The Thunder's First Conference Championship Game
The Thunder won their first NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma City in 2025, defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Paycom Center.
Quick Facts
- Season
- 2010-2011
- Round
- Western Conference Finals
- Opponent
- Dallas Mavericks
- Series result
- Lost 1-4
- Key players
- Kevin Durant
- Russell Westbrook
- James Harden
- Kendrick Perkins
- Venue
- Chesapeake Energy Arena (OKC) and American Airlines Center (Dallas)
- Mvp candidate
- Kevin Durant
Lore & Background
The Thunder were originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967–68 season. The SuperSonics moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in July 2008. In Oklahoma City, the Thunder qualified for their first playoff berth during the 2009–10 season. They won their first division title as the Thunder in the 2010–11 season and their first Western Conference championship as the Thunder in the 2011–12 season, appearing in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in franchise history and first time since 1996, when the team was based in Seattle. The Thunder lost the series to the Miami Heat, 4–1. They returned to the NBA Finals in 2025 and defeated the Indiana Pacers in seven games to win their first NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma City.
Reader's Guide
The Thunder's NBA G League affiliate is the Oklahoma City Blue, which it owns. The Thunder are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma City previously hosted the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons following devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
Did You Know?
- The Thunder's name was chosen in reference to Oklahoma's location in Tornado Alley and Oklahoma City as the home of the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division, the Thunderbirds.
- The SuperSonics won the 1979 NBA championship while based in Seattle.
- The Thunder's first playoff win in Oklahoma City came on April 22, 2010, against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
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