Oklahoma City National Basketball Association Thunder

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Skyline in 2010


NBA in Oklahoma City: Making the Pitch

Published: Tueday, March 25, 2008 12:00 AM

Oklahoma City's sales pitch to get an NBA team has an audience today as league Commissioner David Stern and members of the relocation committee visit to get the official pitch from team owners and city leaders. The Oklahoma City-based ownership group of the Seattle SuperSonics has filed for relocation to Oklahoma City. The committee will make a recommendation to the NBA Board of Governors, which will vote on the proposal next month...

Credit Mayor Mick Cornett with the initial pitch to bring the NBA Supersonics to Oklahoma City.  Then NBA Commissioner David Stern often referred to Mayor Cornett as 'the mayor who wouldn't go away.'  

OKC Mayor Ron Norick attempted to bring the NHL to Oklahoma City in the 1997 NHL expansion derby; Norick was told to get a press conference ready on Friday for the following Monday.  Columbus, OH with some last minute maneuvers managed to secure the final NHL expansion spot for Ohio's capital city.

Oklahoma City NHL expansion entry had it been successful, would have been called the Oklahoma Redhawks.  Then OKC Mayor Norick pushed Oklahoma City-Tulsa as a television market that would served 2 million TV households.

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets take on the Phoenix Suns on April 6, 2007 during the team's second and final season in Oklahoma City as witnessed by more than 19,123 fans packed into the Ford Center Arena.  The franchise average 18,066 fans the last year OKC hosted the Hornets.

NHL in OKC

Oklahoma City had flirted with professional sports before when they unsuccessfully tried to lure a National Hockey League expansion team in the 1990s. But in June 1997, they were told no, because the television market was too small.

NBA Relocation to OKC

Mayor Mick Cornett, along with officials from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, announced this afternoon the start of a campaign to support the March 4 'MAPS for HOOPS' sales tax initiative to pay for improvements at the Ford Center.

Cornett has said the city will not get an NBA team without voting in favor of the sales tax.

The chamber will fund the campaign, which will be called Citizens for a Big League City.

The 15-month sales tax would pay for about $100 million in improvements to the Ford Center, which included $10 million for an NBA practice facility.

Former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick used that knowledge to lay out a vision about how to improve Oklahoma City's downtown and its overall image.  The task force was charged with finding out how to make the vision a reality.    Brick and mortar projects the task force studied included new sports stadiums and arenas, a renovated convention center and riverfront developments.  The projects became known as MAPS, short for Metropolitan Area Projects.

Officials pitched a $254 million, sales-tax funded MAPS proposal to voters as a way to revitalize downtown and make the country take notice of Oklahoma City. Projects included were a new baseball park, a new sports arena, convention center renovations and expansion, a downtown canal, State Fair Park renovations, civic center renovations, a new downtown library, river construction and a downtown transit system.

A December election was called to enact a five-year penny sales tax to fund the projects.  Voter turnout was strong. The MAPS sales tax passed with 54 percent of the vote. At an election watch party, Norick told supporters: "Oklahoma City, welcome to the big leagues." City Councilman Jack Cornett added: "I think we were either going to fall back or go ahead.  We had to win it for the future of Oklahoma City."   In coming years as penny sales tax revenue collections came in, city officials began planning the projects.

Voter turnout was strong. The MAPS sales tax passed with 54 percent of the vote. At an election watch party, Norick told supporters: "Oklahoma City, welcome to the big leagues." City Councilman Jack Cornett added: "I think we were either going to fall back or go ahead. We had to win it for the future of Oklahoma City." In coming years as penny sales tax revenue collections came in, city officials began planning the projects.

What is now the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark opened to rave reviews as 14,066 fans watched the Oklahoma RedHawks lose to the Edmonton Trappers. Despite the loss, players and fans alike complimented the new ballpark for its amenities, intimacy and location. Before the game, a statue of Mickey Mantle outside the ballpark was dedicated to the Yankees legend and native Oklahoman. The ballpark remains the home of the Dodgers.

