The history of the Oklahoma City Thunder

The history of the Oklahoma City Thunder is a story of relocation, rapid growth, and the development of one of the NBA’s most exciting young franchises. And the online betting Zambia website 1xBet has wagers on all matches of this team too.

Although the Thunder name debuted in 2008, the organization’s roots extend back to the founding of the Seattle SuperSonics in 1967. The SuperSonics enjoyed decades of success in Seattle, highlighted by an NBA championship in 1979 and memorable eras led by stars such as Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and later Ray Allen. With the 1xBet Zambia online betting website you can also wager on who will win the NBA championship too.

However, disputes over arena funding and ownership changes eventually set the stage for a
significant move.

Keeping the team alive

In 2006, businessman Clay Bennett and his ownership group purchased the SuperSonics with the stated intention of keeping the team in Seattle, provided a new arena deal could be reached. Make sure to go to 1xbet.com.zm/en/live for best live bets on NBA squads.

When negotiations failed, the franchise announced its relocation to Oklahoma City. This was a citythat had previously hosted the New Orleans Hornets temporarily after Hurricane Katrina and had demonstrated strong support for NBA basketball. In 2008, the team officially became the Oklahoma City Thunder. And the 1xBet platform is perfect for your best live bets on this team too.

The early Thunder years were defined by an extraordinary collection of young talent. Kevin Durant, originally drafted by Seattle in 2007, emerged as one of the league’s premier scorers. Under head coach Scott Brooks, this core led the Thunder to rapid success, culminating in an NBA Finals appearance in 2012.

Reshaping the squad

However, roster changes soon reshaped the franchise. Before other reshapes happen, you can
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Harden was traded in 2012, and Durant departed in free agency in 2016. Westbrook carried the team through several seasons of reinvention, earning the 2017 MVP award for his historic triple-double season. By 2019, the Thunder entered a full rebuild, trading Westbrook and Paul George for a massive haul of draft picks.

Under general manager Sam Presti, the team focused on long-term development, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emerging as the new cornerstone. By the early 2020s, the Thunder once again became one of the league’s most promising young teams, blending 3 elements:

• strong drafting;
• patient growth;
• and a loyal Oklahoma City fan base.

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