Growing up, whenever I traveled abroad and told people I was from Oklahoma City, I almost always heard the same response:
“Oh…OKC. Timothy McVeigh. The bombing.”
That was our legacy. Known around the world for the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.
For a long time, it felt like we’d always be remembered for that tragedy.
But then, something changed.
Around the early 2010s, I’d tell people I was from OKC, and they’d say:
“Oh, Kevin Durant! Russell Westbrook! The Thunder, such a great team.”
The Thunder didn’t just bring basketball to Oklahoma City. They brought healing. Identity. Pride. A new story to tell.
The entire downtown has been transformed around the Thunder arena.
They helped turn the page. From pain to possibility. From being defined by tragedy to being united by something hopeful.
So when you see me hyped about this team, just know: it’s not just about sports.
It’s about a city that rebuilt itself from the rubble. A community that found new life through shared hope and purpose.
That’s the power of sports.
With all the tragedy and hardship in the world, we get these brief moments of joy and unity together as a community for a common cause. Our team, our city.
Thank you Thunder, the 2025 NBA Champions!
A few notes for the nat’l audience:
1. We’re yelling “LUUUU” when Luguentz Dort is announced. We’re not booing him.
2. There is a lot of barking with Jalen Williams is announced.
3. It’s going to be loud. Very loud. No, this isn’t special for TV. That’s just how we do things.
This baseball game experience looks like a dream 🤩
Fans of @OSUBaseball can enjoy games in a “corral” where they can bring in their own food AND drinks!
I don’t want to connect my coffee machine to the wifi network. I don’t want to share the file with OneDrive. I don’t want to download an app to check my car’s fluid levels. I don’t want to scan a QR code to view the restaurant menu. I don’t want to let Google know my location before showing me the search results. I don’t want to include a Teams link on the calendar invite. I don’t want to pay 50 different monthly subscription fees for all my software. I don’t want to upgrade to TurboTax platinum plus audit protection. I don’t want to install the Webex plugin to join the meeting. I don’t want to share my car’s braking data with the actuaries at State Farm. I don’t want to text with your AI chatbot. I don’t want to download the Instagram app to look at your picture. I don’t want to type in my email address to view the content on your company’s website. I don’t want text messages with promo codes. I don’t want to leave your company a five-star Google review in exchange for the chance to win a $20 Starbucks gift card. I don’t want to join your exclusive community in the metaverse. I don’t want AI to help me write my comments on LinkedIn. I don’t even want to be on LinkedIn in the first place.
I just want to pay for a product one time (and only one time), know that it’s going to work flawlessly, press 0 to speak to an operator if I need help, and otherwise be left alone and treated with some small measure of human dignity, if that’s not too much to ask anymore.