    The quality of the ballpark influenced voters to approve the additional extension vote to complete what is now the Chesapeake Energy Arena and a    
            few remaining  projects in MAPS I.  

[Laramie]

Oklahoma's Major League Sports Market




44 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma  Number of TV Households (755,340) Fox Oklahoma
61 - Tulsa, Oklahoma  Number of TV Households (552,980) Fox Oklahoma 
       Combined Market OKC-TUL (1,308,320) Fox Oklahoma

Return of Oklahoma City's Thunder Alley



Future is bright for Thunder Alley Entertainment


18,203 pack 'The Peake' as Oklahoma City has become an NBA's small market success.

[Laramie]

Effect of Thunder on Oklahoma City



How having a professional basketball team in a city provides long and short term benefits

Link:  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/813c17d082bb4df690a274ff4ae21db4

[Laramie]

NBA's six smallest markets

(Markets under 2 million MSA Populations.)

Milwaukee, WI - MSA Population 1,577,550 TV Homes (921,920) Urban Population - 587,721
Oklahoma City, OK - MSA Population 1,439,640 - TV Homes (755,340) Urban Population - 669,347
Memphis, TN - MSA Population 1,353,140 TV Homes (619,610) Urban Population - 651,011
New Orleans, LA - MSA Population 1,271,320 - TV Homes (663,520) Urban Population - 641,620
Salt Lake City, UT - MSA Population 1,260,730 TV Homes (1,100,260*) Urban Population - 200,831

Nielsen's 210 Market Rankings for 2021:  https://mediatracks.com/resources/nielsen-dma-rankings-2021/

Fox Oklahoma airs in OKC-TUL has a combined 1,308,320 TV Homes.
*Utah TV homes counts the whole state.

[Laramie]

Thunder @ Cavaliers
Sunday, February 21
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland
Fox Sports Oklahoma, 6 p.m.

[Laramie]

NBA G League update...



NBA G League Standings 2021 - https://www.espn.com/nba-g-league/standings

          February 11
          Oklahoma City 118
          Salt Lake City 84

          February 12
          G League Ignite 109
          Oklahoma City 103

          February 14
          Canton 110
          Oklahoma City 141

          February 16
          Oklahoma City 112
          Fort Wayne 105

          February 17
          Oklahoma City 120
          Memphis 106

          February 19
          Lakeland 113
          Oklahoma City 115

     
      Ty Jerome's floater beats Lakeland.

[Laramie]

Heat @ Thunder
Monday, February 22
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City
Fox Sports Oklahoma, 8 p.m.

[Laramie]

MAPS 4 proposal for Chesapeake would prolong life of arena, backers say

An estimated $115 million would go toward Chesapeake and the Thunder's practice facility in northwest Oklahoma City. If sales tax revenue meets projections, the arena would receive about $104 million, with the rest going to the practice facility.

          • An expansion of the 300 seating level, known as Loud City, to give the upper deck fans     
            some of the same amenities as those below, mostly more space to congregate and some
            sit-down dining options. More restrooms and elevators are part of the plan.

          • An outdoor patio on the second level.

          • Replacing all the original seats on every level.

          • Installing a new scoreboard with a 34-foot by 19-foot video board. The video board
             in place is 20 feet by 10 feet. Video monitors would be placed above seating tunnels.



A better Loud City   https://stories.usatodaynetwork.com/maps4/maps-4-proposal-for-chesapeake-would-prolong-life-of-arena/

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Arena Naming Rights


Above pic is a placeholder, taken from the OKCTalk.com website.

Chesapeake Energy signed a 12-year deal in 2011 with the Thunder to have naming rights to the arena. It cost the company $3 million over the first season and increased by 3% each year after, according to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who receive naming rights proceeds. The deal is currently scheduled to expire after the 2022-23 season.

Tom & Judy Love who owns Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores are among the sponsorship groups of the Oklahoma City Thunder who may throw their company's name in the bidding process in 2023.

