My 2025 OKC Thunder Journal
As a lifelong fan of the game of basketball, and around a 15-year fan of the OKC Thunder, I decided to add my thoughts on my squad to my new website at the time, as this part of my life is a very big part of me
I had no way of knowing when I started this impromptu journey on 1/3/2025, that I would eventually be chronicling our road to our first ever championship. The highs. The lows. The fears. The reactions. It's all here, made even more intriguing by what we would eventually do nearly six months later
Here is a relatively thorough writeup of this six-month window I had no idea would turn out to be as historic as it became. I invite all hoops fans, and especially fellow Thunder fans, to take this really wild journey with me on the way to the Oklahoma City Thunder raising the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time in its OKC history
Highlights From the Thread Below
Table of Contents: Simply click the link to be taken directly to that section of the thread below
Thunder Win 14th Straight Game
Even the defending champs couldn't see us
Hey Stephen A Smith...shut yo ass all the way up!
The rematch with the Cavs after such an epic first bout
Mark D needs some glasses and article 'Criticism is Synonymous with Success' with my thoughts spliced in between
I panicked for the first time before the playoffs even started!
The Gilgeousaurus? Lmao...I approve NBA
The 2025 playoffs are here. Well, ya know, at that time
First Round vs Memphis: Games 1 - 4
Russell Westbrook is still my favorite player in the league until he retires. He now plays for the Nuggets. The Thunder played the Nuggets in round 2...and it went seven games
Game 7 against Denver and article 'Styles Points' with my thoughts spliced in between
May 23, 2025 update where I thought the Thunder winning it all was only a matter of time and exactly why I felt that way. I was a bit premature, but I would turn out to be right
The start of the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota
Fantastic Game: ECF Game 1
And so it begins. The 2025 NBA Finals OKC vs Indiana
Following another frustrating game 1 for us Thunder fans (it's way over now, but I still can't believe they won that damn game), I came up with a revelation in game 3 of the Finals, when the damn playoffs were almost over
Slight game 7 recap and my reaction to the Thunder being champions!
For the first time in my life, I was able to buy championship gear for my team. Here's what I got
Then I ordered some more shirts on Amazon
Final Thoughts
1/3/2025
There's Something Special Brewing in Oklahoma City
And I am loving every second of it! It's the main reason I went against my basketball ho tendencies and remained loyal to OKC after my favorite player left. Sam Presti plus seemingly unlimited first and second round picks accumulated over the years equals fuuuuuuuck yeah
I see Presti's long game, so I've adapted his patience. But this group is progressing faster than I thought. I wonder if Presti's just as surprised as I am or if he knew
I have of course been following along all season as we have the second best record in the league (speaking of which, where the fuck did Cleveland come from? No one saw that shit coming. You know who else is surprisingly good? Houston. And while I'm at it, fuck you NBA for advertising your xmas 2024 games as the "best matchups", while the top three teams in the league were watching from home). Some key players have been missing from the opposing team's lineup during a lot of these games, so I'm trying to curtail my expectations despite us only having lost 5 games all season as of the time of this writing
But where I really saw that this team is special was actually last night, January 2, 2025. I don't miss too many OKC games, so I tuned in last night to the Clippers home channel at 5 pm (since I can't watch Lakers or Clippers games on league pass) to see them take on my squad in OKC. When the starting line-ups flashed on the screen, I noticed that Kawhi(et) Leonard was still out for the Clippers, AND James Harden was conspicuously missing as well. I thought to myself, "oh this should be an easy night for the fellas"
Let's pause here for a second. That "easy night" thought was extremely fucking dangerous as a fan of the Durant/Westbrook led Thunder. I swear that team was frustrating as shit. They were the kings of beating the first place team in the league one night, then losing to the last place team the next night. Because of this, I checked myself as soon as I thought this would be an easy game for this Thunder team. I remember that shit would get me in all kinds of trouble with the DurantBrook Thunder. So I dismissed that thought and went back to working since I was on the clock working overtime
I would periodically watch moments of the game between doing my work. One of the early times I glanced at the screen, we were down by 16. That prompted me to literally say out loud in my home "what the fuck, guys?". Then I thought they must have dismissed this game too when they saw who was (or should I say wasn't) suited up to play. Plus it was the day after bringing in the new year. "Still celebrating, huh guys?" was the next thing to come out of my mouth. Then I had to check myself again. Why am I expecting them to win every game? That's not realistic. And I already have plenty of experience with my squad losing to teams they ain't got no business losing to. Even though the Clippers star players aren't available, that's still an NBA squad. Anybody can be beat on any given night. And you know every team is going to bring their best against the Cavs and the Thunder all year for sure. So let me get back to doing my job while I let them do theirs
Next time I glanced up and watched, we had cut the lead to eight. But then someone on the Clippers scored a basket to push the lead up to double digits again. Each of the maybe next five times I looked up, the lead was around 8 - 10 for the Clippers. Then I saw it. I saw the Thunder turn up their defense, that remains the best in the 2024 - 2025 season so far (not my opinion, what the experts are saying on the pre-show and hoops programs, so you know those fine people know their job VERY well). By the time they went in to the locker rooms for halftime, the Clippers were only up four; 52-48
In the third quarter we would shut the Clippers the fuck down! It was clear as day to me that the defense was firing on all cylinders, and that was generating offense contributing to us going on something like a 16-2 run. Yes, the Clippers were depleted. But they were also still depleted when they built that 16 point lead. The Thunder could have tucked their tail between their legs and said we'll come out better next game. But the poise of the entire team, from Daigneault to SGA to the bench, was on full display for any of us watching the game. While I was still working, as we kicked ass in the second half I began watching more of the game, because this was a test, and I really wanted to see if we were just getting lucky or we are just really good. I was so pumped as a fan to discover that it's the latter! SGA has somehow managed to elevate his game even more from last year, as have J-Dubb and Dort (although Dort's is more on the defensive end, which has always been his specialty anyway). And it's easy to forget WE STILL DON'T HAVE CHET, who got hurt like the third or fourth game of the season. Isaiah Hartenstein has been a helluva pickup for us from the Knicks, especially in Chet's absence
And that game, the game that we were down by 16, we turned around and won by 18; 116-98. Oh yeah, and it was our 13th straight win (since the finals of the pussy cup or whatever it's called doesn't count for (Milwaukee) or against (OKC) either team's record). There is truly something special brewing in OKC
I'm not ready to claim we're going to win it all this year. That's a tall task, and the top two teams don't always even make it to the finals. Those playoffs are a different beast. We did get some good playoff experience last year though, so that could help us going into these next playoffs. And we were the #1 seed in the west last year, so that's that premium experience right there. I still don't think it's win or bust this year for the Thunder, as we're so young and still have quite a few picks we haven't even entertained yet. But I love the track that we're on. And if we do manage to win it all this year it won't be all that much of a surprise to me (yeah, this team is THAT good). I am absolutely happy with where we're headed, regardless of if we win it all this year or not
And I LOVE how the whole team always stands behind SGA when he's being interviewed after the game. You can tell they're just a close knit team and they're playing like it too. No matter what happens, your boy done quit his ho-ish ways and settled down with this sexy ass bitch in OKC. And she might even get the ring as early as this season
Speaking of SGA, whenever the NBA app I watch league pass games on shows me the schedule of games for the day on my phone, of course the Thunder are favorited so they're at the top of my list. On one side they'll have a pic of the other team's best player, and they always use a pic of SGA on the other side for the Thunder. SGA's pic makes me crack the fuck up every single time!! Why Shai look like his mama told him he better smile in his pic, and he decided he just wanted to be a dick? LMFAO!!!!!!
Dear god, I know we've had our disagreements mostly on account of you not existing and all, but I figure all these people like to use you as their permanent genie so I may as well give it a shot. Since you supposedly have all this power n shit, can you make it so that the Clippers and/or Lakers play the Thunder in the playoffs so I can go to a game? Oh and if you can "bless" me with about a bajillion dollars to be able to afford that ticket, go 'head on and ala kazam that shit for your former believer - as like a credit for all those wasted fucking years believing in you - one time would you. Amen
Go Thunder
Update, later tonight: Aiight so as you can see from SGA's hilarious 'fuck you mama' pic on the right above, we played the Knicks tonight, the fourth game of a tough five game home stretch, as well as the second night of a back-to-back. This one I was able to watch on league pass
We trailed most of the game by double digits. And the Knicks weren't missing any of their players, anybody of relevance at least. Initially, I made those same excuses. The Thunder had to exert a lot of energy last night to come back, so they could be tired. And again, they ain't gone win every game bro!!
But despite being down most of the game double digits, every time it seemed like the Knicks wanted to put the game away the Thunder turned up their defense again. Because I get off work an hour earlier today, I checked out of work around mid 3rd quarter. So I was able to watch the entire remainder of the game after that, and ONCE AGAIN, our defense shut it all the way the fuck down!
Final score: 117 - 107. Thunder win their 14th straight
Something special brewing indeed. I can't put my finger on it, but it feels quite different from years past as a Thunder fan. Could it be a glimmer of hope that we can win it all? If I were a betting man, I would say it appears that I've completely bought into our defense, which as real fans of the game know is how you win championships
April can't get here fast enough for me
Second update: 1/5/2025
First of all, lmao
I swear that shit will never get old to me. Anyway, as you can see, the defending champs were in town this Sunday Afternoon. With it being Sunday and all, I had no interruptions in watching this game in its entirety. And it's almost like I'm a broken record at this point
The Celtics weren't missing any of their players at all. Even Porzingis played! And we're still missing Chet
Most of the second quarter and some of the third quarter we trailed by double digits. I reminded myself of all the same shit; we're not going to win every game, the Celtics are missing nobody, blah blah blah. I wasn't even upset at us losing. Not that I knew we'd come back, but just not wanting to put that Laker fan ass level of pressure on my squad. We're allowed to have an off night. This Celtics team just won it all about six or seven months ago. We're playing well, though not particularly shooting well. We're just fine in the grand scheme of the entire season
But then, they did it again. I saw them turn up their defense once again, and it resulted in something like an 18-4 run for us. In the fourth quarter we continued to keep our foot on their necks, while also managing to find a rhythm from outside. Final score: Thunder 105, Celtics 92. Extending the win streak to 15. Check out what Lu Dort said about Presti after the game
It's getting harder to curtail my expectations with each passing game with us being so white hot right now. The Clippers were missing vital players, but the Knicks and the Celtics weren't. But I still haven't forgotten. I haven't forgotten when my team broke my fucking heart back in 2016. I don't really wanna talk about it, but I was doing HoopLA back then. Big fans of the game already remember it very well, but if you don't for whatever reason, check it out here
So, with that still being fresh in my memory, I know better than to get my hopes up for us winning it all. But, and I can't stress this enough, I REALLY love where we're headed. And even if we don't win it this year, I know one thing, we will not be an easy out
But we haven't even gotten to the all-star break yet, so lemme back it all the way the fuck up and bring it back to today
Fortunately we get the next two days off. We're going to need it. Next game.....
at Cleveland on Wednesday. And that game will be televised on ESPN. See y'all there
Third Update: 1/9/2025 - The Day After
Welp, not exactly the outcome we hoped for but it was still a GREAT game for those of us who watched it. Not only was it #1 vs #1, there were 30 lead changes, neither team ever led by double digits, and both teams were coming into the game on a win streak (Cavs 10 games, OKC 15) for the first time in history. It did not disappoint!
Of course you always want to come out on top of these games, but I was glad my team rose to the occasion. In Cleveland. And still without Chet. No excuses though. Cleveland converted in the final two minutes of the game when they had to. Can't take anything away from them. Check out this article for some interesting numbers surrounding this game. I really do hope these two teams meet in the finals and everyone is healthy. That might be an epic fucking series
But we don't even have to wait that long for the sequel. These same two teams, ya know the teams that only play each other once a year at each other's home, play their season finale on Thursday, 1/16/2025 in OKC. And that game will be on TNT
Yep, see y'all there too
Hey Stephen A...Shut Up!!
I really don't like when people "who don't get it" feel it's okay to open their big fucking mouths about shit they don't get. I've been saying this since back when I was watching First Take, and Stephen A criticized Presti for not going after a big by the trade deadline. Last season when I was watching the show, I pointed out that we were the number 1 seed in the west despite not having a big. And this season, you have already read above how we're doing
So what does Stephen A have against Presti anyway? The headline of this particular read:
Stephen A. Smith Challenges Sam Presti, OKC Thunder, Claims 'Honeymoon' is Over
Smh so this guy still doesn't get it, but he feels the need to open his massive mouth about something he doesn't understand. When have you EVER put together an NBA team, Stephen A? What, in season mode on 2K? You know that doesn't count as a real championship, right? Yeah bro, even in super hard mode. Who the fuck died and made you the official voice of what OKC needs? Just shut up. From the article:
After having undergone one of the best rebuilds the NBA has seen in recent years, the Oklahoma City Thunder has rapidly ascended up the Western Conference. They have established themselves as a bonafide contender during the 2024-25 NBA season
Sam Presti tore it all down in Oklahoma City, hoping to elevate the teams to new heights. It feels safe to say that this is the closest the Thunder feels to an NBA championship since they had the trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook.
I would say we're closer now than we were then. And everybody watching the NBA can see that. Well, everybody except of course....
However, one NBA analyst believes that Presti should be under the microscope with the Thunder. That man is Stephen A. Smith.
"There is no question [Presti] is an elite executive. Nobody is advocating for him to be removed or anything like that. The guy is a phenomenal executive," Smith said. "But, damn, at some point in time, it ain't about you just competing, can you win the chip? Could you close the deal? I mean, think about it, Sam Presti has overseen the Oklahoma City Thunder for years."
Smith continued: "You've had Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, James Harden, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Victor Oladipo, I mean the list goes on and on. Now you've got my MVP with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who's a stud, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren."
The ESPN personality finished with the following eye-popping statement.
"I'm just looking at them and I'm saying, 'At some point in time, is just accumulating a roster and being a perennial playoff challenger, is that all it is? Could you win one? That's what I'm going to say about Sam Presti. ...You've had enough of a honeymoon. I want a chip in Oklahoma City. When you gonna get one?”
