Thunder superfans rejoice: ‘17 years we waited for this’
Fans cheer in the fourth quarter during Game 7 of the NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22. Some of the Thunder’s most loyal fans have waited 17 long years for the organization’s first championship. NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN
Scott Wright
24 Jun 2025 - The Oklahoman USA TODAY NETWORK
In between moments of reaching across aisles to hug his neighbors in the baseline seats of Paycom Center, Thundor raised his hands high — his OKC Thunder megaphone in his right hand and only his index finger extended on the left.
With the Larry O'Brien Trophy painted on his belly, he and 18,202 of his closest friends welcomed in the new era of Thunder basketball.
The NBA champions era.
A few rows in front of Thundor, Thunder Princess wiped away tears, and most of her mascara, though her glittery orange eyeshadow remained intact for the trophy celebration.
Thunderhead and Brick Man removed their respective headwear, wishing to have no obstructions between their ears and NBA commissioner Adam Silver's proclamation of the Thunder as NBA champs.
The Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, the organization's first title since its inception 17 seasons ago.
And the team's most recognizable superfans celebrated the same way they have since Day 1, only with a little more vigor.
“I'm an emotional mess right now,” said Thunder Princess, Nauzi Jagosh. “I can't stop crying. My voice is gone. But every single ounce of sweat, tears, all of it, was worth it for this moment.”
Thunder Princess now lives in Florida, but she regularly comes to OKC for games, and she took a full month of vacation from work to be on hand for the Finals.
“It was worth it to be here and live this moment with my best friends,” she said. “Seventeen years we waited for this and it's incredible. We'll be riding this high for a very long time.”
Just over a minute remained in the game when Brick Man, a.k.a. Derrick Seys, felt comfortable enough to add the “Champs” cutout to the bright orange OKC sign he has carried to each Finals game, including a couple games in Indiana.
“I wanted to be right in the moment,” he said with a laugh. “I didn't want to get caught up putting the sticker on the thing.
“We went through all the years, all the ups and downs, chasing this, and it's happened. We believed in this organization, in Sam Presti and Clay Bennett and all the players who have come through, believing that at some point, it's gonna come together in this moment.”
The superfans' origin story goes back to the Thunder's debut season when it held a contest for its most boisterous fans. These four have sustained the highs and lows of the Thunder's entirety as a franchise.
While 17 years might not be a long time in the grand scheme of NBA history, it's an eternity to the fans who live and die with each game.
“I have been waiting for this moment for 17 long years,” said Thundor, Garrett Haviland. “And it's as sweet as I could have ever dreamt. It is unreal, but it is worthy of these young players who earned this. Every win, every point, all the way to the championship, baby.”
Seventeen years seated in the same area, surrounded by many of the same people, these Thunder fans have bonded over the team they love.
“It's like the old TV show, ‘Cheers,' where everybody knows your name,” said Thunderhead, a.k.a. Josh Newby. “That's what the Paycom feels like to us.
“This is unreal. It feels like a dream. We waited 17 years for this and it finally happened.”
All the confetti had fallen and all the speeches had been made from the makeshift stage at center court, but the celebration had only begun late Sunday night.
“This means so much more to this city,” Thunder Princess said. “This city has gone through so much. Every time something happens, we bounce back. And this feels like the culmination of all that bouncing back.
“Now we gotta get ready for a parade. A parade! It's so exciting.”
Commenti
Posta un commento