History of the Oklahoma City Thunder facts for kids

The Oklahoma City Thunder is a professional basketball team from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This team was created in 2008. It happened when the Seattle SuperSonics team moved from Seattle.

From Seattle to Oklahoma City: The SuperSonics Story (1967–2008)

The team that became the Thunder was first known as the Seattle SuperSonics. They played in Seattle for 41 seasons. During that time, they won many games. They also won three Western Conference championships. Their biggest win was an NBA title in 1979.

In 2006, the SuperSonics team was sold. A group of investors from Oklahoma City bought it. The new owners decided to move the team to Oklahoma City. This move happened after their lease in Seattle ended.

The city of Seattle tried to stop the move. They went to court in 2008. But the two sides reached an agreement. Seattle received money, and the team moved. The SuperSonics name, logo, and colors were left in Seattle. This was in case a new NBA team came to Seattle later. However, the championship banners and trophies still belonged to the Oklahoma City team. On September 3, 2008, the new team name was announced. They chose "Thunder" because Oklahoma often has powerful storms.

The Oklahoma City Thunder Era (2008–present)

First Season in Oklahoma City (2008–09)

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their first game on November 2, 2008.

The Thunder played their first games in the summer league. Players wore special jerseys that said "OKC-NBA." Their temporary practice place was the Sawyer Center. This center was also used by the New Orleans Hornets after Hurricane Katrina.

The team played some practice games before the regular season. Their first game in Oklahoma City was on October 14. They played against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Thunder's first regular season home game was a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. But three nights later, on November 2, they won their first game. They beat the Minnesota Timberwolves.

After a tough start, the team improved. They fired their head coach, P. J. Carlesimo. Assistant coach Scott Brooks took over. The team started winning more games. They finished the season with 23 wins and 59 losses. This was better than their last season in Seattle. Scott Brooks became the official head coach.

The team's move to Oklahoma City was good for business. The team's value grew. They also sold all their tickets for home games.

A Big Turnaround (2009–10)

The Thunder hoped to get even better in their second season. They drafted James Harden from Arizona State. He was the third overall pick in the NBA Draft. They also added experienced players like Etan Thomas.

The young team played very well together. Players like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka grew stronger. They started beating top teams in the NBA. This included big wins over the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Thunder finished the season with 50 wins and 32 losses. This was more than double their wins from the year before! Kevin Durant became the youngest player to win the scoring title. He averaged 30.1 points per game. The team made it to the 2010 NBA Playoffs. They won their first playoff game in Oklahoma City against the Lakers. But the Lakers won the series 4–2.

The team was very popular in Oklahoma City. They sold almost all their tickets. The team also started making a profit.

Rising to the Top (2010–11)

[[multiple image | width1 = 132 | image1 = Kevin Durant.jpg | caption1 = Kevin Durant | image2 = Russell Westbrook.jpg | width2 = 143 | caption2 = Russell Westbrook | image3 = | width3 = 144 | caption3 = Serge Ibaka ]] The Thunder continued to do well financially. Their value kept growing. They finished the 2010–2011 season with 55 wins and 27 losses. This was their best record since moving to Oklahoma City. They also won their first division title.

In the playoffs, Kevin Durant scored 41 points in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets. Serge Ibaka almost set a record with 9 blocks in a game. The Thunder won that series 4 games to 1. Then they faced the Memphis Grizzlies. The Thunder won a tough seven-game series against the Grizzlies. Durant and Russell Westbrook played amazingly. They reached the Western Conference Finals. But they lost to the Dallas Mavericks 4–1.

Playing in the NBA Finals (2011–12)

The Thunder kept their team together during a long lockout. They started the season strong. Kevin Durant scored 30 or more points in four straight games. Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Perkins, and Ibaka were all considered for the All-Star team. Coach Scott Brooks was chosen to lead the Western Conference All-Star team.

In the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the Thunder swept the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. They beat the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Then they faced the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder lost the first two games. But they came back to win the next four games. They won the series 4–2 and made it to the 2012 NBA Finals!

In the Finals, they played against the Miami Heat. The Thunder won the first game at home. But then they lost four games in a row. They lost the series in five games.

Changes After Harden (2012–13)

The Thunder drafted Perry Jones III in 2012. They also signed Serge Ibaka to a long-term contract. However, they traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets. In return, they got Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, plus draft picks. Martin took over Harden's role as a key player off the bench.

