“You’re in a good place when you’re around kids. It’s a great privilege for all of us to be with you and to do this for you. Please take advantage of it. Please use it,
enjoy it and make it yours.”
CLAY BENNETT Thunder Chairman
The Thunder and NBA Cares teamed up to renovate a space at the Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Thunder Chairman Clay Bennett and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt were joined by Thunder players and basketball
executives for the June 6 ribbon-cutting ceremony. Called the ‘Thunder Wonder Room,’ the vibrant, multi-use space includes a dedicated STEAM Zone for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, a reading nook, lounge and updated technology.
OUR MISSION
To build, enhance and sustain a professional, fanoriented organization that provides an engaging NBA experience, first-class guest service and meaningful community leadership.
COVER ILLUSTRATION
Micah Fryslie
CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Clayton I. Bennett
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
George B. Kaiser, G. Jeffrey Records Jr.
William M. Cameron
Robert E. Howard II
Jay Scaramucci
Everett R. Dobson
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER
Sam Presti
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Danny Barth
THUNDER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOARD
Erin Oldfield, Executive Director
Danny Barth, Advisory
Brian Byrnes, Advisory
Stacy Blomstrom
Gayle Maxwell
Hakeem Onafowokan
Megan Salomone
Jessica Summers
“As Oklahomans, we indeed have our own special culture. The Thunder is forever inspired by the community we represent and we are more energized than ever before to provide meaningful opportunities, support, and leadership.”
— Clay Bennett Thunder Chairman
GRATITUDE WITH
The deep, personal connection between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the community is bigger than basketball.
For 17 years, this bond has been an integral part of daily life. Thunder Basketball has helped stitch together moments big and small to bring generations together building on the momentum this forward-thinking city had established more than three decades ago with a next-generation vision few imagined.
In two years, a new home for the Thunder will open as the iconic centerpiece of a vibrant and modern downtown. The confidence and pride Oklahoma City residents showed with their overwhelming support in a December 2023 vote will be reflected with a stunning, world-class sports and entertainment complex.
This authentic relationship doesn’t happen by chance. The story of the city, much like the story of the Thunder, is one of resilience, progress and connections; of working hard, working together and doing so with humility.
In the pages that follow, we will introduce to you residents whose singular story reflects one that is shared by hundreds, possibly thousands, of others to help shine a light on subjects important to all of us: education, health & wellness, community investment, tradition and representation.
You have been with us since the beginning, providing a window of what can be when we work together. And with the world stage the NBA spotlight offers, we have worked diligently to help tell a story where today, in a world of 8.2 billion people, 1 out of every 8 are familiar with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Together, we are anchored in a larger purpose rooted in work.
Together, we move onward, always.
EDUCATION
INSPIRE | HOPE | MOTIVATE | ACHIEVE
The Thunder has deep roots in our commitment to education, dating back to our inception in 2008. We place an intentional focus on early education with the understanding that learning is a lifelong process.
Many of our established, tradition-rich programs that address reading comprehension and STEM skills were represented in more than 500 classrooms across the state. Through these resources, nearly 30,000 students participated in STEM activities and nearly 15,000 free books were given away to elementary readers.
MATH HOOPS SPOTLIGHT
Thunder Math Hoops, presented by Devon Energy, is a fast-paced board game and mobile app that teaches students fundamental math skills through the basketball statistics of their favorite NBA and WNBA players.
Launched in 2021, the 12-part curriculum is tied to Common Core State Standards and 21st Century Skills. Targeted to students in grades four through eight, Thunder Math Hoops participants solved more than 8.5 million math problems. The program has been shown to improve students’ grasp of statistics and interpersonal
skills, helping them to collaborate more effectively with their peers. An appreciation and understanding of math helps students become passionate, self-directed learners, and sets them up for success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
GROWING UP THUNDER
Like nearly every high school graduate in the class of 2025, Lisandro Collazo Castro has never not been aware of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He remembers the thrill of seeing the Rolling Thunder Book Bus, presented by American Fidelity, parked in front of his elementary school in south OKC, and the excitement of boarding the bus with classmates to select a free book “just for me.”
It was during this time where his awareness of the Thunder began to sharpen. His classmates and friends would often talk about the team, its players and the games.
“I can’t name a single moment when the Thunder has not been in my life,” he said.