Can somebody tell me what the fuck Stephen A is woofin' 'bout? Let's break this stupid shit all the way down:
"There is no question [Presti] is an elite executive. Nobody is advocating for him to be removed or anything like that. The guy is a phenomenal executive," Smith said. Sooooo you do realize that everything you're about to say after this is completely fucking moot, right? In your "critique", you actually referred to this man as elite and phenomenal. So you're basically saying he does his job, and he does it well, are you not? This reminds me of the time when the dude whose podcast network I started HoopLA on, left my new network at the time a one-star review (completely unforgivable to me btw, and I gave him ample opportunities to fess up to it before cutting communication for good, something he of course never did). In that review, he actually managed to compliment my network on its sound quality. Nigga did you really just pay me a compliment in a one-star review? Y'all are ridiculous. The craziest shit to me tho was that those MFs all SWORE I was the one with the problem. Fucking clowns "But, damn, at some point in time, it ain't about you just competing, can you win the chip? Could you close the deal? I mean, think about it, Sam Presti has overseen the Oklahoma City Thunder for years." Correct. Overseen! And yes it is about just competing from his perspective. His job is to put the best players and coaches on the floor that he can. But those players and coaches are the ones who have to win it
Smith continued: "You've had Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, James Harden, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Victor Oladipo, I mean the list goes on and on. Now you've got my MVP with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who's a stud, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren." Right, so doesn't this all coincide with his elite and phenomenal work as the Thunder GM? You're basically listing his accomplishments as GM. We agree on this. But I don't think you realize that's what you're doing SAS. You're pointing out his accomplishments as a negative as to why they haven't won it all, despite the elite personnel he's always put on the floor. Your so-called negative is one of the many reasons I chose to remain a Thunder fan
"I'm just looking at them and I'm saying, 'At some point in time, is just accumulating a roster and being a perennial playoff challenger, is that all it is? Could you win one? That's what I'm going to say about Sam Presti...You've had enough of a honeymoon. I want a chip in Oklahoma City. When you gonna get one?” What in the entire fuck Stephen A? How the hell are you going to give this man every compliment in the book on his elite and phenomenal GM services, then turn around and blame him for why OKC has yet to win it all? Even Michael Jordan in his bitter ass hall of fame speech said, "don't try to put the organization above the players, because at the end of the day, we still gotta go out and perform". Stephen A is putting the onus on the one person who doesn't have any control of the game plan. His job is to put together the best talent OKC can muster up, and you even admitted several times he's done his job well. You know two names SAS never mentioned in any of this? Billy Donovan and Mark Daigneault. Or hell not even Scott Brooks. Not to say that any of them deserved any slander (well maybe Scott Brooks), but it would have made more sense than Stephen A attacking the fucking GM who, by his own admission, did his job and did it well
No, SAS, it' not win or bust for the Thunder this season, because YOU decided the honeymoon is over, whatever the fuck that means. I haven't seen Presti sitting back and chilling with his feet up on the desk, living the good life on honeymoon. The man has never stopped working on building this team, and that is one of the many reasons the Thunder are in the position they're in now. The sky is already the limit (or as MJ also famously said, the ceiling is the roof lmao) for us, and the fact that SAS can't see that is why we don't even need him speaking our team's name!
Now I don't even want the Thunder to win it all this year. Nah, let me stop lying. But that would put a bit of a damper on it if we won it this year, because SAS might try to take some of the credit. Choo mean YOU want a chip in Oklahoma City? We don't need you expecting shit from OKC, SAS. Worry about your habitual underachieving Knicks. Btw is the honeymoon over for their GM? I thought you wanted a chip in NY. Oh AND how many of these elite players that OKC has had over the years won a title somewhere else? Only two I can think of; Ibaka and Durant (Kendrick Perkins won one in Boston, but he was never considered elite). So it's not like all these dudes went somewhere else and began winning all willy nilly. Durant had to fucking cheat to get his rings
Just shut yo ass all the way up. You don't even deserve the right to speak Presti's name. And what about the GM in NY? Take a look at this. The Knicks have only made the playoffs eight times since 2000 as of the time of this writing. And you don't even wanna go there with the last time the Knicks won it all. I'll put it this way. We've won one more recently than the Knicks have, and we've moved to an entirely different state from the one we won it all in!! Bro, like going on two decades ago!
Just stop talking Stephen A. At least not about Presti and OKC. Worry about your underachieving ass squad
Last update or this might become a full season journal for the Thun---shit. That might not be a bad.....stay tuned. TBD
So this update comes on 1/17/2025, one day after we shocked the muthafucking world
I've been dealing with illness since Wednesday the 8th. That was the last time I was in the office for the morning, since they let us go at noon due to the LA fires (My sincerest condolences to anyone affected by that, that was and remains some very serious shit. Although I'm far from proud of some my fellow Angelenos that took to fucking looting evacuated houses smh). Before I left work, I had gone across the street to get breakfast, and it didn't dawn on me to break my masks from out my drawer at home, because I didn't think the fires were close enough to downtown to feel the effects. But before I got across the street that shit hit me, and all I know, the next seven days were complete fucking hell
So yesterday, 1/16, you know that was the date of the rematch with the Cavs. Oh, I know you know, because you too would have received COUNTLESS pings to your phone, by way of the NBA app, Bleacher Report AND ESPN about this highly anticipated rematch, after such an epic first bout
Yesterday was the first day in a week I didn't feel like shit all day. I was able to return to work with the assistance of daytime meds. At 4 pm on the muthafucking dot thank you very much, I tune in to the Inside the NBA crew. I think I forgot how funny that show is, because I admittedly don't tune in all the time. If there's a game on TNT at the same time the Thunder are playing on league pass for example, well, you already know!!
But in addition to the jokes, I got hit with a bombshell that I was not prepared for. Ernie mentions that Hartenstein won't play. Ohh shit. That's a problem. Jarrett Allen torched us last week to the tune of something like 24 points and 11 rebounds. And Hartenstein is already our backup center filling in for Chet. When Charles pointed out that we literally don't have anybody to matchup with Jarrett Allen, after he already called him one of the best bigs in the league, it was hard to argue with him
Ok. We've been through this a few times this week as noted on this very long ass multi updated post. Ain't gone win every......you know the drill. In my mind I chalked it up to a very strong possibility of an L
The game begins and first play of the game, our power forward acting center Jaylin "J-Will" Williams is called for a foul contesting the lob thrown to Jarrett. Oh, so y'all just gone call us some little bitty motherfuckers to our face huh? Ok. The Cavs inbound the ball on the sideline after the foul. On only their second play of the game, the Cavs got three offensive rebounds in a row. I reiterated in my home but out loud this time, "yeah, this is gonna be a problem"
Because I still felt icky at times yesterday despite it being overall better, I had already planned on not watching the whole game (oh but YOU KNOW I was gone watch the replay today even though I would I have already known the outcome. Oh yeah, you can watch either the game recap or the full game in its entirety for all games all season long on LP; with Lakers and Clippers games not available on LP in Cali until three days after the live game). Right when I checked out of work and turned on the INBA crew, I took my nighttime meds
After the opening flubs (broken record alert but if you watch the games, you know what I'm talking about), the Thunder turned their defense up to another level I didn't even know they were capable of. By the time I got in my bed (completely unrelated side note just cuz I wanna...why do we say get IN bed? Shouldn't we say get ON bed?) and turned the game on in my room, we were up like 15. I said what the fuck!!! While we turned up our defense, we also seemed to can't miss on the other end of the floor. And SGA dropped 40 of them thangs on em. Unsurprisingly, I got a BR notification that SGA has moved himself to the top of the MVP candidate list. He's playing out of this world
Side note: I just tuned in to our game tonight in Dallas, and when I saw the pic of each team's best player, SGA's hilarious mug was replaced by J-Dubb. Uh ohhhh. What's going on here. I took to the interweb and found out he has a sprained wrist. Prolly from all them shots last night hahaha. But I truly hope it's nothing terri.....actually you know what, now that I think about it, putting his wrist in one of those wrist sleeves and telling the league he sprained it, is something the league can't prove otherwise to avoid saying you simply wanted to give him rrrrrrrest. That nigga is fine and I'm sure he'll be back soon. Besides, he's the MVP frontrunner so he knows he can only miss a certain number of games before he's no longer eligible for the award. (Update: lmfao that nigga returned to the starting line up the very next game. That has to be the fastest wrist sprain I've ever seen in all my years following the sport. He ain't have no wrist sprain, he had a rrrest sprain). And as was expected, the Mavs open the game on a 10 - 0 run. Buuuut at the point where I am in the game, about six minutes into the first quarter, we are now down 10 - 9 going on a 9 - 0 run of our own. When the fuck are you going to stop doubting your squad bro?
Ok back to last night's game. I turned the game off a couple of minutes before halftime and went to sleep. But y'all know that OTC nighttime shit can be great at getting you to sleep, but not always so much with keeping you asleep. So when I woke up about an hour later, you know the fuck the first thing I checked lol
Update: 3/2/2025
Soooo this is about six weeks after that last update, and as you can see, I never did finish it. The bottom line is though; we won that game lol. In addition to being busy at work, I've spent the last few weeks updating other parts of my site. With all of my interests on here, it would not be feasible for me to do a per game update for the Thunder regular season games. But now that the all-star game weekend is behind us, next up for NBA fans is the playoffs, that begin in about another month and a half. I will write an update for every Thunder 2025 playoff game
See y'all then
Go Thunder!
Update: 3/29/2025 - Watching OKC kick Indiana's ass :)
First of all, we are kicking some serious MF ass in the association, I mean, am I right? Am I right? As a Thunder fan, I will be entering the 2025 Playoffs with more swag than I ever have as a Thunder fan before, equipped with my Thunder gear and a serious hope that we can get sixteen of em, one carefully fought battle at a time. I have never felt like we have a legitimate shot at winning it all as much as I do this year
But alas (nigga did I just say alas in 2025?), with about eight or nine games left in the season, the playoffs are still a little over a couple of weeks away
Other than us kickin' some NBA ass crack all up and down the nation and even once in Canada (although to be fair, everybody kicks ass in Toronto these days), there's not much going on with OKC. But there's a couple of things I wanted to put on here
You know how it is when your car starts making strange noises, but when you take it to a mechanic it suddenly doesn't wanna do it anymore? I decided to write about something that always happens, but I wanted to include photographic evidence. But of course, after I decided to post about it the culprit stopped doing it, preventing me from capturing photo evidence
Until today
We already know NBA players in Philly and NY got a hearing problem. It seems to me like our beloved Thunder coach needs some damn glasses, but he's probably too stubborn to go, insisting his eyes are 20/20. Have you ever seen the way he looks at the jumbotron? While I did technically capture him, this isn't one of his more egregious offenses. But when it comes to you Mark Daigneault not needing glasses, with all due respect sir, the photographic evidence determined that was a lie
As I said, this was a milder offense. I've seen this man squint so hard I've been yelling at him like he can hear me, "that has to be making it worse! I'ma need you to go to the oncologist sir!!" No wait, I don't think that's right. Well whatever, y'all know what I'm tryna say. You know I be hiiiigh
Then I wanted to leave you - for this update at least - with this article I read about OKC. I happen to agree with much of it, and it was nice to read a truly thought-out piece on my squad. It's not very long so I'll post it on here. It was written by someone named Chase Gemes (cool name btw):
OKC Thunder: Criticism is Synonymous with Success
Back-to-back seasons at the top of the Western Conference has fully positioned the Oklahoma City Thunder as one of the NBA's premier teams. Lol, uh, please Chase, by all means.....continue
Despite being one of the smallest markets in the league, the combination of the superstar talent of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a roster full of talented young pieces keeps Oklahoma City in the spotlight. Heading into this year's playoffs, it is the indisputable favorite to make it out of the West. Ok, that was a bit sneaky but I'm still with you Chase. I think at this point we have to be the indisputable favorite to not only make it out the west (mm hmm, I saw that sneaky shit), but to win the whole damn thing
With that, comes criticism. If anyone has scrolled through NBA social media over the last month, complaints of Gilgeous-Alexander's free-throw rate or questioning the Thunder's legitimacy after the rare losses it sustains have likely popped up. Arguably, it's been more popular to go against the favorite. While I agree that it is arguably more popular to go against the favorite, the part that I highlighted is on some more sneaky shit. Since you don't know if it's popped up, perhaps this part should have been omitted. Sounds like you just trying to look for a way to sneak in your own thoughts
However, that's part of the newfound territory that Oklahoma City has walked into. Agreed, that's why I'm not mad at you for your sneaky shit. A few short years ago, wasn't nobody even pretending to say shit about OKC Thinking about some of the greatest teams in league history — the '90s Chicago Bulls and 2010s Golden State Warriors, for instance — each dealt with their own fair share of criticism leading up to their success. They did. And so did MJ individually despite him widely being considered the GOAT. That's why I can't disagree with your sentiment that the criticism comes with the territory. I respect not only the game but the history of the game. And if the great champions that came along prior to OKC (hopefully) reaching the mountaintop had to deal with criticism, I will gladly put my team in the same criticism conversation as those squads, especially if we win it all
The Thunder has yet to reach the mountaintop, but it certainly has a chance to when this season comes to a close. You bet cho mama's ass crack we do When you're the favorite, not only do many fans gravitate toward you, but many also go against you. Mmm I'm not sure I agree with that. Of course you always have your exceptions to everything, but generally speaking, I think when you're on the verge of winning your first one, the whole NBA fan base is with you. I think fans start to go against you after you've already won, and you win multiple rings. In the two examples you gave, the NBA fan base (except us Magic/Laker fans) were on board with MJ winning his first ring in '91. I would say the same thing about Steph's first one. But both of those guys won multiple rings and that's when you start to get hate in the NBA
The legitimacy of the free-throw criticisms that have soaked up much of the conversation surrounding Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP campaign can be countered all day, but they aren't going to stop coming when his popularity is at an all-time high. Agreed, even if you're the only one mentioning his so-called free throw criticisms LeBron James and Stephen Curry, for example, have dealt with that the majority of their careers.
