Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder is a professional basketball franchise of the North American basketball league NBA. The team is based in the capital city of the State of Oklahoma Oklahoma City and carries their games in Chesapeake Energy Arena from.
The franchise was founded in 1967 under the name Seattle SuperSonics and took the start of the 1967/68 season on the game mode. After the 2007/ 08 season, the franchise moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City and renamed themselves.
History
The time in Seattle (1967 to 2008)
The Seattle SuperSonics were founded in 1967 and was Seattle's first professional basketball team. They won their only NBA championship in 1979. The team was between 2001 and 2006 the founder and president of the Starbucks coffee shop chain, Howard Schultz.
Moving from Seattle to Oklahoma City (since 2008)
Since August 2005 Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans, Louisiana wreaked enormous damage, the New Orleans Hornets played during the 2005/ 06 and 2006/ 07 season in Oklahoma City. The Hornets wore during this period of their home games at the Ford Center. Due to the great support of the residents of the city and good attendance was David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, think that Oklahoma City would be an excellent place for an NBA franchise.
In July 2006, the former owner Howard Schultz sold the Seattle SuperSonics for 350 million U.S. dollars to an investment group led by Clay Bennett of Oklahoma City. Bennet demanded support from the city of Seattle to build a new arena or renovate the KeyArena, otherwise he would relocate the franchise shortly after the purchase of the franchise. Due to lack of support from the city of Seattle Bennett announced in November 2007 that the franchise will relocate to Oklahoma City. Due to a running until 2010 use agreement for the KeyArena it came in June 2008 to a lawsuit between Bennett and the city of Seattle. It was finally agreed that Bennett will pay 45 million U.S. dollars to the city of Seattle for the termination of the contract and another 30 million if Seattle 2013 has not a new team. Thus a move nothing stood in the way to Oklahoma City. The name SuperSonics and team colors will remain in Seattle. The banner and trophy after winning the Cup in 1979 will be alternately located in Oklahoma City and in Seattle. Should Seattle get an expansion team, the two cities will "share" the history of the Sonics. On 3 September 2008, the team name, logo and colors of the team were presented.
Sporting history ( since 2008)
In the 2008 /09 season, the Thunder with a year earlier gedrafteten young stars Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and rookie Russell Westbrook had one of the youngest teams in the NBA. In this phase of rebuilding the team started poorly in his first NBA season. Then head coach PJ Carlesimo was fired. For him, Scott Brooks took over the post of coach. The playoffs were indeed missed the athletic development of Durant and Westbrook did well for the future hope. When NBA Draft 2009, the Thunder coated with James Harden another talent, which should strengthen the team next to Durant and Westbrook. A year later, the Thunder qualified for the playoffs, but eliminated against the favored Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Kevin Durant won the title of the NBA Top Scorers and was appointed the first Thunder player in the NBA All -Star Game.
In the 2010/11 season, the Thunder in the NBA had established. Durant and Westbrook were nominated for her performance in the NBA All Star Game. In the middle of the season, the Thunder Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Boston Celtics gave off. Once again, the team qualified for the playoffs. After playoff victories against the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies, the Thunder were the first time in the Western Conference Finals. There they faced the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder lost the series with 1:4 and Dallas moved into the NBA Finals, which also won Dallas.
In the 2011/12 season the Thunder met in the first round of the playoffs once again to the Mavericks. The Thunder won the series 4-0 games. After the Thunder won in the Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 in games, they still defeated in the Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs, despite the initial 0:2 residue with 4:2 and thus were in the NBA Finals in 2012 against the Miami Heat. The Thunder lost 1:4 against the Miami Heat, who were able to win the second title of her team history.
The following season, on March 6, 2013 home game against the LA Lakers Thunder underwent only two turnovers, which they set the NBA record. With a narrow margin against the San Antonio Spurs they could first secure first place in the Western Conference. The season 2012/13 ended the Thunder topped the Western Conference with 60 wins and 22 defeats. In the first round of the playoffs the Thunder met the Houston Rockets with former Thunder players James Harden. Against Houston, the Thunder put 4-2 victories through, but guard Russell Westbrook suffered a meniscus tear and could not intervene. In the following round, the Thunder came to Memphis and the Memphis Grizzlies were beaten with 1:4 victories.
Current squad
Honors and significant achievements
Statistics
PJ Carlesimo was the first head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. After the team had lost 12 of the first 13 games, he was replaced by Scott Brooks.