The Friday Fan: Thunder up, good chap

This tremendous story landed in my inbox earlier this week. And it’s just another tremendous example of the stellar franchise we are lucky enough to root for. Reader Martin shares a wonderful Thunder fan experience.

Now the playoffs are done for the Thunder I thought I’d share a story that pretty much reinforces the classy franchise that Oklahoma City has become.

My girlfriend and I are big Oklahoma City fans from the UK and we recently wanted to incorporate a five-day holiday with an Oklahoma City NBA game. So we settled on Portland (12th April) and five days in Seattle, so we drove down and entered the arena about 50 minutes early to take some pictures and see the team warm up. I got talking to one guy who claimed to know Scott Brooks and before I knew it the coach walks off court and begins talking to his friend. Next thing I know Scott Brooks approaches us thanking us for traveling all the way to the game and spends a few moments with us for pictures, etc. Meanwhile he sends an assistant coach back to the locker room and before I know it he returns and passes over two after game passes to meet the players!

So by now you can imagine how excited we both are. We enjoy the game kind of (OKC lost). The game finishes and we head courtside and after 20 minutes or so Nick Collison, James Harden, Jeff Green and Kevin Durant stroll out of the locker room who are happy to chat and take pictures despite the loss. So I’m trying my hardest to look cool as the players on the team I love just relax around their friends and family.

After about 20 minutes we decide to head out, passing Scott Brooks. We thank him again for the once in a lifetime opportunity at which point we all introduce ourselves and have a little chit-chat that finishes with the coach asking for our address so he can “send us some stuff”. So as I begin to write down my address he decides that it would be easier if he gave us his email address which he writes down for us!!!

So to cut along story short when he received the NBA coach of the year award, I emailed him to congratulate and within a few hours a reply appeared in my inbox asking for our address. Fast forward to last Friday, and a big parcel awaited me upon my return from work full of Oklahoma City t-shirts, shorts and a signed Kevin Durant hat. You could not wipe the smile off my face all weekend!

I know in the grand scheme of things its a small gesture to a fan but it gives an indication of the small details that help give a franchise a championship ethos that transfers throughout the franchise. So keep up the good work and although I never want to wish away time roll on October!!

(Martin sent along these pictures too:)