So there was this amazing article in New York Magazine yesterday that is essentially Oklahoma and Thunder propaganda. Nice job NY Magazine! The only draw back is that it is REA-lly long, like longer than the line at the DMV long. So for those of you who don’t have time to read 11 pages (even though it really is worth reading all 11 pages), I took one for the team and got reading. I managed to focus my immeasurably short attention span for all eleven pages (okay, I did have to take a couple breaks to check my email) just so I could pull out all the best parts for you.
“…Oklahoma – a state known for its citizens’ kindness, levelheadedness, work ethic, community spirit and, above all, humility. (The mayor of Oklahoma City told me that he thinks Oklahomans are humble because of their proximity to Texans, who will never stop bragging about anything.)”
“Everyone soon became familiar with the Presti buzzwords: process, system, patience, sustainability. He made a habit of promoting people within the organization so that, from top to bottom, the Thunder became very young and tightly knit. He stressed community outreach to an unusual degree. He devoted extra resources to the development of the young Thunder players and, on the marketing side, refused to call attention to any single player apart from his teammates, even Durant, who was quickly becoming an international superstar….Among basketball fans, Presti has become a mythic braniac legend, the managerial equivalent of Kevin Durant: young, focused, dominant and improbably humble.”
“Coyne believes that the Thunder transcend the limits of their confusing sport — that they channel the energy of the whole community in a way that resonates across the world. Using a variety of accents, he told me stories about people in Germany and Switzerland and Sweden — places where he never used to hear about his hometown — all of a sudden talking to him about how much they love the Thunder.”
“This, then, is part of the city’s love affair with the Thunder. It’s more than just a basketball team: it’s the culmination of 20 years of civic reinvention, and the promise of more to come.”
Thank you New York Magazine, Oklahoma salutes you.
Oklahoma Love 