Basketball in Oklahoma City didn't start with a bang. It started with a missed layup and a lot of confused fans wearing blue shirts they’d only bought a week prior.
October 29, 2008.
That was the date. The Ford Center—now the Paycom Center—was packed with 19,136 people who weren't entirely sure what to expect. They knew they had a team. They knew the Seattle SuperSonics were gone. But the "Thunder" was still a brand-new concept, something that felt a little bit like a borrowed suit that didn't quite fit yet.
If you look at the box score today, it looks like a glitch in the Matrix.
The Night the Thunder Struck (And Missed)
The Milwaukee Bucks were the opponent. Not exactly a storied rivalry in the making. The final score was 98-87 in favor of Milwaukee, which is honestly a bit of a buzzkill for an inaugural game.
Earl Watson.
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He's the answer to a trivia question nobody asks: Who scored the first points in OKC Thunder history? It was a layup. It wasn't a Kevin Durant 30-footer or a Russell Westbrook rim-rocking dunk. It was a veteran point guard making a fundamentally sound play.
Kevin Durant was there, obviously. He was 20 years old. He looked like a stick figure in a jersey that was three sizes too big. He finished the night with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. It was, quite frankly, one of the worst games of his young career.
Then there was the rookie.
Russell Westbrook didn't even start. He came off the bench and played 22 minutes. He tied for the team lead in scoring with 13 points, matching Chris Wilcox. Think about that for a second. The legendary Russell Westbrook made his debut as a backup to Earl Watson, scoring 13 points in a double-digit loss to a mediocre Bucks team.
History is weird.
The Atmosphere Was Everything
The fans didn't care about the shooting percentages. They were just happy to be there.
Oklahoma City had spent years trying to prove it was a "big league" town. They had hosted the New Orleans Hornets after Hurricane Katrina, but that was a temporary fling. This was a marriage.
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People were loud. They stood the entire game. There was this nervous, electric energy in the building that transcended the actual basketball being played. You have to remember, the logo had only been revealed a few weeks earlier. Half the people in the stands were probably still calling them the Sonics under their breath.
The roster was a graveyard of "oh yeah, that guy" players:
- Johan Petro
- Desmond Mason
- Robert Swift (and his legendary bleach-blonde hair)
- Damien Wilkins
- Nick Collison (the only one who stayed forever)
It was a team built to lose, and lose they did. They started the season 1-12. They fired P.J. Carlesimo 13 games in. It was a mess.
Why the OKC Thunder First Game Still Matters
Most people forget the details of the loss, but they remember the feeling.
The OKC Thunder first game established a culture that has somehow persisted for nearly two decades. It was the birth of "Loud City." It was the moment a small market decided it wasn't going to be a footnote in NBA history.
If they had won that game, would things be different? Probably not. But the struggle of that first season—finishing 23-59—is what made the 2010 playoff run against the Lakers feel so earned.
You can't have the MVP trophies and the Finals appearances without the night Kevin Durant couldn't buy a bucket against Richard Jefferson.
Modern Context: The New "First" Games
Fast forward to 2026.
The Thunder just opened their latest season on October 21, 2025, with a wild 125-124 double-overtime win against Houston. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 35. It's a different universe now. The team is a perennial contender, coming off a championship-caliber 68-14 season.
But even as they dominate the Western Conference, the ghosts of 2008 are still in the rafters.
When you watch Chet Holmgren or Jalen Williams today, you're seeing the evolution of a project that started with a 13-point performance from a bench player named Westbrook.
Actionable Insights for Thunder Fans
If you're a die-hard or a new arrival to the fandom, here is how to actually engage with this history:
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- Watch the highlights: If you can find the grainy 2008 footage, watch Westbrook’s first bucket. It’s a glimpse into the raw athleticism that changed the league.
- Check the lineage: Look at the trade tree that started with players on that 2008 roster. It’s a masterclass in asset management by Sam Presti.
- Visit the arena early: The Thunder still have displays and murals that pay homage to the inaugural season. It’s worth the walk-through before tip-off.
- Track the 2026 schedule: The current team is on pace for another historic run. Keep an eye on their matchups against the Spurs—that’s the new "must-watch" rivalry, as seen in their recent 119-98 dismantling of Wembanyama's crew on January 13, 2026.
The story of the Thunder isn't just about winning. It's about a city that showed up for a loss in 2008 and never stopped showing up since.