklahoma City Thunder Conference Titles: 3
See Also:
Oklahoma City Thunder Playoff tickets
Oklahoma City Thunder Season Preview History
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER INFORMATION:
The Oklahoma City Thunder may be one of the most welcomed surprises to come out of the Western Conference since they debuted in 2008. Still, while the Oklahoma City community has embraced the franchise with open arms, the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics throughout much of its history.
Although the ball club has made quite an impact since moving south, its tenure in the Evergreen State was significantly highlighted by two consecutive NBA Finals in 1978 and 1979, both times pitted against the Washington Bullets. The Sonics finally triumphed during their second round in the championships on the strength of leading scorer Gus Williams and Finals MVP Dennis Johnson.
Soon thereafter the squad tailed off and experienced a period of mediocrity during the 1980s until hiring Coach George Karl and signing a pair of future superstars, Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, who were both major title contenders in the early '90s. It was during this time that the Sonics posted a 64-18 record during the 1995-96 season, an all-time best. Unfortunately, the team met the nearly unstoppable Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals and lost in six games. The ball club then went on to experience futile playoff attempts throughout much of the 2000s, with the exception of a standout year in 2004-05 where they won 52 games. However, they later lost in the second round of the playoffs to the San Antonio Spurs.
Lagging attendance in Seattle forced the team to move in 2008, and luckily for the Oklahoma City fans, the Thunder already had superstars Kevin Durant and Jeff Green waiting in the wings from the 2007 draft. In the Thunder's inaugural 2008 season, the squad experienced some growing pains but started to show the signs of a contender. It was only a year later, during the 2009-10 season, that the Thunder posted its best record by cruising to 50-32. The Thunder even gave the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers a run for its money in the first round of the playoffs, but eventually floundered in the series and lost in six games.
The future is bright for the Oklahoma City Thunder. They are one of the most profitable franchises in the league and enjoy overwhelming support from their dedicated fanbase. It's likely the squad will continue to build around its star power to become a force in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City Thunder Ticket Information:
The seats TicketCity offers for the Oklahoma City Thunder come from our large network of suppliers. Those suppliers list and price these Thunder tickets, and in many cases the ticket prices will be higher than the face value printed on them. After submitting your ticket order, TicketCity will verify the availability of those seats with our supplier before confirming your purchase. Tickets are shipped via FedEx as soon as they are available to send.
TicketCity is not affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the official Thunder website or Chesapeake Energy Arena.