Arena Naming Rights for what is now the Chesapeake Energy Arena will be up for bid.  Here are some selected companies who might be interested in the bidding process based on their NBA Oklahoma City Thunder sponsorships:

    Express Services, Oklahoma City
    Hobby Lobby, Oklahoma City
    Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, Oklahoma City
    Sonic, Oklahoma City
    MidFirst Bank, Oklahoma City
    Paycom, Oklahoma City
    Devon Energy, Oklahoma City
    OGE Energy, Oklahoma City
    American Fidelity Assurance Oklahoma City
    Enable Midstream Partners, Oklahoma City
    Mathis Brothers Furniture, Oklahoma City
    BancFirst, Oklahoma City
    Continental Resources, Oklahoma City

    Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Tulsa
    Williams, Tulsa
    BOK Financial, Tulsa
    ONEOK, Tulsa
    Flintco, Tulsa

The above list was taken from 100 Largest Oklahoma companies:  https://www.zippia.com/advice/largest-companies-in-oklahoma/
The above companies have advertised on Fox Oklahoma Thunder game broadcast/telecasts on radio and television.

Others:

    Hertz Car Rental, Oklahoma City
    Enterprise Car Rental, Oklahoma City
    WinStar World Casino and Resort, Thackerville
    Riverwind Casino, Norman
    Lucky Star Casino, Oklahoma
    Thunderbird Casino, Norman
     Remington Park Racetrack & Casino, Oklahoma City

[Laramie]

Thunder's February 26 game against Atlanta



Thunder & Hawks make NBA History with uniform change at half-time.



Thunder changed into their road whites after the first half.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Thunder wore orange, the Hawks wore red and the lack of contrast on the court became a problem that had to be solved.

So Oklahoma City, the home team Friday night (02/06/2021), ditched the orange and changed into its white uniforms at halftime.

Call it a lack of communication.

"The Hawks are wearing the incorrect uniform color for the game," a Thunder spokesman told The Oklahoman. "The league process of inputting uniform colors should have caught the orange/red combo, but because the Hawks only have red uniforms on the trip the Thunder will switch to white at the half."

Oklahoma City led 63-55 at the break and went on to win 118-109.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City's Road to the National Basketball Association, revisited.

Mark Cuban prefers Sonics in Seattle, not Oklahoma City:

"My prejudice is against having a Dust Bowl Division in this part of the country," Cuban told The Oklahoman. "I don't think in the big picture that helps the NBA. I think a bigger market helps the NBA.

Cuban downplayed any possible impact a franchise in Oklahoma City would have on his bottom line and said that isn't a factor in his opposition to the SuperSonics' relocation.

"From an NBA perspective, they're all NBA fans," Cuban said. "It's not going to take any money out of my pocket. It's not like I'm not selling out every game anyway. It's not like people are going to come from Oklahoma City."

Paul Allen and Mark Cuban were the only owners to vote against the relocation move of the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City.  The only owners that care about these fans and the city of Seattle in the NBA.  If Paul Allen voted for the move, he would have been crucified up here in Seattle.

Three members of the NBA relocation committee visited Oklahoma City in 2008 to tour the Ford Center and watch a presentation from city officials. Commissioner David Stern said those three members would recommend approval of the move

Did the NBA help boost Oklahoma City's image?

         Oklahoma City's image gets a boost with Hornets' success...

The temporary relocation of the New Orleans Hornets following Hurricane Katrina to Oklahoma City gave the Sooner capital city a chance to audition for a possible future expansion or relocation franchise.   There were others cities vying for an NBA franchise like Louisville and Kansas City, who lost out to New Orleans when the Hornets left Charlotte for popular French port city.  New Orleans Arena opened in 1999, a construction cost price tag of $114 million with an NBA basketball seating capacity of 16,867.

Wall Street Journal Online: A 600-word story details an array of sports writers who think Oklahoma City is too good a home for the Hornets to leave. The news service is read by corporate executives worldwide.

New York Times/International Herald Tribune: A 1,340 word cover story details Oklahoma City's transformation the last decade into a major league city. The publications are considered among the most prestigious in the world and are read by corporate executives and civic leaders.

