Thunder Turns One

Speaking of anniversaries... The Bricktown Canal is not alone in celebrating this week. Though it didn't yet possess those highly-debated colors and moniker, one year ago today the Oklahoma City Thunder was born when Clay Bennett appeared in front of an "OKC" background to announce a settlement had been reached with the city of Seattle.

And what a first year it has been. While we wait patiently for on-court success, it is clear the team has been embraced by Oklahoma. Of course, that's not the case elsewhere in this tumultuous first year. NBA commentators and writers frequently poke fun at the organization, and though the public display is muted from the tremendous anger of last year and some have even begun to see the attributes of OKC, there are still plenty of ill feelings toward the ownership group and even the metro.

That probably won't ever go away completely. It's simply the nature of professional sports, particularly with a team as loved as the Sonics and a relocation as contentious as this one. It is what we must endure as an NBA city, a title Oklahoma City has held officially now for one year. Here's to many more.