But of course, both have established themselves as two of the best players to ever touch a basketball. Correct, but keep in mind they had to start somewhere
Great teams and great players fight through the negative, and render it as non-existent. Agreed 100% The outside noise should never be the focus, only the goal that the team is setting out. After just reaching the 60-win threshold, it seems that Oklahoma City has been able to do that so far. Yeah, during the regular season. If we get to the playoffs and choke, all of this becomes moot. But after the experience of the #1 seed in the west last season, I really don't think we will. This really may be our year
Keeping the noise out will be crucial in the playoffs, oh shit we are speaking the same language my friend especially with heightened viewership around the NBA. If one thing's for certain, the Thunder is on an entirely different level than just a year ago. Yep, from a year ago when we were already the number one seed out west. Ain't too many more levels to go : )
Update: 4/6/2025
Uh oh. I hope the guys are not getting tired at the worst possible time. Or worse, the words of Chase Gemes above coming true
On Friday, 4/4 we lost a pretty ugly one to Houston. Now, as of the time of this writing, we're getting our asses handed to us by the Lakers at home; 78 - 56 at the half
I read an article the other day where JJ Reddick was giving all kinds of props to OKC and Daigneault (didn't save the article). JJ confessed to watching a lot of OKC, noting the Thunder are really difficult to score on this year. It makes sense that he probably planned meticulously for this game, as the Lakers have much more of a need to win it. It ain't over yet, but whatever happens, the good thing is we play them again on Tuesday. I will bet my bottom dollar Daigneault and the guys will be more ready then
Actually lemme rephrase. They had BETSTA be ready! There's only like five games left of the regular season and the playoffs are here, my friends. As stated repeatedly, my squad is allowed to have an off day or two in my book. There's not much for us to play for at this point for the rest of the regular season games, as our #1 seed is once again a lock. But it's not about that. It's about going into the playoffs with momentum, especially after getting bounced in round 2 last year. But I will say this, THANK YOU Mark Daigneault for not resting the guys despite these last few games being basically meaningless
BUT!!! If y'all win all these regular season games and don't win it all, OKC will be the 2015 - 2016 Warriors (we would finish this season with only five wins less than that record setting team) all over again
Update: 4/19/2025
Ok, so this Saturday marks day 1 of the 2025 NBA playoffs, though my boys don't play until tomorrow morning. As I'm working on my entertainment shit right now, I've got the Indiana/Milwaukee game 1 debacle on in the background. We know there's a new Jurassic movie coming out called Jurassic World Rebirth. And they often pair blockbuster summer videos with some part of the NBA for the beginning of the playoffs. During one of the breaks in the Ind/Mil game, the following commercial aired
The Gilgeousaurus? Lmao
I approve NBA
Ok, We're Finally Starting to Get Some Shine
Nice. Just before halftime of the second game on ESPN, Russell Westbrook, my bad, the Nuggets vs the Clippers, this AT&T commercial graces my screen
I Love It!! Go Thunder!!
NBA Playoffs 2025
The 2025 NBA Playoffs are here, ladies and gentlemen
After the in-tournament tournament? Whatever. The seedings are finalized as such
East
#2 Boston Celtics
#7 Orlando Magic
West
While the West is once again considered the stronger conference, that Pacific division is something else. Three of the five teams in that division (GSW and the two LA teams) made the playoffs. And a fourth (the Kings) made it to the play-in tournament. The other team was Phoenix, which SHOULD have been a beast this year, but were super disappointing
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!
OKC Thunder Playoffs 2025
While seeding in the lower levels were being worked out, the Thunder were able to enjoy massages and facials n shit. And they were clearly just as ready for the playoffs as I am
Thunder Playoff Game 1
April 20 vs Memphis Grizzlies. Yeah, nothing to see here
Final Score: OKC - 131, Memphis - 80
Thunder Playoff Game 2
April 22 vs Memphis Grizzlies
I actually was not in a position to watch this game live. I did follow along to the game as much as I could. But the guys ain't need me
Thunder Playoff Game 3
April 24 vs Memphis Grizzlies
Awww, this is the game we shocked the muthafucking world (and not to mention me, the entire city of OKC, and probably themselves). I was able to catch this one from the beginning. We played ok (not great) in the first quarter, but then I don't know what happened in the second. We went into halftime down by more than 20
Once again, I didn't panic and neither did they. Making sure you sweep is not priority in the playoffs. Just getting those 16 W's. And it was the first playoff game in Memphis. You know the crowd was gonna be hype and so was the team
Then, in an unfortunate accident, Lu Dort injured Ja Morant while he was going up for a dunk, because Dort slipped on the floor and lost his balance, causing him to fall into Ja at the worst time. Ja fell hard and bruised his hip. You really hated to see that. Ja would exit the game and would not return. He's also not playing in game 4
As much as you hated to see it, I mean, this is still the playoffs. The Thunder definitely took advantage of the Grizzlies' best player being absent. The Ja-less Grizzlies were not able to hold on to their lead that at one time had ballooned up to 29 points, and the Thunder were able to complete the largest comeback in their playoff history
Final Score: OKC - 118, Memphis - 99
OKC up 2 -0
Final Score: OKC - 114 Memphis - 108
OKC up 3 -0
15 Wins to Go
14 Wins to Go
13 Wins to Go
I could not believe what I was watching. I had already chalked it up to an L. Fortunately, they hadn't. This team really is ready. Yes, the playoffs are only going to get harder from here. But how many times on this thread alone have they managed to even exceed my expectations? I never felt the DurantBrook Thunder had a legitimate chance at winning it all, except for a few short weeks of false hope during the 2016 playoffs
But this team has a legitimate shot at winning it all. Hopefully we can put away the Ja-less Grizzlies in game 4 so we can get a little bit of rrrrrrrest, as our series is the only 3 - 0 series in the west
Game 4 Saturday, 4/26 at 12:30 pm
Thunder Playoff Game 4
April 26 vs Memphis Grizzlies
The guys probably should have blown the Ja-less Grizzlies out of the building. But perhaps they took their foot off the gas when they found out Ja wasn't playing. That's a dangerous game I am NOT a fan of, but it's possible that wasn't their mentality. Either way, they sent the Grizzlies fishing
Final Score: OKC - 117 Memphis - 115
OKC Sweep Series 4 -0
12 Wins to Go
I thought they would figure it out and they did. But honestly, my eyes were more on the game after ours. Even if we'd manage to lose yesterday, it was pretty inevitable we were going to win the series, so I was already looking ahead
The Nuggets and Clippers game 3 was epic! It came down to Aaron Gordon's put back dunk on Jokic's embarrassing air ball of a three-point game winner attempt. Of course, I want Russ to win (although he didn't play in game 3 due to injury). But in this case I'm also okay with the Clippers winning
The reason being because the Thunder play the winner of this series next round. Either Russ will be in the second round against us, or the Clippers will be, in which case I can potentially go to a game
But for last night's game, I was actually quietly cheering for Denver. Not just because I cheer for Russ' team, but more so because a Nuggets win last night meant their series with the Clippers is tied at 2. Now it becomes a best out of three series, and that gives the Thunder more of a break in the action. I also think a healthy OKC can beat either of these teams in a series. But giving a few extra days of rest won't hurt. If the Clippers held on and won yesterday, that series would have been 3 - 1 Clippers, with potentially only one more game in the series. I was glad for Gordon's dunk
That two seconds it took him to dunk that ball added at least three days of rest for the Thunder
Nice one AG
Alright, Russ and the Nuggets it is
Game 1 of West Semis; Denver vs OKC
Monday, 5/5/2025
Let's goooooooooo!!!!!!
Uh Oh...My Boys Might Not Be Quite Ready Yet
May 6, 2025
Game 1 West Semifinals: Denver - 121, OKC - 119
Hey! It's early!!!!
I know, I know, but I still didn't like what I saw. First though, I'd like to quickly point out how the west is once again the dominant conference. For the second round in the east, the remaining seeds are 1 - 4. But out west, it's 1, 4, 6 and 7
And I swear I thought #1 in the west had the game last night in the bag. Leading by double digits for about 98% of the game, it all fell apart at the end. And honestly, one of our biggest weaknesses over the last two seasons is we can blow big leads with the best of em. There were three things that I thought sealed our fate at the end of the game last night
#1
Why the hell did SGA adamantly make Daigneault challenge that foul call with less than 30 seconds left, when he knew good and damn well he hit Jokic on the arm? Like, clearly!! Fucking TNT kept showing the shit in slow motion on repeat. Come on MVP. You knew you hit his arm then, bro. Not only did Jokic knock down both free throws, but the time it took them to review the play was CLEARLY a momentum shifter in Denver's favor
#2
So, Daigneault implemented the much-discussed intentional fouling at the end of the game when you're up three. Denver didn't miss any free throws during this stretch (if I remember correctly). We did though. But none were bigger than both of the free throws Chet missed with 10.7 seconds left. Because we had missed other free throws, when Chet went to the line, we were only up one. If Chet makes both of those free throws, what happened next wouldn't have mattered as much because we would have gone into overtime. Sure, there's no guarantee the Thunder would figure it out in OT either, but that would have worked better for us than what actually did go down
#3
What went down? Fucking Aaron Gordon's three pointer (wide open btw). The same AG who I just praised for the tip in against the Clippers giving the Thunder some added rest. After Chet missed both free throws, Denver didn't call a time-out because, like the Thunder, they likely didn't have any (confirmed). But it seems like Chet missing those free throws also fucked up the rhythm of the defense, because they did not defend that last possession like they've been defending all year. Why was he so goddamn open, OKC?
And on a personal level, I'm glad Russ played well. This is good experience for the young Thunder. We struggled in the second round where we eventually got bounced last year too. It's only the first game, I know. But the time to rectify this shit is NOW
If not, we're going to be watching the WCF on TV with the rest of the world
Game 2: Wednesday, May 7
Shut up Spiritt
Yes sir, OKC. My apologies. I'm not used to this shit so y'all gone have to bear with me. Now, we do still tend to blow big leads. But biiiiitch, we 'bout to put up an ass hair shy of 85 pts in the first half!! That's them all-star game numbers right there. Those of you watching the game know Daigneault musta chewed them the fuck out about their defense yesterday in practice
Way to respond, fellas. All you gotta do now is not blow it!!
Uh, they didn't. Final Score:
OKC - 149, Denver - 106
11 Wins to Go
Oh, Ok. It's official. This year's playoffs are going to give me a fucking heart attack
See, shit like these last couple of weeks (sigh)...I swear I've been reminiscing about the time of my life around 15 years ago, when I was happily a basketball ho, with no ties to any team whatsoever. The playoffs were always awesome under that circumstance, because I really didn't give a damn who won. I could just enjoy the games. When you have a favorite squad, the playoffs bring a whole new fucking perspective. With the hopes that your squad can make it into the playoffs, to your realistic hopes of what they can do once they get there. I ain't have no near heart attack games when I was ho-ing in them NBA streets. I didn't give a shit enough about any single game to warrant that. Once you decide to settle down, you go on the roller coaster with your team, no matter how that season turned out; from the first place to the last place team
Before I settled down with the Thunder, I don't know if I fully understood why people are so passionate about their team. I specially made fun of Laker fans for this
"My blood bleed purple and gold"
Then something is wrong with you, my nigga. You might need to go to the doctor and get that shit checked out
But I get it now. I won't go as far as saying no stupid shit like my blood bleed orange and blue, but I do understand it now. It's why we say "we" when referring to our team, because "we" may not play a single second of the game, but "we" go through the ups and downs of a season with our team as if we were right there. After the Thunder dropped game 1 of this series, my mood was all fucked up the next day. I don't even wanna watch any sports shows or listen to any sports podcasts, because the shit hurts me to my soul lol
But you know what, that also means that when your team is finally poised to achieve the impossible, it makes those moments that much sweeter after enduring so much heartache in the past. Your connection with your favorite sports team - particularly your favorite sports team in your favorite sport - is some genuine shit. It's why I've ordered Thunder gear that I still rock, and if we fuck around and win it all this year, BIIIIITCH I'm changing my entire wardrobe!!
Geesh does Spiritt only wear Thunder gear every day?
Yes he does bitch! And you had BETSTA start addressing us as 2025 World Champion Thunder, thank you very fucking much
(sigh) But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. Fine
Game 3 - May 9, 2025
Ok, so I couldn't watch this game either. And good fucking thing too!! Remember that statement about my mood above after game 1? Well...ok, this one wasn't as bad. I followed along as much as I could and saw it was a pretty close game throughout. And I saw it went into overtime. So "we" were obviously battling. Can't be mad. We still ain't gone win every game, especially if we advance further into the playoffs, but at least we're not getting our asses kicked. And Denver got theirs kicked in game 2, so you had to assume they would come out the first game after, at home, and really go for the Thunder's throat. And it still took overtime to beat us. This is why this is a series, and not a single game like in college. And the Nuggets don't even have Mike Malone, who was inexplicably fired toward the end of the season despite the Nuggets earning a 4 seed in the difficult west. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT SHIT AT ALL!! But that's not my squad, so (insert Kanye shrug here)
Game 3 Fiinal
Denver - 113, OKC - 104
Game 4, Sunday, May 11
Game 4
First of all, this was on some bullshit, because game 3 started at 7 pm (Cali time) and went into overtime. Game 4 was at 12:30 two days later. What the fuck, NBA? That's why both of these teams started this game like 3 for 37 shooting from the field
Anyway, to further show my development as a recovering basketball ho, I present to you game 4
But first, let me again rewind time to 2016, by far my hardest year as a Thunder fan. From not only losing a 3 -1 lead to GSW and ultimately the WCF, but also losing KD to that same damn team a few short weeks later, I still have scars around my booty hole from that year as a Thunder fan
After falling in game 3 in round 2 of this year's playoffs, game 4 to me had to be considered the biggest game of the season. Simply put, we could not afford to fall down 3 -1 to the twice removed defending champs. Yeah, the Warriors came back against us in 2016, (then the Cavs fucked around and did it to them in the Finals of that same year) but every NBA publication back then would have told you how rare that was one time, let alone twice in the same playoffs
While not wanting to fall down to this team, I also couldn't help but notice the struggles of the #1 team on the other side, who also happen to be playing the #4 seed in their conference. The Cavs and Thunder were neck and neck all year, and if the Cavs are struggling and closer to elimination, you know we are not above reproach our damn selves
And the Nuggets weren't relenting in game 4. At one point we were down by 9 in the third quarter. Yeah, I panic during these scenarios probably more than my squad does, because of that shit in 2016. I know what's at stake here, and you have a sudden glimpse of us being sent home early despite our fantastic year. And all of this shit builds up in your stomach. Those of you who love your squad know what I'm talking about. There was a dad of a famous basketball player, although I can't remember which one right now, who famously couldn't watch his son's games. I may not remember who it was, but I can still most definitely relate! My stomach was in knots, and I couldn't think straight. So...I did something for the first time in my life that I'm not even ashamed to admit I did at this point. I turned the fucking game off! Couldn't do it! I was feeling that shit like I was on the team and was put in the game. You know how it is when you actually care if a team wins or loses? I swear I miss those days when I didn't give a damn who won. It was so much easier back then
After turning the game off, I decided to do other things to keep my mind off of it to help me calm down. Here is another scenario in my life where chess came to the rescue, allowing me to take my mind off of what was going on in Denver. Of course, between chess matches, I couldn't help but check the game. Shit, down two with less than three minutes to go. Let me start this new chess match right the fuck now before I pass out just looking at the scoreboard
Fortunately for my heart and our season, "we" held on for a 92 - 87 victory to tie the series.
