The Oklahoma City Thunder played its inaugural season in the 2008–09 NBA season. It was the team's first season in Oklahoma City since the Seattle SuperSonics relocation was approved by league owners prior to settling a lawsuit. The team played at the Ford Center.
Oklahoma City hosted the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons, due to Hurricane Katrina's devastation along the Gulf Coast in August 2005.
The Thunder finished with a 23–59 record, and would not have a losing season again until the 2020–21 season.
Key dates June 26: The 2008 NBA draft took place in New York City. July 1: The free agency period started. July 2: The Seattle SuperSonics announced their immediate relocation to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. September 3 The team announces name and colors. October 8 The Oklahoma City Thunder took the court for the first time in an 88–82 preseason loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Billings, Montana. October 29 The Oklahoma City Thunder played their first regular season game ever, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks. November 2 The Oklahoma City Thunder get their first win as an NBA franchise. November 22 P. J. Carlesimo is fired and replaced on an interim basis by Scott Brooks. November 28 The Thunder tie the franchise record for consecutive games lost at 14 with a 103–105 loss to the Timberwolves. November 29 Oklahoma City snaps 14-game losing streak. January 21 Jeff Green shoots Thunder's first buzzer beater to beat the Golden State Warriors 122–121. February 14 Kevin Durant wins All-Star Break H.O.R.S.E competition. April 15 The Thunder won over Los Angeles Clippers 126–85 to end 23–59 in their first season. April 15 Scott Brooks is named full-time coach of Thunder.
Offseason Oklahoma City rookies and other young professionals played in the first game of the Orlando summer league. Oklahoma City lost its summer league opener to the Indiana Pacers rookies by a score of 95–78. Earl Calloway scored 16 points and Andre Emmett had 15 for the Pacers, who scored the game's first eight points and never trailed. Jeff Green took the first shot in Oklahoma City's history and it bounced off the rim 43 seconds after tipoff. The first basket came 2:15 into the first quarter by D.J. White, who was drafted by Detroit, traded to Seattle and played in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City franchise released its season-ticket prices on Thursday, August 14. The franchise announced that there will be 3,400 seats available at $10 per game. On average, ticket prices were about 36 per cent higher than they were for the 2007–08 Seattle SuperSonics season. The announcement also stated that the average ticket price would be US$47.51 while Seattle's average ticket price last season was $35. While last year's NBA average ticket price at $48.83, Oklahoma City's rates below the league average. Season tickets went on sale on Monday, September 8. Chairman Clay Bennett announced that the last of the 13,000 season tickets available were sold on Friday, September 12, and the team started a waiting list for season tickets.
Pre-season The Oklahoma City Thunder made their debut in an 88-82 preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 8, 2008.
First pre-season game
Kevin Durant took and made the first shot in Oklahoma City history. The Thunder had their home debut on October 14, 2008, against the Los Angeles Clippers.Oklahoma City NBA team to face hectic pace in preseason
Draft picks
The 2008 NBA Draft was the final time that the Seattle SuperSonics made an NBA Draft appearance, as well as the final time that the SuperSonics appeared in official media publications. In early July, the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder made their first NBA Draft appearance in 2009.
The SuperSonics entered the draft with two first-round picks and four second-round picks. They retained their original pick in each round, while the remainder were acquired through previous trades.
