Last week, we posted this picture to our Facebook page – and after a few hours, we discovered that just this picture got more “likes” than anything we had posted in several weeks.
On one hand, it’s easy to understand why. It’s a strong image featuring four of our players, with a bunch of Thunder-y and basketball-y stuff right below.
On the other hand, it’s a little bit odd to see such a strong reaction to something that you see every day.
This photo was taken in our office, in the Marketing department. It’s one in a series of player photos we have scattered throughout the office that make a big impact when you first walk through our doors.
The thing about these photos we have posted, though, is that they all speak to more than just basketball – they really convey the values of our team.
Individual player photos usually feature them in a community setting, not on the court. On-court photos feature our team huddling together or picking each other up off the floor, not driving for a dunk.
Our organization on-court is such a reflection of our organization off-court, and the high value we place on teamwork, hard work, community, humility – all of that translates from the highest level to every front-line staffer. There’s more to our story than basketball, and there’s more to our team than the players.
Everyone who works for our organization knows that we are part of the team, and our fans and our community understand that they are, too.
An article I read earlier this summer discussed how fans of sports teams tend to use the word “we” when they talk about a team’s game performance – “we” did great tonight or “we” will get ‘em next time. Though the article took a different view, it got me thinking then – and still thinking now – about how incredible it is that our fans have embraced the “we” … and how much “we” value that.
Without this community, our team isn’t complete. Without you, our fans, there is no “we.”
We’re excited to start this upcoming season, and we hope to see you at the games, in the community and gearing up wherever you are. We are so grateful to have you on our team.
- Karina Henderson
