Oklahoma City Thunder

The NBA Experience..So much fun it was SHOCKING!!!

(Our faces tell the story...)

Ever since Eric moved to Oklahoma City, I’ve been wanting to catch a Thunder game with him. I’m not a huge NBA fan anymore, however there are a handful of recognizable former Big Twelvers on the roster, the team is young and apparently pretty good, and hell, who am I kidding, I don't need pretense to hang out with my brother. Beers, basketball and bro...that's good enough for me. 

Sadly, I’ve had to rebuff four or five prior invites since Eric gets the tickets gratis – courtesy of his company, Chesapeake Energy – but very last minute. I let him know that even if it were mid-week I’d consider making the trek, while realistically hoping a weekend outing worked first. In spite of this desire, and to no one’s surprise, he snagged tickets for a Wednesday night game – the last of the season – and I just happened to have a meeting-free calendar.

So I took off mid-day Wednesday (OK…slightly before “mid-day”), zipped off the removable legs of my conversion pants, popped in a book on CD and set off for OKC. 5 hours later I piggy-backed through the gate of an apartment complex that I would soon find out was not at all Eric’s. Seven minutes later he greeted outside and welcomed me in.

We put our OKC gear on, his a fancy corporate polo, mine a long sleeve T with the word “Chesapeake” rainbowing largely across my chest, no less than 18 times larger than the Thunder logo in the middle. His company has both naming and bragging rights, apparently.

(Can you guess which two guys on the squad went to Kansas, without stereotyping at least a little?)

We had a few beers then headed to the stadium, but not after a quick stop in Bricktown, the classic and cobblestoned downtown hub, home to many historical and unique bars and restaurants, family joints with open-air patio seating and a great view of the river. We went to Coyote Ugly. Hard to explain why - even harder to explain why we went back after the game, when to our surprise the same B-team waitresses who served us at 5pm where still working the bar. Some things you have to learn through experience, I suppose.

(We don't have to explain ourselves...)

The stadium was incredible. There was a definite buzz in the air. The team had already made the playoffs, and fans were in a celebratory spirit even before the game. This was my first live NBA experience since 1996, when I saw the Bulls and Spurs play in San Antonio, in seats so high up all I could make out was Dennis Rodman’s blonde dye-job. Eric and I were pumped. 

(Home of the Oklahoma Chesapeake's Thunder)

We took a lap or two to find drinks and food, check out the décor and yes, people-watch. Everyone was sporting Thunder gear – the place was packed and everyone was psyched. We made it to our seats, which were located close to the floor, directly behind one of the baskets. Not bad at all, since we were close to the OKC bench and had a great view of the entire stadium.

(It's not like there was a sign that said this was just for kids. Wait...that's exactly what there was.) 

The game started with a highlight video on the jumbotron (exciting as it was, it was no KU highlight film), some on-court pyrotechnics and loud music. In fact, there was music blasting throughout the entire game. The vibe was more Wichita Wings than KU hoops, and that’s no knock. There were T-shirt guns going off, parachuting Chic-Fil-A sandwiches, mini bballs sent into the crowd – there was so much excitement you risked missing something great with each pee break.

(We acted goofy for luck; probably not the same reason Striped Shirt was digging into his nose.) 

Former Jayhawks Nick Collison and Cole Aldrich suited up, though only Collison played. It’s weird to think of him as a valuable NBA vet, but this was a guy who graduated from KU just one year after I did. He played for long spurts throughout, mostly as a defensive specialist. At the pro level he’s not the 20 point 20 board threat during his All-American years in college, but he's definitely a quality player. And he had a killer reverse layup, his only bucket. And he's a millionaire. 

(Two Jayhawks, separated by nine years and one Royal Ivey)

The main attraction however, was former Texas Longhorn Kevin Durant. Though I’m not a fan of the NBA isolate and go one-on-one style of play, it works in favor for guys like Durant. He started and ended the majority of the Thunder’s plays, cross-dribbling at the ark, shaking his man down, then either driving for a nasty jam or fading back for a 3. And of course he was on fire. I’m talking NBA-Jam video game level, on fire. Even though they lost, it was a joy to watch him maneuver - this was the game that he secured his third straight scoring title. He had more than one face-dunk on the opposition, posterizing un-knowing Denver Nuggets the same way he did the Wildcats and Tigers of the Big XII.

It’s great to know that OKC has embraced the former Seattle Supersonics in such a way. After the game, you could see post-game interviews in all the bars, – even Coyote Ugly – Eric had his radio tuned into the broadcast, and fans in Thunder gear were seen all throughout downtown enjoying post-game beers and ice cream, very few with any urgency to leave the immediate area. That they seem to have a snug home in OKC tempers my disappointment that Kansas City, one of the finalists, lost out on the NBA franchise.

(Eric laughing at Lucha Libre)

(Me trying not to look at Lucha Libre's nip)

(Lucha Libre, realizing I wasn't taking the photo op seriously, getting his revenge)

Eric was a great host, even if I was in town for just 15 hours. It’s nice to know that a great sports experience is just within my grasp. Because even though it was a lot of driving to make it out there and back, I arrived back at work feeling refreshed and satisfied – if not a bit distracted – after the great experience with my bro, enjoying a pro game. So here’s my plea to keep securing free tickets – hopefully the next time I can make it out for a weekend game - that might give us the cushion we need to find a better pre/post-game watering hole. 

(Cool panoramic - can you spot the creepy two-head?)