The Oklahoma City Thunder are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Thunder faithful gave the team the welcome they deserved after clinching a 2024 playoff berth.
The Thunder secured their spot in the playoffs over a week ago after the team beat the New York Knicks on March 31. But it was only on Sunday — after the Thunder’s five-game Eastern road trip — that fans got a chance to congratulate the team for their success.
Oklahoma City Thunder Fans Continue Tradition Of Greeting Playoff-Bound Team At Airport
On Sunday, Thunder fans came out in droves at Will Rogers World Airport to greet the Thunder after flying in from Charlotte following a 121-118 win over the Hornets.
Though the team flies on the team’s chartered jet and arrives in a private hangar, fans have always been welcome to wait for the team to arrive behind a familiar chain link fence. The players always make it a point to get up close and personal with the OKC faithful for showing them love.
The OKC Thunder tradition started 14 long years ago, when the franchise clinched its first ever playoff berth. The 2009-10 Thunder finished 50-22 but finished just 8th in a crowded Western Conference. The Kevin Durant-led roster famously had their epic 6-game series against the eventual-champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Window Is Now Open
OKC has been in the top-5 in both offensive and defensive rating throughout most of the season. Their +6.3 point differential also ranks 3rd in the NBA behind the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets. Those metrics have often been solid indicators of whether or not a team is a legitimate contender.
The Thunder are by no means the favorites to win this year’s title. But the opportunity is there for them to gain valuable playoff experience in their first season as bona fide contenders.
And just like they did this season, they could very well demolish the expectations others have of the team as currently constructed. If things break right in the postseason, there’s a very real chance the Thunder could be the last team standings before anybody expected them to even be in the conversation.
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