History of Oklahoma City Thunder in Timeline

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City, competing in the NBA's Western Conference Northwest Division. Their home games are played at Paycom Center. The team is a prominent fixture in Oklahoma City's sports scene.

1979: 1979 NBA Title

In 1979, the Seattle SuperSonics won one NBA title.

1996: Western Conference Championship

In 1996, the Seattle SuperSonics won one Western Conference championship.

March 4, 2008: Sales Tax Extension Approved

On March 4, 2008, a city ballot initiative was approved by a 62 percent margin, extending a prior one-cent city sales tax for 15 months to fund $101 million in arena improvements and a $20 million practice facility for the relocated franchise.

June 2008: Lawsuit Brought by City of Seattle

In June 2008, a lawsuit brought by the city of Seattle against Clay Bennett due to his attempts to break the final two years of the Sonics' lease at KeyArena went to federal court.

July 3, 2008: Relocation to Oklahoma City

On July 3, 2008, the Seattle SuperSonics relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma City after a settlement between the ownership group and Seattle lawmakers was reached following a lawsuit.

September 3, 2008: Team Name, Logo and Colors Revealed

On September 3, 2008, the team name, logo, and colors for the Oklahoma City franchise were revealed to the public. The name "Thunder" was chosen in reference to Oklahoma's location in Tornado Alley and Oklahoma City as the home of the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division, the Thunderbirds.

September 29, 2008: Oklahoma City Thunder Uniform Design Unveiled

On September 29, 2008, the uniform design for the Oklahoma City Thunder was unveiled, completing the team's branding after the logo was revealed earlier in the month.

October 8, 2008: First Appearance in Billings, Montana

On October 8, 2008, The Thunder made their first appearance in Billings, Montana in a preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing 88-82.

October 29, 2008: First Regular-Season Game Telecast in HD

On October 29, 2008, KSBI aired the first Oklahoma City Thunder regular-season game in high definition from the Ford Center against the Milwaukee Bucks.

December 2008: Forbes Franchise Value Estimate

In December 2008, Forbes magazine estimated the team's franchise value at $300 million, a 12 percent increase from the previous year's $268 million when the club was located in Seattle. Forbes also noted an increase in percentage of available tickets sold.

February 17, 2009: Rumble the Bison Introduced as Mascot

On February 17, 2009, Rumble the Bison was introduced as the Oklahoma City Thunder mascot during halftime of a game against the New Orleans Hornets. Rumble later won the 2008–2009 NBA Mascot of the Year award.

December 22, 2009: Trade for Eric Maynor

On December 22, 2009, the Thunder traded for Eric Maynor from the Utah Jazz, who then replaced Kevin Ollie as the backup point guard.

August 3, 2010: Thunder Signs Exclusive Agreement with Fox Sports Oklahoma

On August 3, 2010, the Oklahoma City Thunder signed a new exclusive multi-year agreement with Fox Sports Oklahoma, effective from the 2010-11 season, thereby ending the team's broadcasts on KSBI.

February 11, 2012: Scott Brooks Named Western Conference All-Star Coach

Following the Thunder's win over the Utah Jazz on February 11, 2012, Scott Brooks was named as the head coach for the Western Conference All-Star squad for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida.

October 22, 2012: Lesley McCaslin Named Sideline Reporter

On October 22, 2012, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that Lesley McCaslin would be the new sideline reporter.

October 27, 2012: Trade of James Harden

On October 27, 2012, the Thunder traded James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, first-round draft picks from Toronto and Dallas, and one second-round draft pick.

2013: Settlement Payment to Seattle (Hypothetical)

In 2013, a $30 million payment was due to Seattle as part of the settlement agreement if certain conditions had been met.

July 21, 2014: Long Leaves TV Color Commentator Role

On July 21, 2014, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that Long would not return as the TV color commentator on Fox Sports Oklahoma.

September 17, 2014: Michael Cage Becomes New Color Analyst

On September 17, 2014, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that Michael Cage, a 15-year NBA veteran, would be the new color analyst, joining Brian Davis on television and Matt Pinto on the radio when the game is exclusive to a national television broadcast.

