What’s in a name?

Speaking of the Thunder, some fans visiting this week have lamented that the team is the Oklahoma City Thunder instead of the Oklahoma Thunder. It’s worth remembering that in April 2008, in advance of the Seattle SuperSonics moving here, the city council approved an agreement requiring Oklahoma City to be in the team name. That agreement focused primarily on how revenues from arena concessions and restaurants would be split. NBA Commissioner David Stern originally suggested the team be named after the state, not the city, to help lure fans from outside the metro. Mayor Mick Cornett and other city officials disagreed. Among them was council member Pete White, who said the name should reflect contributions by Oklahoma City taxpayers who approved sales tax increases that helped transform downtown and the arena. “Oklahoma City is the one that took the risk, primarily,” White said then. Stern’s concerns wound up being for naught — the Thunder has captivated the state, drawing fans, including season-ticket holders, from across Oklahoma.

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