10 Wins to Go
Game 5
Setting the tone for me to feel completely uneasy for the entire game, the Cavs would get eliminated the game before our game 5. And as I said, the Cavs were playing the same number seed on their side the Thunder are playing on ours. While we tied our series at 2, we still don't want to go down 3 - 2 against this team going back to Denver for game 6. And Denver has more experience in the playoffs than we do
In this game we trailed by double digits in the second half. I tried turning the game off this time too, but this time I couldn't maintain it. I kept looking at the score every 32 seconds on average, and after a while I figured fuck it, who exactly am I trying to fool?
Fortunately for us and my nerves, we outplayed/outscored the Nuggets in the fourth quarter to escape with the win, and a 3 - 2 series lead. Check out this article on how the National Media Lauded Thunder Fans after this game
At the very least, we earned a tiny bit of breathing room
Game 6, Thursday, May 15
9 Wins to Go
Game 6
And it's a good thing we earned that breathing room too! A guy who works at the restaurant across the street from my job where I often get breakfast told me something I agree with. Since I always wear my OKC gear to work like I used to wear Laker gear to school every day during the showtime Lakers, he was telling me that he thinks Denver is tough at home, so we really needed game 5. Agreed. We played with them well throughout game 6, but they pulled away at the end of the third quarter and would never look back
Setting up what will have to be an absolutely epic game 7!! Although I didn't want to be here against this team in particular, I'm really glad my boys played well enough all year to earn home court advantage in the playoffs. And you know that OKC crowd will once again be rowdy, probably even more so
Now, I can't guarantee I won't, like, die during the game. I've quit drinking completely, but my heart still has remnants of my alcoholic days, combined with what will no doubt be a crazy back and forth, might all end up being the demise of me. But even if I go down, if the Thunder win, I'll be in my grave with a big ass smile on my face. And I'll be streaming the WCF and hopefully the Finals from the excellent reception in my smart coffin, thank you very fucking much
Go Thunder!!
They must have heard everyone's complaints after game 3, because game 7 isn't until Sunday, May 18 at 12:30
Game 7
With maybe 30 minutes left until tipoff for this game, I began reflecting, mostly in an effort to calm my nerves. Nearly six months ago now, in highlighting the top off-season moves that had me looking forward to the season, I mentioned that because the Thunder are so young and Russ is, well, not, I wouldn't be mad if Russ went further than the Thunder this year
If there is a god, proving he does actually a sense of humor, the Thunder not only pulled Russ' Nuggets, but the series went the distance. Earlier before the game started, I was really kicking myself for those words about not being mad if Russ makes it farther than the Thunder
The closer we got to the game 7 tipoff, the more nervous I became as if I was playing a single fucking minute of this game. But no matter what happened this time, I decided I would not turn the game off. This is a big deal for me
The game begins, and quite quickly we found ourselves in an 11-point hole. Ok, time to reach for the edibles!
But then, a crazy thing happened. Something that had not happened all year that miraculously happened when we needed it. The Thunder turned up their defense! Crazy, right? (insert sarcasm alert right the fuck here)
Charles Barkley has said repeatedly over the years on Inside the NBA, that the best team will always win a seven-game series. Every time I've ever heard him say it, I found it hard to argue with him. But as I think about Sir Charles' words regarding the OKC vs Denver series in the second round of the 2025 playoffs, goooooddammit Charles is a fucking prophet!
The game we were down 11 early, we turned around and won by 30+
OKC - 125, Denver - 93. OKC WINS THE MUTHAFUCKING SERIES!!!!
I close this round with this fantastic article I read about my squad after this big game 7 dubb and my thoughts on it, written by a Rylan Stiles
(y'all know how it is, when your squad wins you read all the shit you can get your hands on. When they lose, you're like fuck them goddamn articles lmao)
8 Wins to Go
Stiles Points (see what Rylan Stiles did there?): OKC Thunder Stayed True to Identity to Clinch Nuggets Series
There is no question Sunday was the biggest stage this core has ever been on agreed. A Game 7 at home as the heavy favorites in the series, attempting to avoid being upset and washing away a historic 68-win season too soon. Yep, my greatest fear all series
Oklahoma City started the game timid. agreed again, Mr Stiles Missing open shots, getting beat on back door cuts and a step slow to long rebounds that found their way into the hands of Denver far too often. This let the Nuggets swell an 11-point lead as nervous energy flooded the Paycom Center crowd. Lol yeah with us ALL having the exact same biggest fear! If it had gone sideways, they would have been the ones to have to witness this shit in person. Dude, I shivered just thinking about it. If I'm as big a Thunder fan as I am from the left coast, I can only imagine how people in OKC are feeling right now!
The Thunder responded. As they have done all season.
Alex Caruso checked into the ball game and instantly forced a travel on Christian Braun in the corner. The veteran defensive ace turned to the crowd in a unique way, not encouraging more noise but encouraging a steadiness he is used to supplying to his teammates. Caruso clapped his paws together and sent his palms to the floor as if to plead with everyone to calm down. Providing something unspoken but absolutely huge to an NBA roster, especially in the playoffs; leadership. He is the only one on the squad to have won a ring
From there, the Thunder rolled. Ha, I see what you did there Caruso went nine rounds with Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, doing whatever was required to take the best player in the world out of the game. Which is interesting when you think about it. Why tf would Caruso be guarding Jokic? The duo went body blow for body blow, Caruso swatted, swarmed and suffocated Jokic to take away entry passes and force kick-outs to streaky shooters who went ice-cold. Ohhh Caruso was playing excellent help defense...got it
That response went deeper than just the Thunder gaining control of this game after the Nuggets threw the first punch. Third-year swingman Jalen Williams turned in one of his worst outings in Game 6, with plenty of questions swirling around the Santa Clara CALI!!!! I didn't even know J-Dubb is from here...Nice! Update 6/28/2025: As it turns out, he's from Arizona. He only played his college ball at Santa Clara product heading into Game 7. Plenty of questions? Why? Dude had an off night. He can't have an off night? Plus he was still contributing in other areas. Calm it the fuck down guys
Williams was right in the middle of the action on Sunday. In the second quarter, the Thunder's All-Star yeah don't forget that shit with those "plenty of questions" rattled off 17 points, two assists and a steal on a jaw-dropping 72% shooting from the floor, turning defense into offense to the tune of a +22 in the box score plus-minutes for those 11 minutes he played in the second frame.
He responded in a big way,, totaling 24 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and a steal on 58/40/66 shooting splits as a +35 in the game. A response.
The Thunder leaned on its defense. As it has all season long. ABSOLUTELY!!!
Oklahoma City forced a jaw-dropping 22 turnovers in Game 7 against Denver, leading to 27 fastbreak points. That turned the tide of the game as the Thunder's half court offense has labored throughout the series. Arguably the only reason this series went seven games The easiest fix? Never be forced to play in the half court.
As the Thunder stacked stops, they were either sprinting out in transition for easy buckets or racing down the floor to get into their initial action before the Nuggets' pesky zone defense could even get set. I know, wasn't it fucking beautiful? A single tear fell from my eye
OKC held Denver to just 39% shooting from the floor, the Nuggets converted on just 22% of their 3-point tries and couldn't make up the possession battle on the glass only out-rebounding the Thunder by three boards.
Oklahoma City's defense was more physical than its counterparts and it forced the Nuggets into uncomfortable spots. So much so that Jokic only attempted one (1) shot in the third frame as the Thunder's lead ballooned, eventually being up by as many as 43.
After its two-game winning streak was snapped, the Thunder responded to a loss with a win. As they did all season and the series. Yessir, 68 wins means only 14 losses spread out over about five months. That's an average of only about three losses per month. And might as well add the finals of the Emirates Cup here too, to make it an exact 15. It may have not counted against our record, but everyone saw us lose the game. Making our average exactly three losses per month
This game was a testament to the regular season mattering. AGREED 100%!!! I said that when it became official there would be a game 7, so grateful that we were able to play it at home Oklahoma City rattled off enough wins to own home-court advantage in every series they play this season. The Thunder relied on depth to get them here, developing players to be ready to contribute at various moments throughout this postseason already. Thank you, Sam Presti. Bite it, Stephen A! Using an 82-game season to build an identity on its historically great defense, responding to adversity and passing more tests than any young team in the history of the NBA ever has.
The Thunder stayed true to who they are. Title contenders. LET'S GO!!! GO THUNDER!!!
May 23, 2025
I've been working on a lotta shit. But you can bet yo muhfucking ass crack I ain't missed a game (from game 7 of the semis of course). So, this update comes one day after game 2 of the WCF
Remember above on this long ass post (as in, several months ago at this point) when I tried to curtail my expectations for this group, beginning last year at the very beginning of the season when I declared it wasn't win or bust for my squad? When I said repeatedly that I just love where we are, win or lose? I even declared I wouldn't be mad if Russ won it this year since we're so young
Yeah, so, listen to me very carefully, y'all. FUCK ALLLLLLLLL OF THAT!!!!! LMMFAO!!!!!!! THE MUTHAFUCKING THUNDER ARE ABOUT TO WIN THE MUTHAFUCKING CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!
As everyone who used to listen to my HoopLA podcast is likely correctly assuming, I have been goddamn beside myself since like the second quarter of game 7 of the WCSF. Because that was the final hurdle
Okay, yes, I am getting ahead of myself. We actually have to handle business. But if you've watched the first two games, are you going to tell me it's not clear as day that the Thunder is the better team? The series shifts to Minny tomorrow night, but you could look at the Timberwolves players at the end of game 2 and see they are deflated. They gave their all for those two games in OKC. And to quote Thanos in Infinity War after taking Tony's best hits
All that for a drop of blood
But there's another reason I have already broken out the champagne (nigga, if the Thunder win the muthafucking NBA Fi...how much is Dom Perignon again?), and why it has been proven to me that this season is not like in 2016 when I was let down (in addition to their stellar ass defense). Because of what happened prior to game 2
That's the day that the third Thunder player in its league history was crowned Most Valuable Player. I can't believe this shit is really happening. For a slight recap, the 2023-2024 Coach of the Year, Mark Daigneault. The 2024-2025 MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Biiiiiitch the Thunder's "someday" has muthafucking arrived!!!!
I knew SGA was one of the three finalists for the award. I also knew that Jokic has been an MVP darling, winning three of them bitches. But I don't give a fuck what they say publicly, I can't be convinced that the MVP voters weren't waiting to see how the Thunder/Nuggets series played out to cast their vote. How often does it happen, where two MVP finalists go head-to-head in the "win or go home" playoffs? In fact, I can't speak for the entire NBA world, but it did kinda feel to me that whoever won the OKC/Denver series was going to win the whole thing. If I felt like that, are you telling me that NONE of the MVP voters thought about that? You have to think Shai locked the award when the final buzzer sounded on game 7
But here's why Shai winning the award especially excites me for this year. In addition to - and I didn't even know this until Commissioner Silver said it prior to handing SGA the award - this year's squad earning the most wins in franchise history, there's a chance for another first for us if we can pull this off, and all fucking indicators are that we will at this point
As mentioned, Shai is the third Thunder player to receive the award, after Kevin Durant (2014), and Russell Westbrook (2017). The difference between SGA winning it this year vs the year the fellas won theirs, is that in neither case of the previous two wins were we true contenders
In 2014 when KD won his, we were the #2 seed in that season's playoffs. We would lose to the eventual champion, San Antonio Spurs, in the conference finals 4 - 2. And it even took us seven games to beat the #7 Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. While we technically did make it to the WCF, there was never a feeling that we legitimately had a shot at winning it all that year
In 2017 when Russ won his, (deep sigh) listen it was excellent for him. The man broke a triple double record no one thought would be broken. He deserved every bit of the MVP that season. But that shit DID NOT translate to additional Thunder wins. We squeaked into the playoffs that year as the #6 seed, losing to Houston in the first round 4 - 1. No where near contending for that season
Shai has a chance to be the first Thunder MVP to win it all and possibly add a Finals MVP trophy to his resume this year too. KD has two Finals MVP trophies but none with the Thunder. Russ ain't been back to the finals since 2012. SGA has a legitimate shot at doing it this year
And no more of that holding out shit. They've shown all year that they're definitely ready. While Minnesota is pretty well stacked, let's not forget they are the 6 seed. And they're playing against the team that had the best record in the league. This is a hypothetical no more. I am quite confident that the Thunder can finish off Minny and can beat either the Pacers or the Knicks in a seven-game series. It's only a matter of time now. And if you don't see that it's because you don't want to see it. Makes no difference to me. I see the shit and am so ready to fucking erupt when it becomes official. Then, even the blind will see who the fuck we are
Go Thunder!!!!
2025 Western Conference Finals, Game 1
This one will be brief. I missed the first half, but I checked the score as often as I could. We were down four at the half
When I walked into my home and turned on the tv, it was maybe a minute into the third quarter, and we were still down four. I swear, it was like my boys needed me and when I finally got in front of the game they could start playing their game. No sooner than I turned on the tv we went on a 10-0 run to take a six-point lead
And we would never look back. The Thunder would coast for the rest of the game
OKC - 114, Minnesota - 88
Game 2, 5/22/25
7 Wins to Go
Before we get to game 2, did y'all see game 1 of the ECF?