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/club team 1 4 Russell Westbrook PG UCLA 1 24 Serge Ibaka PF L'Hospitalet (Spain) 2 32 Walter Sharpe PF UAB 2 46 Trent Plaisted PF BYU 2 50 DeVon Hardin C California 2 56 Sasha Kaun C Kansas D.J. White
Roster
Regular season
Standings
Game log
| 1 | October 29 | Milwaukee | | Russell Westbrook, Chris Wilcox (13) | Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox (6) | Russell Westbrook, Earl Watson (4) | Ford Center19,136 | 0–1
| 2 | November 1 | @ Houston | | Kevin Durant (26) | Johan Petro (9) | Earl Watson (8) | Toyota Center16,996 | 0–2 |- | 3 | November 2 | Minnesota | | Kevin Durant (18) | Nick Collison (10) | Earl Watson (4) | Ford Center18,163 | 1–2 |- | 4 | November 5 | Boston | | Kevin Durant (17) | Chris Wilcox (8) | Earl Watson (5) | Ford Center19,136 | 1–3 |- | 5 | November 7 | @ Utah | | Kevin Durant (24) | Nick Collison, Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox (6) | Kevin Durant, Earl Watson (3) | EnergySolutions Arena19,911 | 1–4 |- | 6 | November 9 | Atlanta | | Kevin Durant (20) | Joe Smith (9) | Earl Watson (6) | Ford Center18,231 | 1–5 |- | 7 | November 10 | @ Indiana | | Kevin Durant (37) | Kevin Durant, Nick Collison, Johan Petro (8) | Earl Watson (9) | Conseco Fieldhouse10,165 | 1–6 |- | 8 | November 12 | Orlando | | Jeff Green (25) | Jeff Green (10) | Earl Watson (8) | Ford Center18,185 | 1–7 |- | 9 | November 14 | @ New York | | Kevin Durant (23) | Robert Swift (13) | Earl Watson (8) | Madison Square Garden18,008 | 1–8 |- | 10 | November 15 | @ Philadelphia | | Jeff Green (21) | Johan Petro (12) | Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook (4) | Wachovia Center13,385 | 1–9 |- | 11 | November 17 | Houston | | Kevin Durant (29) | Robert Swift, Johan Petro (8) | Kevin Durant, Earl Watson (4) | Ford Center18,145 | 1–10 |- | 12 | November 19 | L.A. Clippers | | Kevin Durant (18) | Joe Smith (7) | Earl Watson (5) | Ford Center18,312 | 1–11 |- | 13 | November 21 | New Orleans | | Kevin Durant (17) | Nick Collison (13) | Earl Watson (4) | Ford Center19,136 | 1–12 |- | 14 | November 22 | @ New Orleans | | Kevin Durant (30) | Chris Wilcox (10) | Russell Westbrook (11) | New Orleans Arena16,023 | 1–13 |- | 15 | November 25 | Phoenix | | Kevin Durant (29) | Chris Wilcox, Jeff Green, Earl Watson, Joe Smith (6) | Earl Watson (13) | Ford Center19,136 | 1–14 |- | 16 | November 26 | @ Cleveland | | Chris Wilcox (14) | Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison (5) | Russell Westbrook, Kyle Weaver (5) | Quicken Loans Arena19,753 | 1–15 |- | 17 | November 28 | Minnesota | | Kevin Durant, Jeff Green (22) | Chris Wilcox (7) | Russell Westbrook (8) | Ford Center18,229 | 1–16 |- | 18 | November 29 | @ Memphis | | Kevin Durant (30) | Kevin Durant (7) | Earl Watson (7) | FedExForum11,977 | 2–16
| 19 | December 3 | @ Charlotte | | Kevin Durant (24) | Jeff Green (6) | Earl Watson (11) | Time Warner Cable Arena11,629 | 2–17 |- | 20 | December 5 | @ Orlando | | Russell Westbrook (19) | Kevin Durant (10) | Russell Westbrook (5) | Amway Arena16,812 | 2–18 |- | 21 | December 6 | @ Miami | | Russell Westbrook (30) | Jeff Green (9) | Earl Watson (12) | American Airlines Arena17,585 | 2–19 |- | 22 | December 8 | Golden State | | Kevin Durant (41) | Kevin Durant, Nick Collison (10) | Russell Westbrook, Earl Watson (7) | Ford Center17,854 | 2–20 |- | 23 | December 10 | Memphis | | Kevin Durant (28) | Nick Collison (8) | Earl Watson (7) | Ford Center18,009 | 2–21 |- | 24 | December 13 | @ Dallas | | Jeff Green (25) | Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Nick Collison (8) | Russell Westbrook, Earl Watson (6) | American Airlines Center20,190 | 2–22 |- | 25 | December 14 | @ San Antonio | | Jeff Green (33) | Kevin Durant (13) | Nick Collison (5) | AT&T Center17,419 | 2–23 |- | 26 | December 16 | L.A. Clippers | | Kevin Durant (25) | Russell Westbrook, Desmond Mason (7) | Earl Watson (12) | Ford Center18,275 | 2–24 |- | 27 | December 19 | Toronto | | Kevin Durant (26) | Desmond Mason (10) | Russell Westbrook (8) | Ford