The Thunder finished the season with 60 wins and 22 losses. This was their best record yet. They were the top team in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they played the Houston Rockets. But in Game 2, Russell Westbrook got injured. He missed the rest of the playoffs. Without Westbrook, the Thunder struggled. They beat the Rockets but then lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 4–1.

Durant's MVP Season (2013–14)

In 2013, the Thunder drafted Steven Adams and Andre Roberson. Kevin Martin left the team. The Thunder finished second in their conference with 59 wins. They met the Memphis Grizzlies again in the playoffs. This series was very close. It set a record for the most overtime games in a series.

Injuries and Missing the Playoffs (2014–15)

The Thunder drafted Mitch McGary and Josh Huestis. But they lost shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha. Before the season started, Kevin Durant got injured. He missed the first 17 games. Then Russell Westbrook also got injured. He missed 16 games.

When both players came back, they suffered more injuries. Durant was out for the rest of the season. Westbrook also had surgery but returned quickly. He had many "triple-doubles" (getting double-digits in points, rebounds, and assists). He also won the NBA scoring title. But despite his efforts, the Thunder missed the playoffs. This was due to a tiebreaker with the New Orleans Pelicans. Scott Brooks was fired as head coach. Billy Donovan was hired as the new coach.

Durant's Last Season (2015–16)

The Thunder finished the season with 55 wins and 27 losses. They were the 3rd best team in the Western Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, they easily beat the Dallas Mavericks. The Oklahoma City Thunder made it to the Western Conference Finals. But they lost after being up 3–1 against the Golden State Warriors.

Westbrook's MVP Season (2016–17)

After the season, superstar Kevin Durant decided to leave the Thunder. He joined the Golden State Warriors. Many people criticized his decision. On August 4, 2016, Russell Westbrook signed a new contract to stay with the Thunder.

Westbrook had an amazing season. He averaged 31.6 points, 10.4 assists, and 10.7 rebounds. This meant he averaged a "triple-double" for the entire season! He was the first player since Oscar Robertson to do this. On April 9, 2017, Westbrook broke Robertson's record for most triple-doubles in a season (42). He also hit a game-winning shot against the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Houston Rockets. But Westbrook was named the league MVP after the season.

The Westbrook and George Years (2017–2019)

In 2017, the Thunder drafted Terrance Ferguson. To make the team stronger, the Thunder made some big trades. They got four-time All-Star Paul George from the Indiana Pacers. They also signed veteran players like Raymond Felton. Then they traded for ten-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks. On September 29, 2017, Russell Westbrook signed a five-year contract extension. The Thunder finished the 2017–18 season with 48 wins. But they lost to the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.

In 2018, the Thunder drafted Devon Hall and Kevin Hervey. They also traded for Hamidou Diallo. Paul George re-signed with the Thunder. The team traded Carmelo Anthony in a three-way trade. The Thunder got Dennis Schröder and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. They also added Nerlens Noel and Abdel Nader.

Building for the Future (2019–present)

The Chris Paul Era (2019–2020)

General manager Sam Presti traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019. In return, they received Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and many future draft picks. George had asked to be traded to play with Kawhi Leonard. The Thunder also traded Jerami Grant to the Denver Nuggets.

After these trades, the team decided to rebuild. On July 16, the Thunder traded Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. In return, they received Chris Paul and more future draft picks. Chris Paul was chosen for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. The Thunder were invited to the NBA Bubble to finish the season.

A Young Team Rebuilds (2020–present)

After the 2019–20 season, coach Billy Donovan left the team. Mark Daigneault became the new head coach. Before the next season, Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns. The Thunder received more draft picks in return. Many other experienced players were also traded for draft picks. The Thunder made 14 trades before the 2021 trade deadline.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

By summer 2021, the Thunder had collected 36 draft picks for the next seven years. In the 2021 NBA Draft, they drafted Josh Giddey and Tre Mann. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a big contract extension.

On December 2, 2021, the Thunder lost to the Memphis Grizzlies by 73 points. This was the biggest loss in NBA history. Just months before, they had their biggest home loss ever.

Despite some tough losses, young players started to shine. On January 2, 2022, Josh Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to get a "triple-double." He was 19 years old. He also became the youngest to lead all players in points, rebounds, and assists in a game. Giddey continued to set records for rookies.

On March 21, 2022, Tre Mann scored 35 points, a new rookie record for the Thunder. On April 3, 2022, Aleksej Pokuševski also recorded a triple-double. These young players are showing great potential for the future of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Images for kids

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  Kevin Durant

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  Russell Westbrook

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  Serge Ibaka