New OKC Thunder Arena to Usher in Another Wave of Thunder Fandom

Even before the Thunder organization made its trek from Seattle to Oklahoma City, its soon-to-be fans were raving. Actually, its fan base was crazy for basketball even before it was announced Oklahoma City would be getting a team.

The Oklahoma City Hornets of 2005-06 let the national NBA fan base and media see what exactly the atmosphere would be like of an NBA team in Oklahoma City, and, ultimately, it helped the city land a team that would foster one of the youngest and most talented teams in the entire association just years later.

Entering its first season in the league as the Oklahoma City Thunder with Kevin Durant and a rookie Russell Westbrook, with James Harden soon to come the following year, the hype was evident in the then-Ford Arena. That next season, with a rookie Harden in the mix, the Thunder improved from a lackluster 23-59 record to a 50-32 record and a playoff bid, where a No. 8-seeded Oklahoma City took a Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers team to six games.

The next season, a conference finals appearance. The next, an NBA Finals appearance, falling 4-1 in the series to the trio of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh and their Miami Heat. But at that point, Loud City was rocking, knowing they had a team comprised of two young superstars who could bring them to that point just around four years into the team's arrival in Oklahoma City—the title loss hurt, but the future was bright.

Four years later, the Thunder would lose its MVP and hometown favorite in Durant to the team it painfully lost to in the Western Conference Finals the year before, as a 3-1 comeback by the Golden State Warriors grew the attention of Durant, and he jumped ship.

The atmosphere in Oklahoma City was depressing on that day of Durant's decision, but it also rallied the fan base. Westbrook staying the course, guiding Oklahoma City with an MVP season, and multiple historic seasons of averaging a triple-double. Thunder fans found solace in Westbrook's individual success as the team couldn't quite reached the heights of which they were capable of in 2011-12—and the rebuilding period that would await the team would be a complete lull.

Now, with superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finally completing what the Thunder hadn't been able to do over a decade ago, he, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and many more finally eased the Oklahoma City fans, bringing them a championship full of satisfaction, relief and elation. A feeling these fans haven't ever seen.

Just over a month later, the Mayor David Holt of Oklahoma City addresses the impending new OKC Thunder arena at his 2025 State of the City address, a $900 million project to set the team apart from others in the league, providing Thunder fans with an optimized way to celebrate and cheer on its favorite team in a state-of-the-art arena. An arena where Loud City could interact even more, becoming a sixth man in the audience and rooting on its team to defend its NBA title.

Oklahoma City fans have seen several eras, several milestones, several accomplishments and several heartbreaks in its short-lived history—but the vibes of the Thunder fan base will be at an all-time high heading into 2025-26, and of course when the team breaks its new arena in come 2008.