Knick fans, I feel your pain
And I'm not talking about from years ago, I'm talking about these very playoffs
The scene was game 1 of the series against the Nuggets. The game we led by double digits most of the game and by all acounts should have won. Yeah, we didn't. And that was exactly what happened in game 1 of the ECF
I missed the first half of this game too. I love the ECF games though and look forward to them. Why? For the same reason I could just enjoy the playoffs when my squad isn't in them. I love the game, but I especially love the game when I feel no pressure for either side to win
I did enjoy seeing all of the Knick legends in the building. As a lifelong fan of the game, I consider myself to be a bit of an NBA historian and maintain a "no-disrespect" policy toward legends (true disrespect, jokes are 100% acceptable) of the game. To see so many players from Frazier to Starks to Larry "Grandmama" Johnson, brought back a lot of nostalgia for me to a time when these guys didn't look old as fuck. Then they had the crowd full of NY celebs as well. Conspicuously missing though were Patrick Ewing and Spike Lee. Oh, and Charles Oak-- lemme stop being messy
I had honestly written the game off. The Knicks not only led most of the game in the second half I watched, but they looked pretty good in doing so. KAT fits in quite nicely in NY. Everybody probably forgot about it after the Luka/AD trade, but this is KAT's first year in NY, with it being Randle's first year in Minny in his place. And both teams made it to the conference finals the first year following the trade. Interesting. If everybody wasn't still awestruck by the Luka/AD trade, we would have probably gotten the stats of how often that has (or hasn't) happened
But then it started to crumble in the fourth quarter. And Indiana, to their credit, never even thought about quitting. The last minute and a half was a fought battle. Again, this is what the playoffs are all about when your team is NOT involved. The Garden crowd clearly looked nervous. I don't know why, but I just felt like the Knicks were going to hold on. They were at home; they had the legends cheering them on along with that electric Garden atmosphere you can feel through your tv screen. The Pacers are clawing back but the Knicks will hold on
After a missed free throw here and another mistake there, the Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton has the ball with seconds left, down by two. Because of the missed free throw right before this possession, that shit was huge because it prevented the Knicks from intentionally fouling, as they had done for the entire end of the game when they were up three
Tyrese quickly dribbles up the court and at about the free throw line, decided he wanted to just straight up win that bitch by going for three. The shot goes up and if I'm being honest, the shit looked awkward when it left his hand. I mean, time was running out, as the buzzer sounded while it was in the air, so you know he had to rush it. The shot bounces high off the back rim. It bounced high as fuck, but I remember thinking, "well, it's high but it's straight"
Maybe a second or two after I thought the word 'straight', that high ass bounce landed right through the net. I exploded into hysterical laughter in my home at that moment. Instantly, I felt Knick fans pain. And as I said, I consider myself to be a historian of the game. Ain't too many NBA moments between the 80's and mid-aughts that I'm not aware of. And I'm sorry, but Haliburton recreating Reggie Miller's choke sign - as a member of the same fucking squad Reggie played for, against the same fucking team in the same fucking building Reggie did it against, while Reggie himself was calling the game on the sideline - was absolutely, positively epic!!! Like, my squad could very well win it all, but that image will be one that sticks with me for years around this year's playoffs. There were so many things that had to align perfectly for that to happen. Goddammit I love NBA basketball. Even though these MFs still whine to the refs too much
Turns out the shot was a two, as the replay we watched on repeat clearly shows his foot on the line. Off to overtime the game went
But I don't know if the Knicks knew they were in overtime. They went ice cold at the worst time. But toward the end of overtime, they did make one last run. They would ultimately come up short though
Indiana - 138, NY - 135
Great game!! If this indicative of what this series will be like, yes please and thank you. As I write this, I'm actually watching game 2 of this series, and the Knicks are up 40-38 with about five minutes to go in the 2nd quarter. This might be the series to watch. The WCF might be over pretty quickly (insert Kanye shrug here)
Update, the next morning 5/24/2025
And the Pacers ended up holding on and winning this game too, to take a 2 - 0 series lead with the series shifting to Indiana. The ECF might be over pretty quickly as well
Game 2
Now, y'all know I get hiiiiiigh. So, as you can see above, I completely forgot to talk about our game 2. What's worse, I can't remember the game to remember what I was going to say about it. But the bottom point is the Thunder won the game to take a 2 - 0 series lead.
The series then shifted to Minnesota where...
6 Wins to Go
Game 3
I don't really wanna talk about this fucking game
But I will say this. It may have been the best thing for ALL OF US! The guys were probably starting to feel like this would be an easy series. I know I at least hinted at that when I already declared OKC champs above, so I needed to be checked my damn self. If used as such, it could be an excellent wake-up call that we are fallible
The same thing happened to the Lakers in the 2002 WCF against Sacramento. I believe that game was referred to as the Memorial Day massacre. But the Lakers responded and not only went on to win the series, they won the whole thing that year
So, as of now, as it's about an hour and a half until game 4, we still have an opportunity to get this shit back on the Lakers 2002 track with a win tonight. But if we get blown out again or even lose the game, I can't guarantee I won't start panicking again
Goddammit these playoffs are gonna be the death of me!
Game 3 Final score: Fuck that...look that shit up yourself
Game 4
FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK!!!!!
Even when I was a Laker fan at the turn of the century mostly because of Shaq, I don't remember these emotional roller-coaster ass games during their triplepeat run. This game damn near flatlined me
The only reason I think I was able to ease up a bit, is the knowledge that even if Minny won, the series would be tied with it heading back to OKC. Before Minnesota reminded the Thunder, me, and probably the entire city of OKC that they are not your typical 6 seed (bitch, you talked on this site about T-Wolves sending Luka, Lebron and nem fishing in convincing fashion. This team ain't scuuuured)
Fortunately for us and my entire nervous system, we were able to shut the Wolves down pretty well in the final quarter when it counted most. Leading us to a 3 - 1 series lead
Ah shit, I can't relax now. That's how much we were up against GSW precisely nine seasons ago. And yes, not only is the opposing team different, so are the Thunder. Still, I remember how much losing that series nine years ago affected me, so I won't temporarily relax until we take out #6 in the WCF. We'll still have one more series to go to plant that orange and blue flag, but the only way to be in the playoffs is just to look at the next game and ultimately look for that last win to close the series
The Thunder will be at home for game 5 tomorrow night. For the love of god guys, PLEASE finish them off tomorrow and let's not even leave a possibility of what happened in the 2016 playoffs happening again. I know we'll still have home court advantage, but I don't even want this series to go 7. WE HAVE to finish this team off tomorrow
GO THUNDER!!!!
Game 5, Wednesday, May 28
5 Wins to Go
Game 5
I didn't make it to a point I could see the game until around the start of the third quarter. But you know I reached for my damn phone for an update in the first half every 46 seconds on average. And the first time I checked, it said we were up 23 - 8. I literally yelled at the top of my lungs in my car "LET'S GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!" I would later find out we held the Timberwolves to just nine points in the first quarter
When I got closer to a point where I could watch the game, I got a BR notification about how loud Paycom was after Cason Wallace hit a 3 ball in the corner to end the first quarter. It put us up by more than 20
By the time I turned the game on, the lead had ballooned up to 35. I immediately danced a jig. I kept the game up in the background as I continued to do other shit. The lead had been cut to 23 at one point and I got nervous lol. This shit is still new to me. But we kept running the ball down their throats, leading me to slam the table with my hand repeatedly as I again shouted, "LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"
I looked up with about five minutes left in the game and noticed all the subs were in. Minnesota had thrown in the towel. It was only then that I could relax
It had been so long since I'd experience this with my squad, that I forgot they do a bit of a ceremony after you win the conference finals too. I mean, we hadn't won the conference finals in 13 long ass muthafucking years, and I don't even remember if they did a ceremony then. And I also forgot they now name an MVP of each of the conference finals series, giving SGA his second MVP of the season with a legitimate chance of adding a third
Despite being a fan quite a few states away, I still felt the electricity of the home crowd during the post-game ceremony. And while the fans were electric all night and the entire time of the closing ceremony, I was glad to see that no one got a louder individual ovation in that building than Sam Presti did. Thunder fans know why we just hoisted that trophy for the first time in 13 years. And one mo' time...BITE IT STEPHEN A
And the crowd went ape shit when Daigneault told em to get ready, "because we're gonna need it Thursday". They ALREADY let him know they'll definitely be ready. And goddammit, so am I!!!!!
As the Thunder were celebrating and SGA received another MVP, Magic apologized to the team. Among other things in not believing in the Thunder, he picked Minnesota to win this series. Lol, hey Magic is my goat on the court. Off the court, well, you know what, let me shut my mouth. As I said, I don't disrespect legends
AND...I'm always a fan of this
"Oklahoma City Thunder’s fan base needs to give their GM, Sam Presti, a standing ovation for putting together an amazing roster!" (Magic) further added.
Oh, we have Magic. It's Stephen A Smith's ass that was all--
Game 5 Final Score: OKC - 124, Minnesota - 94
OKC wins series and advance to the Finals for the first time since 2012
Game 1, June 5...as I watch NY try to hold on for dear life as I write this. They're up 34 - 29 with about 9 minutes to go in the second quarter of their game 5, down 3 - 1. Pleeeeenty of time for them to lose it lol!! WHAT UP STEPHEN A
4 Wins to Go
And So It Begins
6/1/2025
This comes one day after the Pacers finished off the Knicks in convincing fashion in Indiana. Barbs were traded online. Indiana dominated most of the game. Siakam won MVP. Nothing much to really see here
While I could certainly never cheer even quietly for another team Russ is not on, I was hoping the Knicks forced a game 7 at home where they may have stood a shot of making it into the Finals. I was hoping for this for two reasons:
-
This is one of the rare cases where I was hoping to use Thibs' tendency to run his players into the ground in our favor. I think throughout the ECF he still only played eight players, proving he still doesn't get it. It would be much easier for the Thunder's suffocating defense to take over against tired players. And in this scenario, they would have had to play a 7th game, that would have likely taken place tomorrow, only three days before Finals begin
-
And Thibs has never won it all before. Rick Carlisle has. This will be the first time during this year's playoffs that Mark Daigneault will coach against another coach who has won it all before, since the Nuggets inexplicably fired Mike Malone right before the playoffs started
But my preference aside, I think the Thunder can handle this team in a seven-game series. This core is young, but they're hungry. They've also never been on a stage this big, so I hope we don't come out timid. Often when we stumble, it's usually at the beginning of the game, allowing us plenty of time for Mark to make the proper adjustments (as he always does) to help us get our shit together, especially on the defensive end (game 3 of the WCF aside)
But I still have a fear of us making this far and coming up short. We've made it here. We're the favorites. It's ours to lose
Normally, I'd be ready for the Finals to get here. I'm actually okay with this four-day break. These playoffs have been intense for me as a Thunder fan. I'm also glad there are no other NBA games on from now until Thursday. It's time to temporarily unplug from the NBA, so that I can be ready as our coach instructed us to do; to cheer and clap so loud they'll be able to hear me in fucking OKC
But in the meantime, now I can focus on another league in my favorite sport that I still don't have a favorite team in, so I can just enjoy the fucking games. I turn my attention to the WNBA
Game Day
June 5, 2025
I am typing this roughly 3 1/2 hours before tip-off. I've really enjoyed these last few days NBA free. I meant to get to the WNBA, but I forgot the ladies don't have games every night with them having less than half of the number of teams than in the NBA, even with the addition of the Valkyrie's this year
So, in the meantime, I've been working on podcast recording of my Inception review. And Sinners released on video two days ago, so I've been watching that on repeat as promised, and writing more of that review
As it turns out, I haven't really watched any basketball since the Pacers eliminated the Knicks. The only time I got engulfed in the sport by listening to several podcasts and reading several articles, was when the Knicks shockingly fired Thibideau the other day (smh, I give up tryna figure out what the fuck these teams are doing with these coaches). But again, that ain't my squad so...
As we get closer to tip-off, as expected, I'm getting more nervous. I know we CAN beat the Pacers, but they ain't gonna just roll over. After Thibs was fired, I listened to the Road Trippin' podcast where they not only talked about that, but of course they also talked about the upcoming Finals. Channing Frye said something I agree with. If the Pacers win, it will have to be considered one of the greatest runs in Finals history. Richard Jefferson didn't agree but I did. Because not only would they have beat the #1 team in the East (Cleveland, in convincing fashion, mind you), but they also would have had to beat the #1 team in the West and the overall league. A team that won 68 games this year
Now, while I agree with that if that were to happen, understand all this shit did was contribute to my anxiety. After surviving the Nuggets, and manhandling Minnesota in every game but one, to lose to this fucking team would be no less a tragedy than had we lost to any of those other teams
I don't feel like the Thunder are leaving anything to chance, though. Daigneault has been really good all year with adjusting to what's needed for each team, especially in the playoffs. Probably the worst thing Indiana could have done was finishing off the Knicks as early as they did, because that gave us plenty of time to work up a game plan for them
We swept both the Knicks and Pacers in the regular season; 2 - 0 each. But y'all know that don't mean a goddamn thing now. We need to come out firing on all cylinders. At this point, this team has fully earned my trust. So, I really believe we will come out swinging tonight
But that's just my belief. Like with religion, it takes a whole lot more than belief to make something like an NBA championship a reality
I'll be working tonight, but I am prepared to actually have the sound on during the entire game (unless we start getting our asses kicked, of course) to be completely engulfed in this series, and ready to cheer my ass off from Cali as our coach instructed us to do. I've been waiting 13 years for this. I'm ready
Go Thunder!!!
My Favorite Spot to Watch Thunder Games
Matter of fact, I think that hoodoo (Y'all know I got Sinners on the brain right now) is what my team needed during that game against Minny, when they didn't seem like they could start playing their game until I got home. It was definitely the blanket y'all
Oh, you thought this shit was just for the website? Like I wasn't really rocking with the Thunder any other time? Oh no, my dear friends. My blood bleed oran....ah shit, I almost slipped. I almost fucked up right there
But no, the Thunder have been my squad since 2011. That means I've felt all this shit - including getting bounced by Dallas in the 2nd round as the #1 seed last year - that has happened to us in the interim. Every. Single. Moment.
