Losing 29 of the team’s first 32 games was brutal. That’s how the 2008 Thunder infamously began the Oklahoma City era.
Fans who have been with the Thunder since then understandably wear that statistic like a badge of honor. Dark days gave way to a 50-win season the next year and an NBA Finals appearance the year after that.
“They remember what it’s like to watch a new team rise as we did from 2009 to 2011 and how much fun that was,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said. “And it kind of starts with this secret that only you’re in on.