News & Views

The State Of Oklahoma Loves Them Some NBA Basketball

Oklahoma City 44.3 rating for Game 1, Tulsa 27.7 rating for Game 1 of NBA FinalsGame 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals was without question the biggest sporting event in the history of Oklahoma. While the Oklahoma Sooner and Oklahoma State Cowboy football and basketball programs have been a part of the national sports scene for many decades, the state’s entry into the world of professional sports only took place a mere four years ago, when the former Seattle SuperSonics decided to hang their hat in downtown Oklahoma City.

What a perfect marriage this has turned out to be!

The Sooner State has embraced the Thunder from its very inception, with Tuesday night’s television ratings providing the most fundamental example of the state’s all in embrace of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and the rest of coach Scott Brooks’ electrifying young roster.

During Game 1, the Oklahoma City media market registered a mindboggling 44.3 local television rating, with the Tulsa market producing a whopping 27.7 rating.

In other words, nearly half of the houses in OKC and more than a quarter of the abodes in Tulsa were watching the Thunder's 105-94 victory over the Miami Heat. Wow!

While it remains an absolute shame that the great NBA city of Seattle lost its beloved franchise, at least the team’s Great Plains landing spot appears to have been a remarkably perfect fit.

 

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Jon Rapoport has spent his career working on all sides of the media and sports industry. He began his career at ESPN in studio production at the ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. While there, he won an Emmy for his contribution to "SportsCenter." Following his tenure at ESPN, Jon relocated to Los Angeles, joining the staff of the “Best Damn Sports Show” on FOX Sports Net.

Upon leaving the show, Jon worked in Web site and sports radio show development/production, with Major League Baseball in media operation logistics for the World Baseball Classic and on behalf of Los Angeles’ effort to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics back to Southern California. Jon currently writes a political blog for the Los Angeles edition of Examiner.com.

Born and raised in Plymouth, Minnesota (just outside of Minneapolis), Jon is an avid sports fan, particularly for his beloved Minnesota teams. Jon graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned his BA in communication and interned for ABC’s “Good Morning America” in New York City and Washington D.C. He is married and resides in Los Angeles.  

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