If the Thunder raise the Larry O'Brien trophy this year, ohhh trust me, I would have earned this shit, right beside those millions of fans in Oklahoma City! My family and friends from my past life may not be in cahoots with me anymore, but ALL those MFs will tell you this about me
I can't help but feel like it's finally our year. And if it is, all those heartbreaks will have made this so much fucking sweeter. So glad I decided to blindly trust Sam Presti (fucking brilliant on my part, thank you very much)
GODDAMMIT LET'S GOOOOOO!!!!!
Game 1
June 6, 2025
So, basically, I hate everybody right now
As I found myself getting all worked up in watching everything unfold last night, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was very familiar territory. And it didn't feel like from 2016 or even 2012, the last time we were in the Finals. It felt much more recent than that
Then it hit me. Just about everything that happened in last night's game 1, also occurred in game 1 of the Semis against the Nuggets. I'm talking about damn near everything
This time it was Caruso adamantly making Daigneault challenge a foul call he was clearly guilty of (although this one wasn't in the last 30 seconds. I think it was with about seven minutes left in the game if I recall correctly) - against the Nuggets it was SGA. To missed free throws down the stretch. To us leading for 98% of the game (dude, we had a 15-point fucking lead IN THE FOURTH QUARTER!!!!). To a last-second shot by one of the Pacers stars (Haliburton, against the Nuggets it was Gordon) to seal our fate, this game had all the eerie similarities to our game 1 collapse in the Semis. Oh and as I feared, I think Carlisle outcoached Mark, at least in game one. Still all the confidence in the world in Mark D, but let's just call it what it was
And this game had one new thing that could be considered a crucial mistake. Near the end of the pre-show before they made their predictions for the night's game, Malika announced a change to OKC's starting lineup. Cason Wallace would get the start over Isaiah Hartenstein. What in the entire fuck, Daigneault? Curse you for making me agree with Stephen A Smith, when he was the first one to question why make a change to your starting lineup that has worked all playoffs before playing a single game. And Richard Jefferson said it too on the telecast, going as far as to say that if he's the Pacers, he notes how they are already changing up their lineup to face them before a single minute of the game, giving the Pacers a slight advantage mentally. I would love to argue either of these points but I simply can't
And Hartenstein looks like he didn't appreciate it either. As soon as he got into the game, he let his presence be known. Had we had that from the beginning, maybe we could have given them an early gut punch that they couldn't recover from
THE ONLY REASON I haven't hit the panic button yet, is probably because of the Semis. We figured it out after that first game, though it took us seven games to do it. Even if it takes us seven games here, the goal is to get four more, that's it! Doesn't matter how many games it takes us to do it. Update 6/27/2025: Aye, this MF turned out to be prophetic af I did hit the panic button after the first game against the Nuggets, fearing that we weren't ready. They proved me wrong right away. I trust them now, but they still have to perform. And I will say this, Daigneault has been excellent all playoffs at making adjustments after a loss. Last night was our fifth loss and I don't recall any of them being back-to-back. As it stands now, we're fine
After we got back smashed in game 3 in Minnesota in the WCF, I compared it to the 2002 Lakers and their Memorial Day massacre at the hands of the Sacramento Kings in the WCF of that same year. Well, I've got another Laker championship comparison for this first game of the Finals; the 2001 Lakers
That Laker team lost game 1 of the Finals that year to Allen Iverson and the Sixers. Like the Thunder did with Indiana, the Lakers likely didn't take the Sixers very seriously. But unlike the Thunder this year, that loss handed that Laker team their first loss in the playoffs. It would also be their last. The Lakers went on to sweep the next four games en route to back-to-back 'ships, with a playoff record that still remains the best in NBA history; 15 - 1 (the first round of the playoffs was still best of five at that time)
We'll see what happens on Sunday for game 2. (deep sigh) I think I'm going to enjoy these next couple of days again, basketball free
As I said, the 2025 playoffs are shonuff gone give me a MF heart attack. But it's all worth it, ESPECIALLY if we can hoist that trophy at the end of all this
Still 4 MOTHERFUCKING Wins to Go smh
Final Score: Whatever. They beat us by a point
GO THUNDER!!!!
Game 2
June 8, 2025
Ok, all is right with the world again
The game just ended about 15 minutes ago. A game that we won by 16 points, but it wasn't really that close for the majority of the second half
I said game 1 mirrored a lot of the same game of the WCSF. In game 2 of that series, we beat the Nuggets by more than 40. Not quite as much of a statement in this game, but we were more effective in other areas. Particularly with keeping Haliburton under control for the game, to the tune of only 17 points. Siakam, their ECF MVP, only had 15. We did a much better job defensively on them. In fact, while the Pacers had seven players score in double figures, no one had 20 points (Tyrese's 17 was a team high)
And yet we had two players score 20 or more. SGA, of course, and not so obvious, Alex Caruso chipped in 20 points. J-Dubb had 19 and Chet had 15. Cason Wallace got the start again over Hartenstein, but neither of them had very good games. Fortunately, it wasn't needed
We really should be up 2 - 0, but whatever. We'll just take this shit one game at a time until we reach our goal. Game 3, Wednesday, June 11 as the series shifts to Indiana
GO THUNDER!!!
3 Wins to Go
Ya Know, a Funny Thing Happened During the First Half of Game 3
6/11/2025
I figured out I've been "fanning" wrong. In fact, I've been going about these whole playoffs all wrong
As I type this, we are down 2 with about a minute left before the half. But I am (Fight Club reference alert) "calm as hindoo cows". Why? Because I'm high? Whatever. Stay out my goddamn business. No, because I realized that I've been ruining my own experience of this epic run the Thunder are on
As the game began, and we once again found ourselves with a double-digit lead, I couldn't even get excited because there was so much game left. That's when it hit me that I've been fucking up
The last time the Thunder were in the finals, as noted above, was 2012. That was actually the franchise's first time in the Finals since moving to OKC from Seattle in 2008. So, this is only our second trip to the Finals since moving to OKC, and certainly since I've been a fan. This doesn't happen all the time for us. We haven't proven ourselves to be a dynasty like the Lakers of the 80's, Bulls of the 90's, Lakers of the early Aughts, and Warriors of the 2010's. Those teams making the finals at least was damn near inevitable every year
For us, it's so rare that it's only our second trip in 17 years. One of the mistakes I made on this thread since the playoffs started, was the declaration that game 7 against the Nuggets was the final test. Minnesota wasn't scared and neither is Indiana. There's still work to be done
And, for the most part, the fellas are handling business. But even when we begin losing, no more of that physically ailing shit that I was experiencing earlier in the playoffs. My squad is in the NBA Finals, and all NBA eyes are on us
Another mistake I made...I forgot to just enjoy this shit. Enjoy my squad battling. I still hope like hell we get to hoist that trophy, but the road on the way to winning and being battle tested shouldn't give me a heart attack. Quite the contrary. It should make me even more excited for our future. Presti still has a plethora of picks at his disposal. And even though we're in the finals, the Thunder came within an ass hair of getting somebody's (I forget which team's) pick that was something like top 6 protected, meaning if that team fell out of the top 6 at the 2025 lottery (they didn't), that pick would have gone to the Thunder. And with us being this far into the playoffs, we still picked a kid out of Georgetown at #15, which is a pretty high pick for a team in the finals
Presti's a hoops genius - at least when it comes to recognizing talent and the best players to surround that talent - with the future of the Thunder pretty much locked, while still watching our team in the Finals right now with the league MVP, and last year's Coach of the Year, along with the rest of our stellar roster competing hard
No matter what happens, we're just fine for years to come. Even if we somehow don't win this, I'm betting this won't be our last time making it here
But even if for some reason it turns out to be our last time, all the more reason to just enjoy the fuck out of this experience, no matter what
Go Thunder!!!
Game 3
6/12/2025
Oh, yeah we lost. By nine. Previously, I would have been through the roof with panic. But I'm still chilling. We're only down 2 - 1, and as I said, the Pacers definitely ain't scared. And Carlisle is living up to why I would have rather faced the Knicks in the Finals. I love and trust my squad unquestionably at this point. I said that even if we didn't win it all we'd be a difficult out, and I still believe that. The Pacers are going to have to come with a lot more to knock us out
I've shifted the way I think, and now I'm embracing the whole thing. I think every Thunder player, the entire city of OKC, and myself all quietly thought this series would be a cake walk for us. It won't be. There's no guarantee we'll even win it. Now, rather than expecting us to win it, I've shifted my mentality to enjoy the experience, not only on my end, but to enjoy the experience this young Thunder team is getting this year. I thought last year as the number 1 seed, despite us being bounced in the second round, was some good experience for the squad. That wasn't shit compared to the experience we got this year. And as I said, ain't too many more levels to go
No matter what happens in the Finals, the Thunder put the entire league on notice that we have arrived these last two seasons. If it's not this year, I believe it's really only a matter of time
Buuuuut...this year's Finals ain't even over yet. We're down but certainly not out, and we still have yet to lose back-to-back games in these playoffs
Game 4, tomorrow, Friday the 13th, DA DA DUUUUUUUUUUUUMMM!!!!
Go Thunder!!!
Game 4
June 15, 2025
Here we are two days after the game, and I'm really digging this playoff calm I've managed to drape over myself. I was definitely still nervous; we have not gone down 3 - 1 in a series all playoffs, and I wasn't about to be interested in doing it now
But what I realized more than anything, it's completely the fuck out of my hands. All I can do is cheer for my squad and hope we survive. But there's no reason to fret. What the change in mentality also allowed me to do was to accept - and to fully accept it, not just say I did - that it is possible that we will not win this series. That acceptance has showered me with a wave of calm since the first half of game 3
I started off this thread stating how I trusted Presti, and we were set up for years to come. I also refused to give my squad any of that Laker ass level of pressure. But then as the season progressed and I saw we legitimately had a shot at winning it all, that all changed. I think it then - somewhere in the back of mind if I'm being honest - created the thought in my head that after the Nuggets series, it was a done dada. Y'all know these sports shows now love showing odds in addition to arbitrary stats. The NBA pre-show before game 1 gave the Thunder a 76% chance of winning the series. And not a lot of people tuned into game 1, mostly because it was perceived to be lopsided
But what we've actually gotten in these Finals, is the very series I hoped months ago would happen between us and the Cavs. It's just rather than the Cavs, it's against the team that knocked the Cavs out of the playoffs (in convincing fashion, might I add; 4 - 1). Also, like the Thunder, the Pacers are a young, hungry team with an excellent coach. Of course the series is a solid back and forth
If I was still all in panic mode n shit, I don't think I could have fully appreciated this. Actually, who the fuck am I kidding, I definitely couldn't have appreciated this. I had a vision after game 3 of the Pacers holding up the trophy and...
To my surprise, I did not jump off the deep end. If that's the way it is written for this season, then so be it. Again, it ain't like I could do shit about it anyway
This whole thing was just me taking the ropes off, turning around, and trust falling backward into these Finals. Ready to accept whatever happens, even if it means my team would be defeated
But then we fucked around and took our first lead in the fourth quarter with less than three minutes to go in game 4, on our way to a seven-point victory, to even the series at 2, headed back to OKC for game 5
OH THANK GOD!!
Lol, I was resolved to whatever happened, but I still want my fucking squad to win it all
Game 5, tomorrow, Monday, June 16. Hopefully my squad can deliver a win on the date of birth of my all-time favorite musical artist
Happy Birthday (tomorrow) 2pac, may you finally be in peace nearly 30 years after you were taken from us
2 Wins to Go
Game 5
6/17/2025
(Deep Breath) Ok, shit just got real last night
Behind an insane 40 piece from our all-star J-Dubb (with SGA adding 31), the Thunder are now up 3 - 2 with only one more dubb to go. First, I noted that our all-star duo covered 71 of our 120 points. THAT'S INSANE!!!!. That's only 49 points to share between the rest of the team
Of course, the other side of me also noted that had we not collapsed at the end of game 1, we'd be champs by now!! Whatever
We are now in one of the best positions we can be in. Needing to only win one of the up to two games we got left, including a game 7 at home if it comes to that. But THEY SAY (these have always pissed me off going back to when I was doing HoopLA) Tyrese is supposedly dealing with injury. There was absolutely no mention of any kind of injury to him at any time in this series, now he puts up a donut in the first half and all of a sudden... (rolls eyes...mm hmm)
Then Carlisle, after saying Tyrese wasn't 100%, added they have a few guys like that lmao. All that shit musta started after game 4. Bet money that if the Pacers had won game 4, we wouldn't have heard shit about anyone on Indiana being injured
Look man, this is the fucking Finals. Just as I hated to see Ja get hurt in round 1 when we played the Grizzlies, I don't want to see anyone injured on the Pacers either. But if that's the case, fuck em lmao. The Thunder are looking to seal their first ever championship in OKC. I don't give a fuck if half the Pacers had a vasectomy over the weekend. All is fair when going for an NBA ring
Same as I felt about us in the first round after they lost Ja, the Thunder need to come out and knock the wind out of that building on Thursday...EARLY!!
Tyrese is insisting on playing. If he's not a 100%, why would you still put him out there? That's great for showing heart and what not, but do you really want moral victories in the NBA Finals?
Actually, let me shut up. Play him 40 minutes Carlisle, along with them other dudes you claim are injured
The Pacers did mount another game 5 comeback, but the Thunder held them off this time (as they should have done in game 1 so that we could....there I go again smh)
Given all of these circumstances, I have a really good feeling about us taking one of the last two possible games remaining. I know, I haven't forgotten. No expectations. Still taking it one possession, one quarter, one half at a time. The time to do it is in game 6 on their home court, so you don't leave ANYTHING to chance, or to those pesky ass comeback runs the Pacers are capable of putting together any given night
For game 6 I will be calm as usual. Worst case scenario for Thursday's game is game 7 at home on Sunday
But if the Thunder manage to take game 6 in Indiana, you all will very likely be able to hear me yelling from here
GO THUNDER!!!!