Lisandro’s story is similar to so many others in Oklahoma. From wish lists of coveted ball caps, shirts and other merchandise showcasing the Thunder logo to attending youth camps; from signing up for reading challenges to participating in classroom projects; from watching games on a screen to attending in person, the Thunder has been touchable in so many ways.
He took his connection a step further for his senior year at Cristo Rey OKC, a private, Catholic high school that weaves together college preparatory academics and a structured work study program. The Thunder has participated in the program that places students with corporate employers five days a month since the school’s opening in 2018.
“It has been such a fun and thrilling experience, seeing myself grow up with the team. From the book bus to the Thunder corporate office, it has been a journey that I can’t put into words,” he said.
Lisandro will attend the University of Pennsylvania on a full-ride academic scholarship. He is the first in his family to attend college, and the first in his school’s history to attend an Ivy League school.
He is excited to be part of the next generation the city’s leaders have often referenced. He anticipates his return trips home from college during holidays, eager to see the updates to the new arena.
LEGACY
TRADITION | HONOR | UNITY | CONNECTION
The impact of the Thunder transcends sports. It brings the community together, fosters pride, honors and celebrates the resiliency of Oklahomans, and amplifies the rich cultural heritage and contributions of our communities.
SPOTLIGHT
COMMUNITY DRAFT DAY
“A signature of the Oklahoma City Thunder, beyond the team’s success on the floor, has been their deep connection to their fans and their community.”
No one event embodies those words more than the annual tradition of including community leaders during one of our biggest days of the year - the introduction of our rookie draft class.
Each June, four community changemakers are selected as ‘draft picks’ to participate in a fun affair that includes a meet-and-greet with Head Coach Mark Daigneault, an NBA-style media day photo shoot and a variety of gifts.
The day doesn’t end there. Sporting a custom Thunder jersey with their last name on the back and the number to signify the year of the draft, the community leaders are led to the front row to watch Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti introduce the newest members of the Thunder family during an event streamed around the world.
— NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
GENERATIONAL CONNECTION
The invitation to attend a Thunder game caught Gilbert “Choc” Charleston by surprise.
“I thought Santa Claus had come again. I was so happy,” he said.
This was no ordinary night. A decorated World War II veteran and proud member of Choctaw Nation, Choc was a featured guest of honor during the annual Military Appreciation Night game in November just weeks before his 101st birthday.
He drove a tank in the 739th Tank Battalion of the U.S. Army, clearing mines throughout Europe and surviving the Battle of the Bulge. “We fought every day for 30 days,” he said. “There was just a lot of things to learn to survive.”
Choc represents not only the generational connection the Thunder attracts, but also the hallmarks of tradition, honor, and so much more.
His great, great grandparents traversed the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma in the 1830s and 1840s. He said public school was difficult for Native Americans, who were punished for not speaking English. Resiliency is in his blood.
“I learned a whole new life in a hurry,” he said. “That background toughens you up for life; it makes you appreciate the better things in life.”
What Choc appreciates today is something he, like so many others, never imagined: a professional sports team in Oklahoma City.
“It’s one of the best things to ever happen to this city,” he said. “My goodness, what they’ve done for this town is just unbelievable. It looks to me that the players have the city in their heart, too. It shows. They are our team.”
IMPACTFUL
MEANINGFUL | EMOTIONAL | GENUINE | OPPORTUNITY
Our organization and our players are driven by purposeful action. By investing time, energy and various forms of support into more than 250 community activations each season, we aim to create lasting change with compassion and care.
By focusing on collaboration and impact, we are committed and grateful for the opportunity to empower the entire state. From urban centers to rural neighborhoods, 31 Thunder community courts provide unlimited access to the game of basketball from generation to generation.
SPOTLIGHT
FUTURE SHINES BRIGHT
Children represent the future of organized sports, be it as a player, a coach, an executive or in a role behind the scenes.
So imagine the thrill of the 50 boys and girls representing YMCAs from across the state who attended the second annual Youth Media Day, presented by Love’s Travel Stops. They not only had the opportunity to experience the day in a life as a professional basketball player, they also were coached by Thunder players during scrimmage games.
“It’s all about seeing the smile on their faces, so whatever it takes to do that, I’m here for it,” Thunder guard Cason Wallace said.
In celebration of the ongoing partnership between the Thunder, Love’s Travel Stops and YMCA, the special day included not only skills drills and scrimmages, but also mock interviews, individual photo shoots and film study with Thunder sideline reporter Nick Gallo.