Ford Center Renovations:

"Mayor Cornett and the city have taken a visionary and appropriate step towards becoming an NBA city," Bennett said. "I applaud their leadership."

The improvements to the Ford Center would be funded by a temporary sales tax to be collected beginning January 1, 2009 — the day after the MAPS for Kids penny sales tax expires.   Then OKC Mayor Mick Cornett said the tax would likely last one year to 15 months and pay for about $100 million worth of improvements. The Ford Center cost about $92 million to build.

"With the Hornets, we saw a total economic impact between $65 and $70 million during their two-year stay," Hamm said. "Regardless of whether you're an NBA fan or sports fan at all, having our own major league team in Oklahoma City expands business growth, development and opportunity across the city."

Cornett said he knows getting the proposal passed will be a fight, but it's one he believes city leaders can win.

2008:  Oklahoma City's plan to fund Ford Center upgrades:

         Oklahoma City voters approve $100 million in arena upgrades to lure NBA team

Oklahoma City voters approved a sales tax extension $100 million in improvements to a downtown arena and build a practice facility in hopes
luring an NBA team.

The plan calls for a one-penny sales tax to be extended by 15 months to pay for $122 million in upgrades to the Ford Center that included $20 million
for a brand new NBA practice facility.  Note:  Sales tax collections in March 2008 fell shot of expected goals, however low bids along with some  
downgrades helped bring both projects to fruition.  Ninety million was budgeted for the arena upgrades and $10 million was used to build the practice facility.  
Original plans called for a warm up gym type facility to be build inside the Ford Center; the team indicated that the gym wasn't needed and it was scrapped
from the budget.

MAPS for HOOPS campaign...

Oklahoma City voters on overwhelmingly embraced a $120 million tax package aimed at luring the team as that city's first major-league sports franchise.
More than 60 percent of Oklahoma City voters favored the 15-month, one-cent sales tax to fix up the city's Ford Center arena and build a new NBA practice facility, according to unofficial final returns from the Oklahoma County Election Board.

The proposal received support from 44,849 voters, or 62 per cent of those who cast ballots, according to final results from the Oklahoma County Election Board.

The city council and the chamber of commerce, which backed a campaign promoting the vote as a way to become a "Big League City."

The Oklahoma vote was aimed at sending a powerful signal to the NBA Board of Governors.


.

[Laramie]

Thunder become first NBA team to prohibit fans for entire season due to COVID-19:  https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/thunder_become_first_nba_team_to_prohibit_fans_for_entire_season_due_to_covid_19/s1_13132_34248767

Disappointed that Oklahoma City didn't allow some percentage of fan capacity into the arena.  We usually follow what our neighboring NBA franchises are doing:


              Dallas Mavericks    Dallas, TX    American Airlines Center    Yes    1,500 (7.8%)
              Houston Rockets    Houston, TX    Toyota Center    Yes    4,500 (25%)
              Memphis Grizzlies    Memphis, TN    FedEx Forum    Yes
              New Orleans Pelicans    New Orleans, LA    Smoothie King Center    Yes    750 (4%)
              Oklahoma City Thunder    Oklahoma City, OK    Chesapeake Energy Arena    No
              San Antonio Spurs    San Antonio, TX    AT&T Center    Yes    3,200 (Starting March 12)]

Well, hopefully next season...

Which NBA arenas will allow fans during the 2020-21 season? https://ca.nba.com/news/which-nba-arenas-will-allow-fans-to-start-the-2020-21-nba-season/1xjxebnff02i3183pybejqkvmf

[Laramie]

Mavericks @ Thunder
Thursday, March 11
Chesapeake Energy Arena
Fox Sports Oklahoma, 8  p.m.

[Laramie]

 

NO TANK YOU, THUNDER!

Dallas 108 @ Oklahoma City 116



 House of Highlights:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lninecePrf0

[Laramie]

Mark Daigneault



The Dagger Coach



Poised to take Oklahoma City to new heights...