Fifteen years ago, an enthusiastic crowd gathered in Oklahoma City to see the name and logo of its new NBA franchise.
There was no shortage of excitement in Leadership Square on Sept. 3, 2008, as the Oklahoma City community was ready to embrace its newest team. They would be the first of many to see the Oklahoma City Thunder and their logo, which has become a globally recognizable brand.
The Thunder’s radio voice, Matt Pinto, hosted the event and was joined on stage by three other speakers: chairman Clay Bennett, GM Sam Presti and head coach P.J. Carlesimo. While two of the three still have their fingerprints on Thunder basketball today, Carlesimo’s tenure in Oklahoma City lasted only 13 games.
However, Carlesimo did have high praise for the fans in Oklahoma City. After Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Hornets temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City while Carlesimo was an assistant coach in San Antonio.
“I can tell you from sitting on the opposite bench in Ford, it was not a lot of fun coming in here when New Orleans was here,” Carlesimo said. “It’s gonna be a lot more fun sitting on the correct bench with the white uniforms and representing our team.”
In the 15 years since, Oklahoma City has held a reputation for being one of the toughest places to play in the league, especially in the playoffs. Although the Thunder have had abundant success in “Loud City” over the years, their goal was always to be a premier franchise regardless of where they played.
“We’re just grateful to be able to represent this community and to have a logo that we’re hoping becomes synonymous with things that we want our basketball team to be,” Presti said. “Which is a team that’s represented by work ethic, professionalism and community itself.”
To reveal the logo, Thunder players Damien Wilkens and Desmond Mason joined some young fans on the stage as the moment neared. With “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC playing in the background, the curtain was dropped, and the Thunder were officially unveiled.
The Thunder will soon enter their 16th season with a team that could be just as exciting as the first iteration of Thunder basketball. While there have been many challenges throughout the years, Oklahoma City has consistently rallied around its team just as it did for the first time on this day in September 2008.
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