Ayrton Oneill
The Oklahoma City Thunder, often abbreviated to OKC, is an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City, competing in the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Western Conference. The franchise originated in 1967 as the Seattle SuperSonics, but the team relocated to Oklahoma City and rebranded as the Thunder in 2008. The Thunder's NBA G League affiliate is the Oklahoma City Blue, and the team plays its home games at the Paycom Center.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Form | Oklahoma City |
| Basketball Team | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Team Base | Oklahoma City |
| Team Arena | Paycom Center |
| Team Conference | Western Conference |
| Team Division | Northwest Division |
| Team Uniforms | White "Association", Blue "Icon", Sunset Orange "Statement", Black and Gold "City", Black and Blue "City" |
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What You'll Learn
The Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team
OKC stands for Oklahoma City, which is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City Thunder is the city's National Basketball Association (NBA) team. The Thunder are an American professional basketball team that compete in the NBA as part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the Paycom Center and is the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the state of Oklahoma.
The Thunder were originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967-68 season. The SuperSonics moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in July 2008 after a settlement was reached between the ownership group and lawmakers in Seattle following a lawsuit. The owners agreed to leave the SuperSonics name, logo, colours, banners, trophies, and records in Seattle for a possible future NBA franchise. However, these items would remain the property of the Oklahoma City team until a new Seattle team was established. On September 3, 2008, the team name "Thunder" was chosen, referring to Oklahoma's location in Tornado Alley and Oklahoma City as the home of the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division, the Thunderbirds.
The Thunder won their first division title in the 2010-11 season and their first Western Conference championship in the 2011-12 season, appearing in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in franchise history and the first time since 1996 when the team was based in Seattle. They returned to the NBA Finals in 2025 and won their first NBA championship since relocating to Oklahoma City, defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games.
The Thunder's NBA G League affiliate is the Oklahoma City Blue, which it owns. The team has had notable players such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George. They have also made significant trades, including acquiring guard Dennis Schröder and forward Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot in a three-way trade with the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers in July 2018. The Thunder's uniforms have undergone several changes over the years, incorporating different colours and designs, with the "OKC" acronym prominently featured on many of them.
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OKC is the abbreviation for Oklahoma City
OKC is indeed the abbreviation for Oklahoma City. In basketball, it most commonly refers to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City, which competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The Thunder is the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the state of Oklahoma.
The Thunder was established in 1967 as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967–68 season. The SuperSonics enjoyed success in the late 1970s, winning an NBA championship in 1979. However, due to financial challenges and arena issues in Seattle, the team relocated to Oklahoma City and was rebranded as the Thunder in 2008. The name "Thunder" was chosen by fans from a preselected list of possibilities, and the team's new logo featured a basketball and the letters "OKC" across the front.
The Thunder's uniforms have evolved over the years, with the OKC abbreviation featured prominently on various designs. The team's current uniforms include the white "Association" uniform, the blue "Icon" uniform, and the sunset orange "Statement" uniform. The OKC abbreviation can be found on the beltline of the "Association" and "Icon" uniforms, as well as on the front of the "Statement" uniform.
The abbreviation OKC is also used in the context of the Will Rogers World Airport, serving Oklahoma City. The airport's IATA abbreviation is OKC, further reinforcing the association of the letters OKC with Oklahoma City.
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OKC Thunder uniforms
OKC stands for Oklahoma City, which is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City Thunder is the city's National Basketball Association (NBA) team. The Thunder compete in the NBA as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference.
The Oklahoma City Thunder has had several uniforms over the years, with different designs and colour schemes. The team's uniforms have traditionally featured a mix of sunset orange, navy blue, and white colours. Here is a detailed look at some of the notable OKC Thunder uniforms:
2015–2016 Season
The Thunder unveiled a third alternate uniform in 2015, featuring a sunset-coloured base with navy panels on the sides. The Oklahoma City abbreviation, "OKC," was displayed in navy block letters trimmed in white. The player names were positioned below the numbers on the back of the jersey, and the shorts showcased the Thunder partial logo on each leg.
2017–2019: Nike Era
When the Thunder moved to Nike in 2017, they retained their existing white ("Association") and blue ("Icon") uniforms with minor tweaks. The "OKC" abbreviation was featured on the beltline, and the shoulder stripes were truncated.