Center18,806 | 3–24 |- | 28 | December 21 | Cleveland | | Kevin Durant (26) | Jeff Green (10) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Ford Center19,136 | 3–25 |- | 29 | December 23 | @ Atlanta | | Kevin Durant (28) | Jeff Green (14) | Earl Watson (7) | Philips Arena12,138 | 3–26 |- | 30 | December 26 | @ Detroit | | Kevin Durant (26) | Joe Smith (10) | Earl Watson (6) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 3–27 |- | 31 | December 27 | @ Washington | | Kevin Durant (25) | Kevin Durant (11) | Earl Watson (6) | Verizon Center16,181 | 3–28 |- | 32 | December 29 | Phoenix | | Russell Westbrook (31) | Jeff Green (11) | Russell Westbrook (5) | Ford Center19,136 | 3–29 |- | 33 | December 31 | Golden State | | Jeff Green (26) | Kevin Durant (10) | Kevin Durant, Earl Watson (6) | Ford Center18,229 | 4–29
| 34 | January 2 | Denver | | Kevin Durant (33) | Kevin Durant (9) | Earl Watson (7) | Ford Center18,613 | 4–30 |- | 35 | January 6 | New York | | Kevin Durant, Jeff Green (27) | Kevin Durant (12) | Russell Westbrook (9) | Ford Center18,487 | 5–30 |- | 36 | January 7 | @ Minnesota | | Nick Collison (17) | Nick Collison (10) | Russell Westbrook (12) | Target Center10,272 | 5–31 |- | 37 | January 9 | Houston | | Kevin Durant (27) | Nick Collison (10) | Russell Westbrook (6) | Ford Center19,136 | 5–32 |- | 38 | January 10 | @ Chicago | | Kevin Durant (28) | Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook (12) | Earl Watson (11) | United Center20,469 | 6–32 |- | 39 | January 12 | @ New Jersey | | Kevin Durant (26) | Jeff Green (10) | Earl Watson (9) | Izod Center12,972 | 6–33 |- | 40 | January 14 | Utah | | Jeff Green (23) | Nenad Krstić, Nick Collison (11) | Russell Westbrook (7) | Ford Center18,437 | 7–33 |- | 41 | January 16 | Detroit | | Kevin Durant (32) | Jeff Green (14) | Russell Westbrook (6) | Ford Center19,136 | 8–33 |- | 42 | January 18 | Miami | | Kevin Durant (31) | Russell Westbrook (8) | Earl Watson (6) | Ford Center19,136 | 8–34 |- | 43 | January 21 | @ Golden State | | Russell Westbrook (30) | Kevin Durant (12) | Russell Westbrook (7) | Oracle Arena19,318 | 9–34 |- | 44 | January 23 | @ L.A. Clippers | | Kevin Durant (46) | Kevin Durant (15) | Kyle Weaver (5) | Staples Center14,913 | 9–35 |- | 45 | January 26 | New Jersey | | Kevin Durant (18) | Chris Wilcox (9) | Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook (4) | Ford Center18,264 | 10–35 |- | 46 | January 28 | Memphis | | Kevin Durant (35) | Kevin Durant (10) | Kevin Durant (6) | Ford Center18,450 | 11–35 |- | 47 | January 30 | @ Utah | | Kevin Durant (29) | Kevin Durant (10) | Kevin Durant, Earl Watson (4) | EnergySolutions Arena19,911 | 11–36
| 48 | February 1 | @ Sacramento | | Russell Westbrook (34) | Nick Collison (14) | Russell Westbrook (8) | ARCO Arena10,817 | 11–37 |- | 49 | February 4 | Denver | | Kevin Durant (31) | Kevin Durant, Nick Collison (8) | Earl Watson (8) | Ford Center18,332 | 11–38 |- | 50 | February 6 | Portland | | Kevin Durant (31) | Nick Collison (13) | Earl Watson (11) | Ford Center18,694 | 12–38 |- | 51 | February 8 | Sacramento | | Kevin Durant (39) | Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook (7) | Russell Westbrook (8) | Ford Center18,271 | 13–38 |- | 52 | February 10 | @ L.A. Lakers | | Kevin Durant (31) | Kevin Durant (10) | Russell Westbrook (7) | Staples Center18,997 | 13–39 |- | 53 | February 11 | @ Portland | | Russell Westbrook (21) | Russell Westbrook (12) | Earl Watson (5) | Rose Garden20,050 | 13–40 |- | 54 | February 17 | New Orleans | | Kevin Durant (47) | Nenad Krstić (10) | Earl Watson (7) | Ford Center18,593 | 13–41 |- | 55 | February 20 | @ Phoenix | | Kevin Durant (35) | Jeff Green (14) | Russell Westbrook (8) | US Airways Center18,422 | 13–42 |- | 56 | February 21 | @ Golden State | | Kevin Durant (32) | Jeff Green (15) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Oracle Arena19,108 | 13–43 |- | 57 | February 24 | L.A. Lakers | | Kevin Durant (32) | Nenad Krstić (11) | Kevin Durant (6) | Ford Center19,136 | 13–44 |- | 58 | February 27 | @ Dallas |