Immediately following the release of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s schedule, many in the NBA universe voiced booming displeasure about the team’s virtual nonexistence on the league’s marquee slate.
When the Christmas Day lineup dropped in early August, many were stunned to find the Thunder omitted, as December 25 is the league's biggest day of viewership in the regular season. To add insult to injury, OKC was also left off the opening night lineup and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Time to prove them wrong
Securing a West-leading 57 wins a season ago, even the proudest Thunder naysayers had to admit to the team’s rapid leap to elite status. On the way to its most victories since the 2015 season, Oklahoma City showcased a league MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and soon-to-be superstar Chet Holmgren, in addition to many uniquely talented players.
Despite all the fun moving parts on the roster, OKC didn’t even crack the top 10 among teams with the most national TV broadcasts, which is why CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish is hoping next season is the last time the blue and orange are kicked to the curb.
“ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP voting, Chet Holmgren was Rookie of the Year runner-up, and the Thunder finished first atop the Western Conference and made it to the second round of the playoffs. They added Alex Caruso to the mix and still have a vault filled with valuable picks for improvement. This is a team on a quick rise, and in all honesty, it should have more games than some of the teams listed above. They're a small market team with a passionate fanbase and one of the best homecourt advantages in the league; hopefully the league takes notice going forward that they're deserving of more national attention,” writes Wimbish.”
A blessing in disguise?
For Thunder fans, especially non-local ones, discovering that their team will play on a national broadcast just 15 times — not including “NBA TV” broadcasts, of which OKC has 10 — is a slap in the face.
Perhaps it’s not as bad as the Thunder going from 27 national TV games in 2018 to just three in 2019 and officially ending their eight-year streak of Christmas day appearances, but it’s certainly up there.
However, this may be a positive for OKC in one respect. For a developing team that will see intense expectations for the first time, staying away from the constant spotlight could help it work through the motions more easily and not feel the overbearing weight of the NBA universe on its shoulders. As a reminder, the Thunder’s core and main supporting cast is loaded with players no older than their mid-20s. Scrutiny and youth typically don’t mix well, although the players displayed unwavering poise down the stretch of last season and into the playoffs.
Absent that, let the “disrespect” from the league work as fuel for the Bricktown boys. Go out there and show the world what it's missing. Barring something unforeseen, OKC will inevitably total more nationally televised games in the following 2025–26 season. But the upcoming season can serve as a solid start to a pressure-packed future.
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