OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The Oklahoma City Thunder made history last night by winning their first NBA title in city history. It wasn’t the first championship in franchise history, with the team having one title from its Seattle Supersonic days. With the 2009 move to Tornado Alley, it was a rare professional sports move from a large market to a nonexistent market. Oklahoma City is in the bottom five in sports markets concerning population and TV market size. It’s the first time a bottom-five U.S. market has won a title in the “big four” pro sports since Green Bay winning the Super Bowl in 2011.
It’s big when talent hits hard in small markets. It sends tidal waves throughout professional sports and rattles the college schools, further highlighting the narrative that multi-million dollar programs with massive fan bases aren’t always the best, and they don’t always attract the passion and raw talent needed to be championship worthy. With big markets brings big pressure upon its players. Smaller markets can have the upper hand by allowing their players to be more beloved than examined, breaking free from monotone expectations in large-market climates.
San Angelo should give Oklahoma City a hand. The Concho Valley should be happy in every scenario where the little guy triumphs over the status quo.
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