As the Oklahoma City Thunder inch closer to its final celebration of winning the 2025 NBA Finals, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt declared October 21's Opening Night as ‘OKC Thunder Day' ahead of the upcoming regular season. Mayor Holt was unsure he'd see Thunder crowned champions before he died, he admitted over the summer.
Now, the Oklahoma City Mayor has plenty of accolades to announce, starting with the news that October 21 has been officially declared ‘OKC Thunder Day' ahead of Opening Night.
“This coming Tuesday, our NBA Champion OKC Thunder return to the court. Before the game, a permanent championship banner will be unveiled at our arena and the players will receive their championship rings,” Holt said. “Other commemorations will be revealed around the city. It is the close of one chapter (that we will always celebrate) and the start of another.
“And so it is most appropriate that I do hereby proclaim Tuesday, October 21st, 2025 to be OKC THUNDER DAY in Oklahoma City and do encourage our residents to mark the occasion by wearing Thunder apparel, display Thunder flags and signage, show support on social media and otherwise commemorate our city’s first NBA Championship.”
As we bask in the glory of one major accomplishment yesterday, we return to the celebration of another. This coming Tuesday, our NBA Champion OKC Thunder return to the court.
Before the game, a permanent championship banner will be unveiled at our arena and the players will… pic.twitter.com/4OuXHXlNe8
— Mayor David Holt (@davidfholt) October 15, 2025
The Thunder will celebrate its first championship in franchise history on Tuesday.
Oklahoma City Mayor feared he'd die before watching Thunder title
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt called the Thunder the most resilient champion in NBA history, considering the two Game 7s it won en route to its first title. Holt also revealed he once wasn't sure if he'd live to see the Thunder win a championship.
“I once said to my kids that ‘I just hope that the Thunder win a title before I die.' And so they have,” Holt said. “Now, I have every intention of enjoying that title the rest of my life. Before there is a time when the confetti gets cleaned up, and we are perhaps to that point. Having said that, I'll still proudly and regularly wear my champagne gear for many months (years?) to come, and we are working on some more permanent remembrances for our city. More on that later.
“And in the NBA tradition, there is still one more special day ahead — and that is our season opener at home in October, when the championship banner will be unveiled at the arena,” Holt concluded.
The Thunder will host the Rockets to open the 2025-26 NBA campaign at the Paycom Center on Tuesday.