April 22, 2015: Scott Brooks Fired as Head Coach

On April 22, 2015, Scott Brooks was fired as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

April 30, 2015: Billy Donovan Hired as Head Coach

On April 30, 2015, Billy Donovan was hired as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, marking his first major NBA coaching job.

July 4, 2016: Kevin Durant Joins the Warriors

On July 4, 2016, Kevin Durant announced his decision to join the Golden State Warriors, a move that was heavily criticized by the public and sports media.

August 4, 2016: Westbrook Agrees to Contract Extension

On August 4, 2016, Russell Westbrook agreed to a three-year contract extension to remain with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

April 2, 2017: Westbrook Ties Robertson's Triple-Double Record

On April 2, 2017, Russell Westbrook tied Oscar Robertson's record for most triple-doubles in an NBA season with 41.

July 6, 2017: Thunder Acquire Paul George

On July 6, 2017, the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Paul George in a trade with the Indiana Pacers.

September 29, 2017: Russell Westbrook Signs Extension

On September 29, 2017, Russell Westbrook signed a five-year contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

July 6, 2018: Paul George Re-Signs with Thunder

On July 6, 2018, Paul George re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

July 2018: Thunder Trade Carmelo Anthony

In July 2018, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Carmelo Anthony and a 2022 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-way trade, acquiring Dennis Schröder and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot.

March 20, 2019: Nick Collison's Jersey Retired

On March 20, 2019, the Oklahoma City Thunder officially retired number 4 in honor of Nick Collison, who played for the team from 2003 to 2018.

July 10, 2019: Thunder Trade Paul George

On July 10, 2019, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, receiving Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and future first-round draft picks in return.

November 11, 2020: Mark Daigneault Hired as Head Coach

On November 11, 2020, Mark Daigneault was promoted from assistant coach to become the new head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

April 20, 2021: Chesapeake Energy terminates naming rights deal.

On April 20, 2021, Chesapeake Energy terminated its naming rights deal for the arena as part of its corporate restructuring, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to search for a new sponsor while the arena retained its name.

May 1, 2021: Thunder Suffer Largest Home Loss in NBA History

On May 1, 2021, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost at home to the Indiana Pacers by 57 points, with a score of 152–95. This was the largest regular-season home loss in NBA history.

July 27, 2021: Paycom Acquires Naming Rights

On July 27, 2021, it was announced that Paycom acquired the naming rights for the arena for a 15-year period, renaming it Paycom Center.

August 6, 2021: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Signs Contract Extension

On August 6, 2021, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a 5-year maximum contract extension worth $172 million with the Oklahoma City Thunder. On the same day, Kemba Walker was waived after agreeing to a buy-out.

December 2, 2021: Thunder Suffer Largest Loss in NBA History

On December 2, 2021, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost on the road to the Memphis Grizzlies by 73 points, with a score of 79–152, marking the largest loss in NBA history.

August 25, 2022: Chet Holmgren to Miss Season Due to Injury

On August 25, 2022, it was announced that Chet Holmgren would miss the entire 2022–23 NBA season due to a Lisfranc injury in his foot.

September 12, 2023: Oklahoma City Announces Plans for New Downtown Arena

On September 12, 2023, Oklahoma City announced plans to build a new downtown arena for the Thunder at a cost of at least $900 million, with an estimated opening in 2029. The team's owner requested the city provide most of the funding.

December 2023: Oklahoma City Voters Approve Funding for New Arena

In December 2023, Oklahoma City voters approved paying at least $850 million of the cost for a new stadium, while the team would pay $50 million. This agreement was criticized by economics professor J.C. Bradbury.

January 2024: Thunder reach agreement with Griffin Media to air games

In January 2024, due to the bankruptcy of Bally Sports' parent company, Diamond Sports Group, the Oklahoma City Thunder reached an agreement with Griffin Media to air a package of eight Friday night games on local over-the-air stations within the team's territory during the remainder of the 2023–24 NBA season.