If you’re an NBA fan, you must’ve heard about the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the newest teams in the league. But don’t let that lack of story fool you, as it instantly became a part of Oklahoma City and its identity.
With Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant at the helm, the OKC Thunder became one of the teams to beat in the National Basketball Association in no time, helping make the transition from Seattle to Oklahoma City way smoother and bringing thousands of fans to the downtown arena.
Basketball is more than just a single game in Oklahoma. The city embraced the team with open arms and so, the Paycom Center instantly became one of the places of interest. Formerly known as Ford Center, Oklahoma City Arena, and Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Paycom Center is the most iconic arena in the state.
So, if you’re looking forward to next October and the start of the upcoming NBA season to book your trip and watch the Thunder play in their arena, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find all there is to know about this construction.
What is the Chesapeake Center called now?
As we mentioned before, the Paycom Center used to be called Chesapeake Energy Arena but it wasn’t the beginning of its story.
This arena was originally known as Ford Center. The ground broke in 1999 and the construction began shortly after, although not with some difficulties until it opened its doors in June 2002. It was far from the new and upgraded sports facilities in the nation, as it only had the minimum requirements to appease the NBA and the NHL.
Ford owned the naming rights of the arena until 2010 and then it was known as the Oklahoma City Arena for one year. Gas industry company Chesapeake Energy later bought the naming rights of the construction from 2011 to 2021. Now, Paycom reached an agreement to acquire the naming rights and unveil the new arena name.
Who bought Chesapeake Energy Arena In Downtown Oklahoma City?
As we recently mentioned, after the arena’s naming rights deal expired earlier in June 2021, software company Paycom reached an agreement with the city council. Now, the Oklahoma City Thunder will play all home games in this arena, starting in October for the 2021-22 NBA season all the way through the 2035-36 NBA season. Paycom paid an undisclosed amount to get the deal for the new name, but news outlets believe it’s below the $100 million mark.
Where is the Paycom Center?
The Paycom Center is located at 100 West Reno Ave in Oklahoma City. The facility isn’t just the home of the OKC Thunder. It also hosts several events that take place in the city.
In the past, the Oklahoma City Blazers of the CHL, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of the af2, and New Orleans Hornets also played their home games at the Paycom Center.
Oklahoma City Thunder: A Bright Future
When the news broke of a company buying the Sonics to take an NBA team to Oklahoma City, not many people thought it was going to be as successful as it was right away. But it didn’t take long before the OKC Thunder had a building full of fans and basketball became the most important thing in the news.
Oklahoma embraced the franchise with open arms and 13,681 fans still visit the arena night in and night out, even if the club has been far from successful over the past couple of seasons after reaching the NBA Finals for the first time as the Thunder in 2012.
The Thunder have built a strong portfolio of draft picks and it seems like it’s just a matter of time before Paycom Center is filled with stars right away. Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander look like stars in the making but they need more company to bring them back to their glory days.
Even if they don’t win many games, the Thunder will continue to fight hard and be a never-ending source of entertainment for the fans. They’ve always excelled when it comes to draft analysis and will land another star in no time.
What were the Thunder called before they moved to Oklahoma City?
Before moving to OKC, the Oklahoma City Thunder and playing at Paycom Center were actually called Seattle Supersonics. The Sonics, who had one of the loudest and most loyal fanbases in the world, had been a part of the NBA since 1967 and even won a title in 1979. Needless to say, losing their team was one of the saddest events in city history.
Contrary to popular belief, it had nothing to do with bankruptcy. After failing to find public funding for a new arena or make improvements to KeyArena, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz reached an agreement with the NBA and Professional Basketball Club LLC to sell the franchise along with WNBA’s Seattle Storm to Oklahoma City. The team then relocated to OKC in 2006.
The deal was quickly approved by the NBA but the event didn’t go unnoticed by the fans, who still demand the league to bring back the Sonics. Fans continue to make a statement and they still haven’t given up, as the team agreed to leave the name and logo for a possible return as a part of the deal.
The Thunder played their first preseason game with a packed house and thousands of fans welcoming the new team to the city. They made their official debut during the 2008-09 season but have failed to win a ring as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even so, the league still counts the OKC Thunder as an NBA champion from the title won during the Sonics era.
Also, the Thunder share a close story and a bit of a cultural bond with the Hornets. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the league and city officials reached a deal with the Hornets to use their arena for every home game.
Where is the Thunder practice facility?
Like most professional basketball clubs, the Oklahoma City Thunder don’t practice inside of their arena. Instead, the Thunder will have its very own practice facility where they get ready for the season and every home game. It’s located near Broadway Extension and Britton Road, and it’s expected to be ready by March 2022, as the team said in a statement.
For the time being, the Thunder decided to keep things classy and pay homage to their roots in the city by opening this facility where their old training ground was at North Lincoln Blvd. near West 33rd Street. It’s no Paycom Center or luxury arena but it definitely does the trick.
So, if you’re ever in the Oklahoma City area and are looking to witness the ultimate sports event in an NBA game, don’t ever hesitate to visit this arena. The Paycom Center has become the place with young hoopers creating their memories in Oklahoma, and you won’t regret paying it a visit.