1 Win to Go - Damn y'all, I got to make wins singular. Shit is real indeed
Three Hours Before Game 6 Tip-Off
June 19, 2025
My brain rarely turns off under normal circumstances anyway, but with the Thunder being on the verge of their first championship since moving to OKC, these wheels have been spinnin' like a muhfucka
I'm not nervous at all. Partially because of my newfound inner woosah, but also with the knowledge of the alleged (that's what us journalists are supposed to say until proven otherwise, right?) injuries on the Yes 'Cers (love that btw) side
The Thunder, who have maintained the single best defense in the NBA all season, can very likely smell blood in the water. Still high off of J-Dubb's massive 40 spot in game 5, no group of people on this planet know how close we are to finally writing our team's name in the NBA history books, then the players and coaches in OKC's locker room. I expect them to come out with a fire to try to put this thing away early
A couple of small things dawned on me in my infinite thinking
After game 1 and the starting lineup change heard 'round the world, I said I still had all the confidence in Mark D and praised his ability to rebound after losses. A game or two later, he kept the same lineup, but I said it didn't really matter because neither Cason or Isaiah had great games
I've been so caught up in my woosah lately, that I forgot to mention that for Game 4, Daigneault went back to his original starting lineup that had been kicking ass and taking names all season. Interestingly, the Thunder have won both games since going back to that lineup (which took me back to our game 1 meltdown and the realization we should be champs already, but whatev-)
The other thing...today is a holiday for us gubment employees. These Finals, hell even the OKC Thunder as a team, have had nothing to do with race, as we've got a nice rainbow of nationalities wearing the orange and blue. But...
How cool would it be if the Thunder raised that trophy for the first time on Juneteenth? In Indiana.
GO THUNDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Game 6
6/20/2025, the morning after
Or, ya know, not! Smh
I couldn't help but again think back to our game 1 collapse. I reeeeally hope that game doesn't come back to bite us in the ass
But I will say this, I'm especially calling bullshit on the Pacers claims of injuries. Y'all know good and goddamn well wasn't none of their players even remotely injured last night. Ole lyin' ass muhfuckas
But going back to a post I published on here of a journalist basically claiming this all comes with the territory, there's still no excuse for our performance last night. After droppin' 40 of em in game 5, J-Dubb disappeared for this game, dropping only 16. And he had that like in the first half
SGA only had 21, but he had 15 up until like right before garbage time. Both Dort and Caruso had donuts, 0 points scored in the game, and Chet only contributed 4 points. Unacceptable. We ain't gon' beat the Raptors with those kinda numbers
You had to know the Pacers were going to come out and focus on defending the players who have been torching them with their back against the walls. We should have come out much stronger knowing what was at stake
My goodness this series has damn near mirrored the series against the Nuggets exactly. Not only our game 1 collapse, but we also fell down to them 2 - 1 before winning the next two, then losing game 6 by a buncha lotta points on their home court. I'm hoping the shit stays like the Nuggets series all the way to the end, because we whooped Denver's ass in game 7
But after last night, I feel like it may have been a critical missed opportunity. We really needed that game, or if we weren't going to win, it should have at least been close with us battling till the final buzzer. But that's not what happened
As a hoops fan though, I am happy about the season getting extended to one more final game. But I could enjoy it more if my squad wasn't in it. I'm still calm and have accepted we may not win it this year. I ain't saying that shit won't be super frustrating, but I have accepted it since there's nothing I can....well, you already know
And I'm once again glad we played well enough all year to have this final game on our home court. We still have yet to lose back-to-back games in these playoffs. It would be the worst possible fucking outcome if we waited until NOW to do so
Game 7, Sunday, 6/22/2025
Go Thunder???? Nah, I still ride for my squad, fuck that. GO THUNDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Mastermind
Thank you, Mr Presti!!
I don't know why, but I feel like he's using the word 'Serendipitous' right here
Yes sir, give Chet his ring!
It Is Finished.
6/26/2025, 4 days after we etched our name in NBA history books
I purposefully held off updating this page after we won on Sunday. First of all, ain't nobody reading this shit yet because I have yet to start advertising it, although that'll come soon. But I've been, one, celebrating my ass off, and two, reflecting on this long journey. It was longer for me and the other Thunder fans than it was for the players. More on that later
I've even been going back and listening to my old HoopLA podcasts, reflecting on that old hurt, making this Thunder championship - BITCH DID I JUST SAY....LMFAO!!!!!! - (clears throat and gathers himself) even sweeter
You know I watched every second of game 7. When Tyrese went down in the first quarter when no one touched him, and I saw him hit the floor while repeatedly yelling, "No no no no...", I thought the same thing I thought about Ja in the first round. You really hated to see that. I've been talking shit all series about the Pacers so called injuries, but the Achilles was not among the other injuries they were claiming. This was a legit injury. Then seeing his dad's reaction, my heart dropped for them. It really did. And I'm so sorry he got hurt
But bro, championships don't come along every day, especially in OKC. I found myself frustrated with my squad in the second quarter, because they didn't pounce on the Pacers after they lost their star. Richard Jefferson said after the game something I agree with. He pointed out how Haliburton's injury seemed to initially shake up the Thunder, too
But then we finally woke up in the third quarter, probably after Daigneault got in their asses and reminded them what's at stake at halftime, and we would finally take off. By the time the fourth quarter came along, the Thunder and the crowd could taste it. Oh, speaking of the crowd, it is on my bucket list to make it to a Thunder game in OKC at Paycom (preferably for a playoff/finals game). Our crowd originated something that several other crowds try to copy but theirs suck. In OKC, they started that whole thing of standing until the Thunder score their first bucket
With this being an unprecedented chance for us to win a championship in a game 7 on our home floor, the crowd understood how much the team fueled off their energy. After the Thunder scored their first basket, the majority of the crowd remained standing. And most of them would stand the entire game. Nice!
I had been playing my games on my tablet to help calm my nerves during the game, but I uncharacteristically had the volume up on my tv, cheering and/or fist pumping every Thunder basket. With about two minutes left in the game and us having a double-digit lead, I put my tablet down and turned the volume on my tv up even louder, because shit started to get real
With around 30 seconds left Daigneault pulled the starters and the building, the city, and this muthafucka all the way on the other side of the country in Cali ALL started going crazy! I'm jumping up and down, running back and forth in my apartment. I turned on all tv's in my home and had a bit of a surround sound for the post game celebration and ceremony
I couldn't believe it, and I think I kept repeating that. "I can't fucking believe it!!" I cannot believe this day has finally arrived for us. One of my favorite parts of this whole thing has been how inexperienced we all are - starting with the team, to the city, to my black ass - with winning this whole thing
Alex Caruso, the only player on the Thunder previously with a ring, had to literally show the guys how to pop a bottle lmao. Another thing I noticed as I was going crazy after the final buzzer sounded, was how surprisingly subdued the team - especially Shai - was. I noticed this but figured us fans were loud enough for everyone. I thought it was just me. But then I came across this article. I agree with the writer's assessment about our young team not having gone through the turmoil of trying for multiple years before finally winning, so their perspective is slightly different from us fans
While I was loud as fuck (apologetics to my neighbors), maybe about 15 minutes after the closing ceremony was over, and I had turned off the tv with a massive smile still taking over my face, something dawned on me
It took me some time to pinpoint this back in my life, but I realized the last time I cheered - truly cheered, not quietly cheering as I do for Russ or when Shaq went to Miami in 2006 - for a team that won it all was the fucking 2002 Lakers!! In my hoish ways, I refused to settle down. And trust me, no matter who was in it, I've watched every series and every Finals I could from 2003 to the present, because I genuinely love the game even if my team isn't in it. You know what that (maybe accidentally) made me do? When you've gone 23 years - exactly half your life at this point - without being able to cheer for an NBA champion, you have no fucking clue what to do when it finally happens for your team. I, as a vocal fan of this squad, was just as much in his cherry with my team winning it all as the players were with champagne lol. Don't get me wrong, part of the fun is figuring out what I need to do next to celebrate. But there are things that I know happen every year, but have never really interested me because my team didn't win
First, bitch we got a parade!!!! Forgot all about that. If that sounds strange, think about it. I haven't cared about the team winning in 23 years. And back then, while it was the local team, I never had an interest in the parade. I cheered for the Lakers because I was a huge Shaq fan. But even then, I wouldn't have classified the Lakers as my team. The Showtime Lakers led by my all-time favorite player, oh THAT was my team! I liked the new millennium Lakers, but the Showtime Lakers had some of my all-time favorite players in the history of the game. Back during the Showtime Lakers run though, I was too young to know anything about what to do when your team won it all. And in the past 23 years, I have not watched a single second of another team's parade, because, ya know, why the fuck would I? I watched the games, that was enough. Y'all did yo thang. Go 'head on and celebrate. Enjoy it. And now, I got to experience one too :) (though not in person, of course....this time)
And the other thing? I remember in the 80's when the Lakers won their last one of the decade, my mom bought me and her a Laker championship t-shirt, that had the whole team with big ass cartoon heads on the front. I cherished that t-shirt, but when I thought about it after Sunday's game was over, that t-shirt I last rocked as of the Showtime Lakers last 'ship in '88, was sadly the last championship fan gear I ever owned. Twenty something years after that shirt I would purchase OKC gear, but it of course wasn't championship gear. Plus, the last time the Lakers won when I was a fan, in my young adult life, I think I was working in the mall and barely had two dimes to rub together. Getting Laker gear was out of the question, and as I said, I genuinely cheered for the team but wouldn't have called them my team. So, getting that gear wasn't a priority, nor do I think I could have done it even if I wanted to
After the game ended, during one of the commercials before the ceremony, the commercial advertised that the Thunder had won and had a QR code to scan to go to the website to buy official OKC championship merch. After all of the above dawned on me, I laid my black ass in my bed and did a kind of shopping I have never been able to do in my 46 years roaming this planet. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA It was such a fucking rush!!! The fact that they aired it immediately after the game told me something. They had to have one already created and queued for the Pacers too. But if you try to find any merch listing the Pacers as 2025 champs, you will NEVER be able to find it. Think about that. I'm not talking shit about the Pacers at all. I'm saying this is how rare this shit is. This gear only becomes available if your team wins it all
And I don't think this is a coincidence that it's happened at this point of my life; with all I've been through in my personal world. Where I'm now in a position where I could not only for the first time experience what it feels like to buy this type of merch, but that I was old and mature enough financially to be able to do this (oh trust me, that has NOT always been the case in my life). Realizing you are completely alone on this planet toughens and wises you up financially (and just about every other 'ally you can think of) with the fucking quickness. I did have to put some stuff back because I'm not a fan of being homeless. But I can always get it later. For now, here's what I ordered (GHEE GHEE!! And as expected, it won't ship for a couple of weeks, although people in OKC at the parade had some of these t-shirts already; Kanye shrug):
It was between this one, and the one the guys were wearing after the game that said, "Won for the City" on the back. While I really liked that shirt (especially with seeing the team wearing it), with me personally not being from Oklahoma City, I felt that it was not in my place to wear that shirt, especially since they had other options. And I think the front of both shirts are identical anyway, plus with this one not having anything on the back, it was cheaper
This one I feel comfortable rocking from Cali. Can't wait till it comes!
Apparently, this shit is new to the company selling this shit too. Because, for some reason, they didn't think to list everything included in this box in text form. So, I legit have no idea what some of this stuff is. But a couple of these items were available for sale elsewhere in the store individually, which is the only reason I was able to tell what those items were:
Thunder Hat: This is the very hat the whole team wore after the game, and one that Ice Cube's son and most of the internet took shots at. Sure, it looks cheap. But it's not about the quality of the hat. It's about what that hat represents. Shit can be a santa hat for all I give a goddamn
Thunder Triangular Flag (right below the hat): I had one of those flags in my cart already until I noticed the same shit sitting in this box. I'm thinking this is going on my desk at work
Item behind the flag against bottom right of the top of the box: I have no idea what that is. It looks like the item on the bottom right of the pic outside of the box is the same item, but I don't know for sure. Actually, looking closer at it now, no it's not, because the item on the bottom right has 'Thunder' at the top, while whatever that is in the back doesn't. Whatever. They both have got my team's championship logo on them. I'll find something to do with them muthafuckas!
Thunder Rectangular Flag (right below the triangular flag): This is another item I didn't know what the fuck it was until I saw it sold individually in another part of the store
Thunder Decals (on the lower left tip of the box): Same with this. But my cell phone and tablet cases are getting Thunder championship decals in this biatch
Thunder Key Chain: So, my sister is a Miami Heat fan. Like, for real. I give her credit on that. Just as I was with the Thunder, when her favorite player in Lebron left Miami, she remained a Heat fan. When D Wade retired, she remained a Heat fan. Miami has won it all three times. I don't know for which of their rings she got it, but she had a Heat championship key chain she proudly rocked on her keys. I was never mad at her for it. But I did wonder what it would feel like to have one of my own for my squad. Honestly, this is the first thing I saw in this box, and I didn't really give a damn what else came in it, I was getting it! And as stated, I could always figure out what to do with the other shit
They had a surprising number of variations in t-shirts in the store. The shit was expensive, I won't lie. They really should make that shit more affordable so that more fans can enjoy it. We're not millionaires like the players
Anyway, I was ready to celebrate. I didn't like a lot of the shirts for one reason or another, but I loved the color combination of this one. I was already thinking about shit I could wear it with
This one was advertised out the gate as the Parade Tee. I did see a couple of the players wearing it at the parade, although it turned out to be a really hot day in OKC, and most of the players went shirtless
This was also one of the most expensive t-shirts on the site, and I swear I tried to talk myself out of getting it. But I couldn't deny that I loved it, as it really stands out, and I thought listing all the players on the back to remember forever was a nice touch. And as stated, this is a privilege to be able to finally get this rare collector's shit, so fuck it, YOWO (y'all can probably figure out what the W is for)
I will definitely only be dry cleaning all of these shirts though, thank you very fucking much
WHOOOO HOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But Wait...You Know the Rest
July 3, 2025
I like to think it's fate, since I don't believe in god, but I don't know what made me decide to do this search. I really don't. But something hit me one day as I thought, out of curiosity, what would happen if I searched for Thunder championship merch on Amazon. I have previously said something I wholeheartedly believe; Amazon sells everything!! So, why not?
