OKC Thunder Set to Break Unusual Streak Next Season

Oklahoma City is fresh off an NBA championship, which means it will get a chance to do something it hasn’t done in nearly a decade.

Over the past few years, the Thunder have gone from a young rebuilding squad to a young team that has taken over the NBA. After winning their first NBA title, the Thunder have all summer to celebrate.

Of course, the NBA calendar won’t simply allow the Thunder to enjoy their title forever, with next season set to begin in October. Game 1 of 82 next season will mark the first chapter of the Thunder’s existence as NBA champions.

That season opener will also be the Thunder’s ring night, with Oklahoma City’s championship squad getting one last honor and seeing the championship banner for the first time. Obviously, that matchup will be inside Paycom Center with Thunder fans getting a chance to soak in the title win one last time before tipping off another exciting season.

While the ring night itself will be historic, the Thunder will finally break an unfortunate streak. By playing the season opener at home, the Thunder will have their first home season opener since the 2017-18 season.

The Thunder’s past seven season openers have all come on the road. Stretching from the final year of the Russell Westbrook era to last season’s championship campaign, the Thunder have begun their season away from home for nearly a decade.

That streak is easily the longest in the league, with every other team opening the season at home at least once in the past five years. Add in the Thunder’s expected return to Christmas Day and rising toward the top of nationally televised games, and they should be among the premier squads again next season, and it only took winning a championship for the NBA to realize it.

Over the next few years, it will be hard to deny that the Thunder are deserving of immense national attention. As a likely perennial title contender with a ring already won, the Thunder won’t be leaving the national spotlight anytime soon, and they almost certainly won’t have to wait another seven years to get another season opener on their home floor.