Thunder Players Are Looking Forward to a Home Crowd Advantage in Playoffs

Loud City is back, and Thunder fans have been flooding the Paycom Center all season in anticipation for the playoffs.

It’s been a while since Oklahoma City was a playoff team. And even longer since Oklahoma City had a crowd to cheer on its team in the playoffs.

The Thunder’s home arena picked up a reputation for one of the best, and loudest, fanbases in the NBA during the early days of Thunder basketball. The first few playoff series against teams like the Lakers, Mavericks, and Spurs helped jumpstart what is now known as “Loud City.” The deafening roars after season-changing plays bring back all the good memories. Kevin Durant’s buzzer beater against Dallas, to Russell Westbrook’s and-one against the Lakers, and all the electricity in between, the Loud City tag was warranted.

The last time Oklahoma City was in the playoffs, it was the unexpected 2019-20 campaign led by Chris Paul. COVID-19 unfortunately took fans out of the equation, though, and the rowdy crowd wasn’t able to support a fun basketball team.

After two seasons of losing, and one focused on getting back on track, Oklahoma City’s crowd had to regain its reputation. And honestly, they’re still building it back up. There were long nights when the Paycom Center wasn’t near full, and many opposing fanbases creeping into the upper rows of the arena. This season, though, Oklahoma City’s crowd has been all the way back and bringing the thunder. The last step is playoff basketball, and both fans and players alike can’t wait to bring back the best home-court advantage in the league.

“Honestly, for me, I'm ready for the crowd,” Jaylin Williams told the media on Friday. “I'm ready for the environment, Loud City. Like, last game they had a call and I don't think the guys on the court heard the whistle. I’m ready for those type of moments.”

Oklahoma City’s rejuvenated crowd has been one of the coolest parts of the season getting back to the top. It’s nostalgic and signifies the end of a complete rebuild. The fanbase is clearly all into Thunder basketball once again, and the players are starting to notice it.

Many of the Thunder’s core players mentioned the crowd against Sacramento, and how it was hard to even hear late-game calls. The Thunder’s crowd was drowning out the referees' whistles, and it was fueling the players on the court.

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