From Here, OKC Thunder Will Only Grow in Popularity

We're approaching a month removed from the Oklahoma City Thunder capturing its first NBA championship, yet the franchise is still staying in the spotlight. That's been clear this week.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Best Male Athlete and NBA Player of the Year at the ESPYs on Wednesday, giving him two prestigious awards to represent his spectacular campaign from last season. The list of other nominees included the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and Philadelphia Eagles' Saquon Barkley — three of the biggest names across all sports.

“To achieve your dreams, it takes a village, and my village has been nothing short of special since the start of this journey," Gilgeous-Alexander said after receiving the award.

That same day, renderings of Oklahoma City's new nearly $1 billion stadium were released. Once the project is fully finished, it'll rank as one of the most advanced in the country. That will help make the city a more attractive market, despite it being on the smaller side of NBA markets.

With how young the Thunder's core is, this is just the start of a long-term era that could lead to more than just one championship. Gilgeous-Alexander is on a new level of superstardom that rivals any other player in the league, while Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are equally becoming more widely known names.

The arena is an investment in the potential the franchise holds. Through the end of the decade — and even a good chunk of the 2030s — Oklahoma City will be a premier team in the NBA. With that, the high price tag for the arena and the Thunder talent should surely pay off.

The 2024-25 season might've just been the baseline for the Thunder. Maybe that's an exagerration, but the sky is truly limit for it moving forward.