NBA Playoffs 2012: Do Oklahoma City Thunder Have Most Rabid Fan Base in NBA?
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a 26-7 record at home during the regular season. During the postseason, it seems they have taken their performance to another level, and perhaps that is due to their rabid fans which make it miserable on the opponents.
Playing in the Chesapeake Energy Arena is no joke. They even have their own website called WelcometoLoudcity.com.
The Thunder swept their first-round matchup against the reigning NBA champions Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks are a battle tested team but simply could not contend against the incredibly deep and potent offense of the Thunder.
What really stands out while watching the Thunder games is their college atmosphere. Some would wonder where all their fans came from considering they have never had a professional team play in Oklahoma City.
It seems like their fans all met up prior to the game to make sure everyone was wearing those blue shirts reading "One Team."
Some stadiums try to organize everyone wearing the same color, but sometimes it comes off as childish. For example, during an early November matchup this season, the Buffalo Bills organized a "white out" in which everyone in the stadium wore white, obviously.
Is there anything less intimidating than white? Perhaps tie-dye, but if you are attempting to gain credibility as the fan base, you have to do something menacing.
I'm not saying blue is going to put fear in the opponent, and it is certainly not on the level of eccentricity of the Oakland Raider fans, but it is a team color, and the arena is loud enough that it adds some semblance of intimidation.
The fans even organized for everyone to turn around during the pregame introduction for Metta World Peace. That is something that would not happen even among passionate fan bases in New York and Boston. That shows that they are all emotionally invested in their team and support their players.
In case you have been living under a rock, Metta World Peace is the player that viciously swung his elbow into the head of James Harden, giving him a concussion. Good fans do not forget even the small details, so you can be sure they would not forget who injured the winner of the Sixth Man of the Year.
After Game 2, the series will move to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4. The Lakers fans have been known to be extremely passionate and loyal in their own right.
The Lakers were also 26-7 during the regular season. The fans may only love them because of their rich basketball tradition and the event that each home game has become, but the Staples Center is always sold out and the fans are loyal.
This month the Staples Center has been pretty electric with the Kings, Clippers and Lakers all playing for titles.
That takes away from the Staples Center advantage because some of their fans are also splitting their fan-dom with the Kings as well the Dodgers who have gotten off to a tremendous start. Dominant fan bases do not allow the success of their other favorite teams interfere with postseason play.
The Oklahoma City fans are focused on their basketball team only. They know there is not much to do in Oklahoma City besides visit the National Cowboy Museum and eat some delicious steak.
This is their opportunity to show the NBA world that they are to be taken for real. It certainly helps your case when your team has two of the top-12 most valuable players in the NBA to root for.
As we have seen over the years, an NBA team can receive a big boost by having a rabid fan base. If the home fans can make it impossible for the opposing team to communicate and miserable for them while trailing, then you may have what it takes to be crowned the best fan base in the league.
