Archive for August, 2012

FD

Friday, August 17th, 2012

Earlier this month, as wildfires burned across the state, Thunder representatives – including Executive VP and General Manager Sam Presti – delivered water and Gatorade to a few volunteer fire departments in need of some relief and hydration as they worked long hours and in intense heat.

We were delighted to receive a great note and photo from the Choctaw Fire Department the other day, thanking us for the visit and the supplies (including a few T-shirts):

When the call went out for help from many of these small fire departments, though, we weren’t the only ones to step up and pitch in. Oklahomans around the state brought whatever they could to help these hard-working men and women as they fought the flames, donating both directly to their local departments and through agencies such as the Red Cross.

This was another great example of how, when we say “Team Is One” in Oklahoma, we mean more than on the basketball court.

- Karina Henderson

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The bison of summer

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

We’ve all seen what our players have been up to this summer – whether they’ve been winning gold in London or helping coach at camp. But one question still burns hot as the Oklahoma sun in August: what’s Rumble been doing all summer?

We caught up with the busy bison just long enough to get a few thoughts on what he’s been up to since the end of the Thunder season …

Q: You had a busy winter, Rumble – do bison hibernate during the summer?

Rumble: Nope, no hibernating for this bison … or any bison for that matter. I took a couple weeks off to rest after the season. Other than that, I’ve been running all over the state making appearances at great events and birthday parties, meeting awesome people.

What kind of places/events have you been visiting since the season ended?

Hospitals, wedding receptions, birthdays and corporate events in OKC, Tulsa, Grove, Yukon, Norman, Moore, Edmond, Midwest City, Ada, Alva and Piedmont.

What has been your favorite event/appearance this summer?

My favorite was the trip I took to Salt Lake City for the 2012 NBA Mascot Conference. It’s always a great time hanging out with my “fur-ternity” brothers. During the conference, we vote on all the mascot awards for the past season. There was a tie vote for Mascot of the Year between me and Crunch, the Minnesota Timberwolves mascot. He won after the re-vote. He totally deserved it! I did walk away with “On-court Skit of the Year” for “Red Bison,” my parody of the halftime act “Red Panda.”

What community groups have you been visiting with?

I’ve been stopping by Thunder Youth Basketball Camps, Boy & Girls clubs, churches … Wow, it’s probably easier to say who I haven’t been visiting with.

Oklahoma has set some record temps in the last few months – how does a bison manage to stay cool when it’s 113 degrees?

Two words … air conditioning! Most bison shed in the summer, but I stopped doing that after the lightning strike. It’s really weird … my hair has completely stopped growing. Now I try to stay inside as much as I can.

What are you most looking forward to when the season starts again?

I love doing appearances and going to events, but I really miss the games. It’s great to see all the familiar faces under one roof, cheering at the same time for the same thing. Many things can divide people, but Thunder games seem to unite us like nothing else.

See more of what Rumble has been up to – watch this video!

- Karina Henderson

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“Thunderwater”

Wednesday, August 8th, 2012

They didn’t travel as far as NASA’s “Curiosity” rover. And they were a lot less noisy than Thunder fans are in Chesapeake Energy Arena.

But True Blue Club member Nathan Ferguson and fellow scuba divers did take their Thunder fandom to a new level this summer – below sea level.

Check out this great video Nathan sent us of his Thunder flag’s ocean voyage:

“Thunderwater” video

Thanks Nathan – that video is going to be tough to top!

- Karina Henderson

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USA Basketball schedule

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

 

The USA Men’s Basketball team – featuring your hometown players Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook – remains undefeated in pool play leading up to the race for gold, including yesterday’s 110-63 win over Tunisia.

Spain and Serge Ibaka are also undefeated two games into the opening round.

Be sure to check out the full schedule on the USA Basketball website; the final pool-play games are coming up on Thursday, Saturday and Monday, with quarterfinal matches beginning Wednesday, August 8. Preliminary games are televised on the NBC Sports Network.

Of course, you’ll find the most Thunder-centric coverage at THUNDER.NBA.COM, with updates on both Team Spain and Team USA, as well as features and photos of our players, like the great shots above.

- Karina Henderson

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ICYMI: Thunder Girls Auditions video

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

Did you catch the video we posted after this past weekend’s Thunder Girls auditions? If not, check it out here:

The final auditions will take place tomorrow (Thursday) night at Riverwind Casino in Norman. You can come and watch these talented ladies try to make the team free of charge! Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7. You can also tune in online – just like last year, we’ll be streaming the auditions live from Riverwind. Watch for the link on the homepage!

- Karina Henderson

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