The event also included a banner reveal for each YMCA in attendance.
Hi Ann!
I just wanted to say thank you so much for choosi ng us to rec eive tic kets. Our single moms and their kids had an absolute B LA ST. Thank you for being so generous and we would love the oppor tunity to par tner with you more in the futur e.
Thank you again for the Thunder tickets Our support group and foster children had a great time
Teresa Hill
OPPORTUNITY TO DREAM BIG
A Thunder game experience is like no other. The anticipation, the energy, the passion and the excitement of the game itself is easy to feel, but difficult to put into words. We’re Loud City for a reason, and proud of it.
The Thunder and its partners are committed to making the game experience available to as many fans as possible.
Presented by OG&E, the program offers 100 free tickets and an accompanying food voucher to each of its 41 regular-season home games. This season, more than 230 applications to attend a game were submitted by various schools, teams and nonprofit community partners.
But the experience can be so much more than attending an NBA game. It’s the chance to reconnect and enjoy a night together. For community partners, it’s a chance to reward clients and staff.
Perhaps the most powerful impact, though, is with kids. The ticket offers them not only entry into the game, but opens their world to a wide variety of professional possibilities.
“There might be kids who look down and see a photographer, a videographer, a referee, a trainer, a coach or maybe they see a social media person,” said Ann Butler, the Thunder Community Engagement Programs Coordinator. “They have never thought about being able to do something like that because they were never exposed to how many jobs and how many roles it takes to put on a professional sports program.”
She added: “It really helps those kids dream, because if you’ve never seen something, you can’t dream of being that.”
HEARTFELT
COMPASSION | AUTHENTIC | ONWARD | TRANSFORMATIVE
Our organization takes tremendous pride in being a reflection of the state: grateful, respectful, humble and resilient. Our commitment to the community was stated on July 2, 2008, when it was announced that Oklahoma City would begin play in the 2008-09 NBA season.
For the past 17 years, our players and staff have diligently worked together to reinforce that commitment 365 days a year. Through player engagement, sponsored programs, staff resources, and donations, our community initiatives impact thousands of Oklahomans each year.
Players, coaches and staff joined together to sort 13,309 pounds of food to create 22,182 meals
SPOTLIGHT
BRIGHTENING SPIRITS
Thunder Holiday Assist offers exactly what the name implies: a helping hand to individuals, families and nonprofits during the holiday season.
The annual tradition, which started with our inaugural season in 2008, begins in November and continues through December. Each year, the commitment to brighten the spirits of Oklahomans deepens.
This past season, Thunder and Blue players combined for more than 70 appearances during the six-week stretch. From all-team events in both months to individual outings working directly with kids and families from various agencies, players were deep in the holiday mix.
Provided more than 500 Thanksgiving dinners
Gave 70 families an opportunity to shop with players, staff for Christmas gifts
Served 34 agencies, eight of which are new to our outreach
Thunder staff contributed more than 200 hours of community service
Continued 12 Days of Giving to nonprofits to help with their mission
VISIONARY SPIRIT
Dan Straughan epitomizes the visionary spirit of Oklahoma City and its leadership, past and present, those elected to office and those who lead behind the scenes, away from the spotlight.
For years, starting in 1987 when he worked at the Federal Reserve Bank and later the United Way, Dan and a forward-thinking group of friends would meet at the Lunch Box Café, a downtown institution popular with city officials, business executives and construction workers with roots dating back to 1929.
“People called it ‘the poor man’s Petroleum Club.’ A lot of deals got done there,” Straughan said.
The cafeteria-style diner was located at 423 Sheridan Ave., and its full-length windows offered a view of a world few acknowledged at the time: homelessness. The Lunch Box was in an area that was within walking distance from the old bus station, City Rescue Mission, and the downtown library.
“You could just sit in the café and see this parade of stereotypically homeless-looking people just walking back and forth,” Dan said. “All the overnight shelters put people out in the morning. They didn’t have any place to go to be productively engaged.”
Nick Noble, son of Lloyd Noble, was one of five to regularly join Dan for the monthly gathering. Nick looked around the table and said, “I just think there’s got to be a smarter way to do homelessness.”
