The State Of Oklahoma Loves Them Some NBA Basketball

Game 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.