Stiles Points: NBA Begging Big With OKC Thunder National TV Dates

What a difference a year makes.

Last August, Bricktown was in a frenzy about its lack of National TV dates and omission from the League's biggest showcase games. Devoid of an opening night slot, a spot on Christmas Day or MLK Day. The three tentpoles of the league's 82-game regular season.

Now, the Oklahoma City Thunder are featured on all three of those dates and have 34 games on National TV, tying them for the most such contests in the NBA with the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. Three mega markets and little ol' Oklahoma City in one of the league's smallest.

This is a big bet from the NBA. One that will pay off in the long run.

The reigning Champions deserve the spot on National TV, but you do not have to look into the distant future to realize this isn't guaranteed. The Denver Nuggets, following their 2023 NBA Championship, didn't leap into the top National TV billing. Sure, the Boston Celtics did, but other factors are at play with that historic franchise.

So why gamble on this small market as the league ushers in new media partners, NBC and Amazon, to flank ESPN's coverage?

Not only will the Oklahoma City Thunder once again have the deepest and most talented roster in the league, but it will also soon pull off a rare feat for a small market: Being polarizing.

After rattling off a historic 68-win season a year ago, which included the best cross-conference record in NBA history, the best point differential in league history and a historic defense –– despite poor injury luck –– rostered the MVP, a pair of All-NBA players and bagged its first championship in team history with a roster that is only going to improve it is easy for the NBA to trust the Thunder to put together a good-to-great regular season.

Trust, not only from a talent standpoint, but from their constant 0-0 and one of 82 mentality. The level of importance that this squad places on the regular season is rare nowadays and worth capitalizing on from a league standpoint.

How the NBA will win this bet on the OKC Thunder

Sure, the NBA is in a parity era for the first time in league history, with the last seven winners failing to make it out of the second round the following season. But there is no law against teams repeating.

Even as some fear monger about second aprons and hard caps, the reality remains that for the rest of this decade, the OKC Thunder will be title contenders after locking up superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA forward Jalen Williams and Rising Star Chet Holmgren.

This is a run of success that breeds envy. It has happened to each dynastic run of yesteryear in the NBA. By showcasing Oklahoma City, the league is betting on a multi-year stretch from the Bricktown Ballers that results in them becoming polarizing.

If the OKC Thunder fulfil this prophecy, casual NBA fans will then make a choice. Either jump on the bandwagon and enjoy a historic ride, or grow hate in their hearts for the heartland hoopers. Either way, they'll watch.

While the Golden State Warriors are the gold standard of this, with luck that Kevin Durant joined on during the Summer of 2016, they didn't start out as hated. They didn't start out as polarizing. For die-hard NBA fans, their style of play was always must-watch but for casual hoop heads –– which are ratings drivers for the league. Placating to die-hard fans is a losing proposition as they will watch no matter watch –– it wasn't always appointment viewing. But then they battled LeBron James every year and became an evil empire that could rival the heyday of the New York Yankees.

Half of the casual NBA fans vocalized their disdain for the run-and-gun 3-point style of play, the predictability of the Warriors and Cavs always meeting in June. The marketing shoved down their throats one of the greatest players to ever play the game in Steph Curry. The other half? Became die-hard fans, still packing the Paycom Center hours before games just to watch Curry warm up and don Blue and Yellow despite having a title team in their backyard. That took time and was promoted by the league.

The same thing can –– and will –– happen in Oklahoma City. While they may not rattle off as many Championships as the Warriors (that is hard to pull off), they will draw a real level of interest.

Even this season, everyone wants to see if the Thunder can do it again, or was it a fluke run? Is this truly a parity era in the sport, the likes of which no one roaming the earth has seen? How will Gilgeous-Alexander follow up his historic season? Is Holmgren worthy of the hype? Can Jalen Williams take another step from the third-team All-NBA campaign he put together a year ago? Who are these youngsters on the bench, such as Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, and their bevy of depth? There's no way the Thunder can keep together Isaiah Hartenstein, right? Is this the best defense of all time with Alex Caruso shoulder to shoulder with Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and the paint protection in Bricktown?

Anyone denying this fact already proves the NBA's point. The only reason this bothers you is because you have already built up animosity for Oklahoma City's fresh success. You likely complain about the number of times Gilgeous-Alexander heads to the free-throw line, too. Let me guess, the team's "antics" in post-game interviews infuriate you.

Those feelings –– positively and negatively –– will only grow. That is what the NBA is banking on. It is good for the league and for the Thunder's status within it.

Now all that is left to do is prove it. The OKC Thunder have to turn this potential for a dynastic run into a reality for the NBA to win this wager on a small market club.

Song of the Day: Friend of the Devil by the Grateful Dead