The six men went to work. Using their own funds, they flew to three cities with reputations for being smart with the homeless issue: Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia and Phoenix. Each was different from the other, Dan said, and no one system could be adopted and work in OKC given its size and public transportation challenges.
With additional funding help from the Noble and Merrick Foundations, the group hired a consultant to do a community needs assessment and gap analysis. That step produced a road map with three very clear priorities:
• Create a day shelter.
• Create a ‘campus’ environment to make access to services such as mental health therapy, job training and placement, and substance abuse counseling more readily available.
• Bring together the 100-plus government, faith-based and nonprofit agencies working independently on the homeless issue.
“It was really clear that an ad-hoc group of volunteers getting together once a month for lunch to yap about this stuff wasn’t going to make this happen,” Dan said.
In April 2004, the Homeless Alliance was created and Dan found himself with a new job title and place of employment. With the priorities already established, he passionately went to work, aiming to help fix a problem and make Oklahoma City better for everybody. He carried that torch for 20 years, building a legacy and an organization that created the first permanent winter shelter in Oklahoma City in the fall of 2023 and also helps support Curbside Chronicle, Curbside Flowers, Curbside Apparel, and Sasquatch Shaved Ice. Homeless Alliance is one of 119 nonprofit community partners the Thunder supports.
Humble and grateful, Dan does not take any credit. Rather, he praises his team and the visionary leaders who entrusted him with the challenge to “find a smarter way.”
INSPIRE
COLLABORATE | REPRESENT | INVEST | MOMENTUM
Having an NBA franchise brings a community global attention and exposure. We are committed to using that reach as an opportunity to bring awareness to the diversity of the people and the proud spirit of our city and state.
THUNDER FELLOWS SPOTLIGHT
In August, the Thunder Fellows program will begin its fifth year, with remarkable momentum from its 109 student participants including:
• 100 percent on-time high school graduation rate
• 95 percent postsecondary matriculation
• $3 million in scholarships redeemed
• College Enrollments: 63
• Internships Secured: 47
The Thunder Fellows was born in the summer of 2020 following a candid conversation between two childhood friends – Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti and CAA Sports Executive Mike Johnson. The two men wanted to create a program that could help unlock new opportunities in sports, entertainment, and technology for Black high school and college students in Tulsa.
WHAT WE DO
Develop future-ready critical thinkers and leaders by introducing students to foundational skills in data science, artificial intelligence, and real-world problem solving. Students thrive in an inspiring environment to prepare them as the next generation of changemakers, for success in college, and for meaningful employment.
HOW WE DO IT
Our free after-school program offers a robust college and career readiness curriculum that blends technical instruction with holistic development. Students build confidence, grow their networks, and create a game plan for long-term success by engaging in hands-on projects, receiving mentorship, and accessing professionals in sports, entertainment, and technology.
Fellows
BUILDING ON A DREAM
The Thunder Artists Group is one of many ways the Thunder uses its global reach to show the world that Oklahoma City is bigger than basketball; that, like the team, we are resilient and anchored together in a larger purpose.
Thumy Phan embodies that spirit.
Born in Vietnam, raised briefly in the Philippines before her family’s pursuit of a better life in America, Thumy continues to build on that early vision through her artwork. The path to where she is today, however, was not easy.
After arriving in Los Angeles in the fall of ’91, her family soon moved to Oklahoma City. School was challenging for a variety of reasons, beginning with a language barrier in schools that offered few faces that looked like her.
“The communities I grew up in were mainly Black and brown,” she said. “I was often one of two or three Asian faces in a class, sometimes the whole school.”
Thumy could see her future forming by eighth grade, when she was accepted into the Pathways Middle College program. The tuition-free public charter district in south OKC offers high school students an opportunity to earn an Associate’s Degree from Oklahoma City Community College while completing their diploma.
A trip to Chicago with classmates during their senior year unknowingly planted the seed for her future. Following graduation in 2009, with 36 college credits already in hand, she returned to the windy city to pursue a degree -- and ultimately, career – in graphic design.
She had diligently built a network in Chicago, and could lean on that network for contacts and inspiration while enhancing both in her hometown return. Thumy returned to a city experiencing exponential growth in its culinary, lifestyle and arts scene.
The TAG program commissions artists to create a variety of pieces throughout the season. Thumy was one of six from the 2024-25 class selected to create a limited-edition poster to be featured at one of its City Nights games, created to blend basketball, culture and art.
