Things You Should Know About the Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder basketball club was founded in 1967 when the team was the Seattle Supersonics, who debuted with the NBA that year as an expansion team along with the San Diego Rockets, now the Houston Rockets. The Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City as the Thunder in 2008. 2008 was a crazy year — that year Boston College beat Notre Dame in what is known as the “College Football Holy War.” A fan at the game commented, “They sell holy water in bottles. That’s right. They sell bottled holy water at this game. What’s next? Priests taking confession on the bench for players shaving points? Come on now.”

The Thunder play at Chesapeake Energy Arena. An arena official said, “We can seat 17,000 for hockey, 18,000 for basketball, and 217,000 for the annual Oklahoma Farmer Hat Trading Show.”

“Every year I can’t wait for the Farmer Hat Trading Show,” one fan said. “Last year I traded my 1947 John Deere retro hat for 2 1963 Caterpillar tiller blade hats. I wear one to work and one to church.”

The New Orleans Hornets temporarily played games at the Chesapeake Arena after Hurricane Katrina. The strong fan support for Hornets game was partly why the league was convinced it would be a great market to move the Supersonics to. “Yes, it’s true, a league official said. “We like Oklahoma City because they love basketball. Also, there’s very little else to do. Around here for excitement, they drive to Pottawatomie county, get ice cream and try to drive back before it all melts.”