Out in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are ruling the roost. They've found their form and have lost only a few games at home and on the road this season. Last season, the Thunder finished first in their division but couldn't finish the job in the playoffs.
The Thunder has many young players who are relatively inexperienced. However, given the team's achievements last season and how it's performing this season, the Thunder could easily reach the NBA finals. Of course, a title win would be good for the brand. Below is a look at how star man Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has earned himself contention for MVP 2025 and is doing the brand proud, plus a run through the history of the Thunder's branding and logo.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander is leading the pack for MVP
The Thunder guard is doing the team and brand proud. The sportsbooks have him as the clear favorite to win the MVP and have given him NBA MVP odds of -550. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is the next favorite, receiving +330 on the betting lines.
Last season, the Thunder guard finished as the MVP runner-up. This season, he's leading the NBA in shooting points per game and is also amongst the top three for steals per game and overall efficiency. Not only that, but he's posting admirable stats for blocks per game and rebounds.
This is all in a season that has seen the Thunder experience horrendous luck in terms of injuries. Isiah Hartenson, Alex Caruso, and Chet Holmgren have all missed games in the double digits, but Gilgeous-Alexander has been able to drive them into the No. 1 seed position.
Some believe 2025 could be the year a player finally stops Jokić's MVP award dominance. The Serbians have won it three times this decade, and some feel the question of who wins the award is becoming a foregone conclusion.
From Seattle to Oklahoma
An interesting fact about the Oklahoma Thunder is that this is a rebrand of the team. Previously, they were the Seattle SuperSonics, but the team left the Emerald City in 2008 and moved to Oklahoma, where they became the Thunder. The name "Thunder" comes from the powerful storms that Oklahoma witnesses and the fact that Oklahoma City houses the 45th Infantry Division of the US Army, the Thunderbirds.
When the team first participated, it played in the Orlando Pro Summer League, fielding second-year players, free agents, and rookies. The players wore generic black-and-white jerseys with "OHC-NBA" against an outline of a basketball. These jerseys are highly unimpressive compared to the elegant jerseys the team wears today.
Changing the Logo
The change from the SuperSonics to the Thunder meant a change in logo. The Supersonics' green, white, and yellow disappeared and were left in Seattle as part of a deal for a possible future franchise. The current logo is a shielded shape and features the letters "OKC" over part of a basketball and the word "Thunder" above it all.
The team's official font is Industria Bold, a display sans serif typeface, and is what the word "Thunder" is set in. Meanwhile, the official palette colors are Thunder Blue, Sunset, yellow, and Thunder Navy.
When creating the logo, the designers wanted to reflect Oklahoma City's rich culture and history and respect its Native American roots. The logo is one of the most iconic in the NBA today.
Alternate Logos
Strangely, the primary isn't the only Thunder logo. In 2017, an alternate logo featured reds and yellows, plus some minor changes to the original logo. The designers wanted to keep the original logo intact while making it more modern.
A year later, a further alternate logo followed. This logo preserved elements of the previous designs but incorporated lightning bolts radiating outwards from behind a silhouette of Mount Scott. This is located near downtown Oklahoma City, where the Paycom Center sits today. The logo aims to generate an energetic vibe that encapsulates the excitement fans should feel when attending a game there today.
Various team merchandise vendors use these logos. No matter which logo they prefer, they have a choice so they can still show support for the Thunder and buy merchandise with a design they like.
The change from SuperSonics to Thunder means the side has undergone several logo changes. Ultimately, however, the Thunder has a logo that is iconic within the NBA, shows its appreciation of Oklahoma, and resonates with fans, all at the same time.
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