2019–2020 Season
For the 2019–2020 season, the Thunder introduced new uniform designs. The white "Association" uniform featured the city name "Oklahoma City" in front, along with the outline of the state of Oklahoma on the beltline. The blue "Icon" uniform displayed the team name, "Thunder," on the front while keeping the "OKC" acronym on the beltline.
2020–2021 Season
The Thunder's "City" uniform for the 2020–2021 season featured a black base with splashes of their signature blue and orange colours. The uniform highlighted the state name, "Oklahoma," in front as an homage to the state.
2021–2022 Season
The Thunder's "City" uniform for the 2021–2022 season combined elements from their previous and current uniforms. It featured a white and grey colour scheme with vertically arranged "OKC" lettering on the right chest. The uniform also incorporated the generic logo that the Thunder first used in 2008 on the waist.
2022–2023 Season
The Thunder's "City" uniform for the 2022–2023 season featured a black base with blue letters and red, orange, and white accents, honouring the people of Oklahoma.
2023–2024 Season
The latest "City" uniform for the 2023–2024 season features a black and blue base with orange "OKC" lettering and gold numbers. It includes sublimated images of various Thunder logos and wordmarks, paying tribute to the city's renaissance.
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Thunder's NBA G League affiliate
The Oklahoma City Blue are the NBA G League affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue are a professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City and they compete in the NBA G League as members of the Western Conference. The Blue play their home games at the Paycom Center, sharing an arena with the Thunder.
The Thunder are the sole affiliate of the Blue. The Thunder own full control of the team's business and basketball operations. The Blue are one of the oldest surviving NBA G League champions, having won consecutive league championships in 2004 and 2005 as the Asheville Altitude. The franchise relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, after facing poor attendance, and played as the Tulsa 66ers for nine seasons before relocating to Oklahoma City and becoming the Oklahoma City Blue.
The Thunder were originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA in the 1967-68 season. The SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in July 2008, becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder participated in the Orlando Pro Summer League, featuring their second-year players, potential free agents, and rookies. The Thunder selected guard Devon Hall and forward Kevin Hervey in the 2018 NBA draft, with Hervey signing with their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.
The NBA G League, previously known as the National Basketball Development League or NBA Development League, is the NBA's official minor league. It serves as a developmental league for players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front office staff. The league began in 2001 with eight teams and has since expanded, with all teams now being single-affiliated or owned by an NBA team, except for the independent Mexico City Capitanes.
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Thunder's rich history
OKC stands for Oklahoma City, which is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City Thunder is the city's National Basketball Association (NBA) team.
The Thunders' Rich History
The Oklahoma City Thunder is an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Paycom Center. The Thunder are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the state of Oklahoma.
The Thunder were originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967–68 season. The SuperSonics moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008, after a settlement was reached between the ownership group led by Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle following a lawsuit. In 2006, a group of Oklahoma-based investors, headed by Clay Bennett, purchased the Seattle SuperSonics from Howard Schultz. After the new owners were unable to secure public funding to build a new arena, they relocated the franchise to Oklahoma City.
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. The team's first season in Oklahoma was in 2008–09, and they qualified for their first playoff berth in the 2009–10 season. They won their first division title in the 2010–11 season and their first Western Conference championship in the 2011–12 season, appearing in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in franchise history. The Thunder lost the series to the Miami Heat, 4–1.
The Thunder have had several notable players throughout their history, including Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. In the 2009–10 season, the team had several victories over the NBA's elite teams, including a 28-point win over the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic and a 16-point win over the reigning NBA champion, the Los Angeles Lakers. Kevin Durant became the youngest player in league history to win the scoring title, averaging 30.1 points per game.
The Thunder returned to the NBA Finals in 2025 and defeated the Indiana Pacers to win their first NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma City. The franchise's titles now include one NBA title in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics and one in 2025 as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Frequently asked questions
OKC stands for Oklahoma City, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
The full name of the basketball team is the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Oklahoma City Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference.
The Thunder were originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1967. The SuperSonics moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in July 2008 and were rebranded as the Thunder.