As of the time of this update, I have already received all three of my t-shirts above surprisingly fast. The box hasn't even shipped yet, but I have received all of the shirts. And also very much to my surprise, Amazon had quite a few shirts, only one of which was on the website where I bought the above, AND the shirts on Amazon were much cheaper while seemingly not sacrificing quality. As if all of that shit wasn't enough, the $25 shirts were all on special; get 4 for the price of 3 AKA buy 3 get one free. I had six shirts in my cart but found one of them was pretty similar to another one, so I kept the one that I liked more between the two, and the other four were included in the special listed above. And here's this order's contents (insert huge kool-aid smile right the fuck here):
Admittedly, the shirts on Amazon look a bit less "official" than them other expensive ass shirts that had BETSTA be official, much as them bitches cost
But all I really needed to see was the actual OKC logo (it's tiny, but check), and the fact that it says 2025 NBA Champs (triple check) to bypass all that and snatch up one of these. It looks like the kind of shirt you'd buy from the back of someone's van at the car wash. And I don't give a shit! I like it!
And you still can only find this gear if your team wins, although at the car wash, they prolly got the Pacers 2025 championship gear for sale too
This shirt was included in the 4 for 3 deal
Don't really get the impression this one is official either. These shirts look a little cartoonish to be "official" gear. But it has everything on there I need it to say, and I really like the unique color combinations of all of these latest shirts I got
And this one was also included in the 4 for 3 deal
Ahhh shiiiit. Now they done fucked around and threw the goddamn LOB Trophy in this one, making it unofficially official. And I really like that spotted red in 'Thunder'. This one might be my favorite of the Amazon shirts
And yep, this one was also included in the 4 for 3 deal
Aaaaand back to the cartoon looking shit. And again, I don't care!
Final shirt included in the 4 for 3 deal. One of these shirts was free
This was the one that survived after I had a similar looking shirt in my cart. The other shirt was black and initially, so was this one. Then I figured not only were all my other four Amazon shirts also black, but two of the three t-shirts I ordered the night the Thunder won were black as well. I went ahead and went with the blue version of this one, even though I truthfully liked the black one better (I'll probably get the black one later). And I didn't have any other blue shirts in either group, so trying to diversify my championship merch portfolio...
This one wasn't included in the special because that was only for shirts $25 or higher. This one was like $3 less, and now that I look at it, it's the only of these five shirts that don't say NBA on it. Shit, maybe the other Amazon shirts above really are official!!
The Parade
After I turned off the tv but before I started shopping, I looked up when the parade would be, and hopefully how I could watch it. I saw it was on Tuesday, June 24, two days after the win, at 8:30 am my time, and that it would be streamed from the Thunder's YouTube channel that I didn't even know about until that moment. I immediately pulled up my YouTube account and followed the channel of my squad I would have followed forever ago had I known. Then I started shopping
Tuesday comes around, and I should start off by saying I'm in an environment where I can't make a lot of noise. This is a very fucking difficult restriction to me for the parade of my team's first taste of the mountaintop. But whatever, I'm just happy I can watch it
As with every other step along this first-time journey for me, I learned a lot of things that I not only didn't know, but I would also have never had a way of knowing. One of the coolest things for me is that the Thunder winning this championship (along with the technology of today) actually opened up the city of OKC to me, allowing me into their hometown party I would never have been privy to otherwise. As it turns out, the YouTube stream wasn't just a couple of cameras streaming to the world. It was actually a local news telecast of the parade. With maybe a dozen personalities from the news station serving as hosts who get access to the parade route, on the parade buses, and access inside Paycom for the finale of the parade. They also had a drone and a helicopter providing aerial views, and they had direct communication with the helicopter pilot for us all to hear
The first culture shock was the massive wave of Thunder fans. It was amazing for me to see. There aren't too many Thunder fans in LA, and probably even fewer of us who were born here. I met one in rehab when we both happen to be wearing Thunder t-shirts one day in the mess hall, but as of that time, I'm pretty sure he still lived in OKC. In fact, during our time in rehab in the summer of 2022, that's when it was announced only a few weeks after he was drafted that Chet would miss his entire rookie season. I found this out watching ESPN in my room while folding my laundry right around dinner time. I made a beeline to the mess hall where most people could be found around dinner time and located him. He saw me approaching and I was staring at him (we're both pretty tall and he's taller than me), so he figured I was walking up to him to tell him something and never took his eyes off me either. As soon as I got within comfortable earshot:
Me: Our number 2 pick is out for the season
Him: Chet Holmgren?
I nod
Him: No! You're joking, right?
Me: Dude
He rushes off to his room and I stand in line to get my food. Almost exactly after I was done making my plate and started walking back to my room to eat, our roles reversed and this time he's quickly approaching and staring at me in the mess hall. He says the name of the injury he had (I don't remember it at this point). I nodded and we both just shook our heads like our lives were over and walked the fuck off lmao
I mean, the day we both wore t-shirts for the same team, while in this same place at the same time was enough of a shock for me, as he is literally the only other Thunder fan I've ever seen in person since I became one (I got fam in OKC, but the last time I saw them at a family reunion, was maybe a year or two before I became a Thunder fan)
I tuned in to the live stream at around 8:20. It's on these two ladies who serve as a couple of the hosts of the program. They're sitting in chairs on the parade route, with the parade passing them very early on, but of course at this point the parade hasn't started yet. They inform us about everything they've got eyes on and what's going to eventually happen. They also have a lady mingling with the crowd and freely walking the parade route that they throw the broadcast to periodically
Fuck is this nigga talking about? Well, think about it. This may seem like regular shit to you, but to me it's something extraordinary. A mythical group of people I knew had to exist, but I had only heard about. These are fellow Thunder fans. These are the faces of people who were cheering for this squad right beside me, though we were hundreds of miles apart. These are my people, united by one common bond. A very strong common bond. Here, at least in one very big regard for this occasion, were many of my brothers and sisters I had never been able to lay eyes on until now. In a sense, this was a live stream to our Thunder family reunion
I got a little emotional, mostly because they were getting kind of emotional. As I said, if I'm as big of a fan as I am from here, I could only imagine what the vibe in OKC was like. With this stream, I didn't have to imagine anymore. How fucking cool is that?
And I loved how the entire newscast was so new at this, that there were some kinks that had to be worked out in the beginning. And through anything that happened that wasn't supposed to happen, all I could do was smile. Big! Because I understood the moment. This is literally our first time figuring this shit out, so you would expect nothing less than for it to not go smoothly, especially in the beginning. We're all rookies at this for crying out loud!
Right out the gate, the energy from those two ladies was infectious. And educational! Their voices definitely elevated when they started talking about Presti, and they hipped me to something I didn't know. They said that Presti plucked Mark Daigneault from OKC's G-League team. I swear Presti could find basketball talent at the North Pole. Don't be surprised if we sign a couple of Santa's elves to run backup point for us next season
They also quoted him as saying, "I draft people, not players". I never heard him say that, but I love it! And that happens to be his secret as to how he's drafted all of these elite players over the years
As I said, the program started off with them clearly trying to figure this shit out. During the first commercial break, no commercials played, and the screen remained black. But the ladies' mics were still on lol. We heard it all. "Oh my god, hiiiiii, how are youuuu?" lol. And again, I loved every second of it
By the next commercial break, they figured out how to splice local commercials in the picture in picture, while the other pic kept a camera on an aerial view of the parade. The problem was they only had five or six commercials they kept playing on repeat lol. Seriously, all I could do was smile. At first it was cool to see commercials from OKC. But by around the hour and a half mark, if I heard Skyler from Next Level Roofing one mo muthafucking time...
When the broadcast first started, they had cameras hovering over the buses, but the buses were empty. Every step of the way, the ladies would get emotional, which would make me fucking emotional. They almost lost their shit when the players started making their way on to the buses. Since they had a guy from the broadcast who was allowed on the bus, they threw it to him a few times as the players made their way out. He was on a bus with Hartenstein. But neither of them is the focus of this part
There was a guy in the sea of screaming fans beside the bus, who I immediately gave the title of biggest Thunder fan I've ever seen. He was decked out in Thunder gear and was yelling his ass off. But it wasn't until he lifted up a towel that clearly said, "Bitch I'm a Thunder", that I laughed hysterically and said you got it my man. All of this was so cool for me to see
Other Highlights:
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Thunder Mascot Has an Identity: I don't miss too many Thunder games, so of course, I had seen our mascot. But I never knew his name. The ladies began talking about something I had seen many times. Our mascot's thing is making half-court shots thrown backward over his head. I remember thinking he was abnormally good at that. But the ladies talked about how much him doing that always sets off Paycom, providing them with an extra jolt of energy. Nice! His name: Rumble
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Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault Can Finally Relax: Mark D is on the frontline, so we can see the stress on his face (even when he's trying to hide it). Presti does have the benefit of being behind the scenes, but that may be more for our benefit. The stress at his level had to have been off the charts. He probably had heard the criticism from the likes of Stephen A and others. But more than that, probably none of them were harder on him than he was on himself. He had to be questioning his damn self if we'd ever be here. All of the disappointments I've felt with this team in the last decade and a half, Presti has probably felt tenfold. In another moment of symbolism, seeing both gentlemen finally able to relax and let loose was a fantastic sight for this Cali Thunder fan. Well deserved, gentlemen. Enjoy. You both earned it!
I don't think there are a pair of shoulders in the world that are as relieved as his
And yeeeep, that is DEFINITELY Presti's son!
Not bad for a coach who started in the G-League, huh?
Thank you, coach!
Then, as an added bonus, Presti answered a question I posed on here at the very beginning that he didn't even know I asked
On the very first post on this page, back on 1/3/2025, I stated that I had noticed and adapted his patience. But I said that this team seemed to be progressing faster than I thought, and I pondered if it surprised him too or if he knew. When answering Lisa Salters question during the post-game ceremony, he said, "It all happened really fast", and the way he said it was like he wanted to emphasize that it all happened much faster than he thought too
When I found out that he and I were thinking the same thing, I felt even closer to our genius GM than I ever had, even though I've never met the man. I may not be a professional, but I'm not an idiot when it comes to hoops. I know this game I've loved and followed literally my entire life, and so does he. I 100% respect his basketball mind, and that mind is why I remained a Thunder fan after Russ left
In fact, in all of this reflecting, I remember a few years back when he said in an interview, "we're giving the keys to SGA". At that point, SGA hadn't crossed my radar yet. I would later find out he was traded to OKC from the Clippers in that Paul George deal. Goes to show how not on my radar he was...he was playing for one of the local teams here and I still didn't know him. But after I heard Presti say that, I said, "yes sir, Mr Presti" and gave him a salute. I then began paying attention to SGA and have enjoyed watching his asencion over the last few seasons. His growth and development were the only thing us Thunder fans had to cheer for about three years ago (more on that below). Now looking back at it, Presti spotted YET ANOTHER generational talent, and now SGA has not only brought another MVP to the city, but more importantly, he delivered to Presti the one thing he and the city always wanted but always seemed so goddamn elusive, in exchange for saying, "Thank you for believing in me"
Goddammit (right hand over my heart, left hand saluting) IN PRESTI I TRUST!!!!
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Get OFF the Bus: One of the best things about this Thunder run is that they've done everything their own way. And they love their city just as much as their city loves them. When answering Lisa Salters questions after the game, at one point SGA gestured the heart sign to the crowd telling them he loved them. So it probably wasn't much of a surprise that the buses stopped mid-parade, and a shirtless Shai emerged holding the Larry O Trophy as he began walking the rest of the parade and allowing fans to touch the trophy. Also not surprisingly, the majority of the rest of the team followed. It was such a great moment that the hosts couldn't praise enough, pointing out how cool it was that regular people in OKC could actually touch the famous trophy. And to maintain his pride in his hometown, our shirtless MVP had a Canadian flag draped around his waist
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Both JW's Got Jokes: Apparently Presti has a thing for player's with the last name Williams. We've got Jalen Williams (Our other All-Star, nicknamed J-Dubb), Jaylin Williams (nicknamed J-Will), and Kenrich Williams (I've nicknamed him Shagadelic)
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First J-Will, who to be completely transparent was CLEARLY drunk, took the mic at Paycom. In the midst of a lot of drunk ass giggling in between his statements, he ended it by saying something along the lines of, "People didn't believe in us but now we the fucking champs". He giggled again and his teammates kinda gave him a playfully hard time about it. I, on the other hand, let out an extremely loud laugh in the middle of a place where I ain't have no business letting out a loud laugh!
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Then at another point at Paycom, Paris Lawson asked J-Dubb what he's learned since becoming a champion. Without missing a beat, J-Dubb said, "Well, I learned about champagne. How to pop champagne." The fucking building erupted lmfao
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Just Three Short Years Ago: This wasn't the parade but was during the post-game ceremony. Lisa Salters pointed out that in 2022, we were a 22-win team! We had so many of those rebuilding years in there that I forgot that was only three years ago we won so few games. But it makes sense though. That was why we were able to secure the #2 pick in that year's draft. A pick that we would use on NBA champion with a finals game 7 record of five blocks...Chet Holmgren
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Slow It Down, Guys: Listening to the sheer joy in the voice of anyone who basically had a microphone, was genuinely one of my greatest joys in watching this entire program. I also learned shit through their enthusiasm. Like the park where the parade ended, and included a massive Thunder party, called Scissortail Park, wasn't even there the last time the Thunder were in the finals in '12. That was cool. But in their enthusiasm, they would sometimes get carried away. Talking not only about hopes of being able to be in the park again next year, but saying that the team is set-up to be dynastic in that regard for years to come. While I loved the energy and enthusiasm, several times I found myself thinking, 'Hey guys, can we just enjoy this first one? This one hasn't even started yet and y'all are already looking to 2026'. As I listened to their overeagerness, I concluded there was no way they were calm and not panicked at ANY POINT during these playoffs. Well, except maybe the first round. And not including game 3 of the first round
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LMFAO!!! I Approve Sir: 'Nuff said
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Isaiah Hartenstein's Baby Steals the Show: This was actually during the post-game ceremony too that I forgot about earlier. But it was too classic not to share. Lisa Salters asked Isaiah exactly what I - and probably most of the rest of the world watching - wondered too. How?
LMAO...Isaiah said he didn't know why he was sleeping, and said apparently it wasn't loud enough in there and requested they get louder. They did. That baby ain't budge lol. SGA's baby had earmuffs on. Isaiah's baby didn't need shit on his ears lmao
6/28/2025
There's no longer something special brewing in OKC
That was nearly six months ago when I began this thread
This pot is beyond ready. And it looks like this...
I'll be damned. The young'uns actually did it
2025 NBA Champions - Oklahoma City Thunder
