IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS GAME SEVEN HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY TO END THE NBA FINALS. AND THE IMPACT HAS BEEN INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE VISITING OKC FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE. KOCO JASON BERGER LEADS OUR COVERAGE TONIGHT. JASON, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU FOUND A HOUSE WITH A CLEAR MESSAGE. YEAH GUYS I THINK IF THERE’S ONE WORD BEFORE GAME SEVEN FOR THUNDER FANS, YOU GOT TO BELIEVE I JUST TALKED TO THE FAMILY THAT SET THIS UP. THEY SAY THEY CHANGE IT FOR EVERY FINALS GAME. WE STARTED OUT WITH OKC. THAT WAS SIMPLE. AND THEN IT GOT KIND OF BORING AND EVERYBODY WAS DIGGING IT. SO WE DECIDED TO BE LIKE CHARLOTTE’S WEB AND MAKE A NEW SAYING FOR EACH GAME. NOW, ABBY, THEY TELL ME THAT THEY’RE GOING TO CHANGE IT FOR SUNDAY’S GAME TWO, AND HOPEFULLY THAT RING YOU SEE BACK THERE WILL MANIFEST INTO SOMETHING REAL, DON’T YOU THINK? SO? I WAS WONDERING IF THAT WAS A RING ON THE OUTSIDE OF BELLY. THAT’S A NICE TOUCH. YEAH, THAT’S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. THAT’S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF IT. BELIEVE. AND JASON, I ALSO KNOW YOU’VE BEEN OUT REALLY THIS ENTIRE ENTIRE FINAL STRETCH TALKING WITH BUSINESSES, HEARING FROM PEOPLE COMING IN FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT GUYS. AND WHAT IF I TOLD YOU IT WASN’T JUST PEOPLE FROM WITHIN OUR COUNTRY, BUT FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL? COMING HERE TO OKC, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS DATA. SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN AND OUT OF STATE. AND PROBABLY A NUMBER OF THOSE HAVE TO DO WITH PLAYOFFS. CHAD HUNTINGTON IS ONE OF THE DIRECTORS FOR BRICKTOWN IN OKC. HE GAVE US THIS DATA SHOWING ALL THE UNIQUE VISITS TO THE BRICKTOWN AREA SINCE JANUARY 1ST THIS YEAR. CELL PHONE DATA IS USED TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT CAME TO BRICKTOWN SPECIFICALLY, A LOT OF PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY JUST TO SEE THE FINALS, WHO HAVE NO ALLEGIANCE TO EITHER TEAM OTHER THAN OKLAHOMA. THE TOP VISITORS FROM OUT OF STATE COME FROM TEXAS, KANSAS AND ARKANSAS, BUT THERE ARE VISITS RECORDED FROM HAWAII, ALASKA AND STATES ALL OVER THE EAST COAST. THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES, ALONG WITH TOURISM, ARE ALSO FACTORS. ROUTE 66 ALSO A BIG DRIVER FOR US AND ON THE BRICKTOWN WATER TAXI BOATS. CAPTAINS HAVE SEEN PEOPLE FROM OUT OF THE COUNTRY TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THESE COUNTRIES WHERE THEY’RE COMING FROM. WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY 234 BOOKINGS THAT WERE INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS JUST SINCE MEMORIAL DAY, AND THAT REPRESENTS ALMOST TWO DOZEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THAT WOULD PROBABLY EQUATE TO ABOUT 500 OR SO INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS. AND I THINK THE NUMBER WAS 23
Oklahoma City welcomes global visitors during NBA Finals
Oklahoma City has attracted tourists from around the world during the NBA Finals, boosting local tourism and international interest.
Updated: 10:06 PM CDT Jun 20, 2025
As Oklahoma City prepares for Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the city has seen a notable increase in visitors from across the nation and internationally. >> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channelChad Huntington, one of the directors for Bricktown in OKC, shared data showing unique visits to the Bricktown area since January 1, using cell phone data to track people specifically coming to Bricktown.WATCH: Thunder superfan travels thousands of miles to support team in NBA Finals“There’s a significant number of people coming from out of town and out of state, and probably a number of those have to do with the playoffs,” Huntington said.Visitors have come to Oklahoma City not only for the NBA Finals but also for other attractions like the Women’s College World Series and tourism hotspots such as Route 66. The top out-of-state visitors come from Texas, Kansas, and Arkansas, with additional visits recorded from Hawaii, Alaska, and states across the East Coast.“Route 66 is also a big driver for us,” Huntington said.The Bricktown Water Taxi has also seen international travelers, with captains identifying 234 bookings from international visitors since Memorial Day. These travelers represent nearly two dozen different countries, including Australia, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Latvia, Maldives, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.WATCH: Canadian fans travel over 1,700 miles to support Thunder in Oklahoma City“That would probably equate to about 500 or so international travelers, and I think the number was 23 countries,” Huntington said.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.A number of local Thunder fans have also showed their pride for the team, including one Bethany family.Lit up outside their house on Friday night: Believe.The family changes the messages in lights before every game.“We started out with OKC, and it was simple but it got kind of boring, and everyone was digging it. So, we decided to be like Charlotte’s Web, and make a new saying for every game,” said Sherry Mitchell.With Game 7 approaching, tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Sunday night, as fans eagerly await to see if the Thunder can secure the championship trophy.More Thunder HeadlinesThunder NBA Finals: Tickets, schedule and what to knowSwiss fan fulfills dream of visiting Oklahoma City for Thunder gameOklahoma City Thunder fans bring electric energy to Paycom CenterOKC Bricktown Water Taxi welcomes global visitors during NBA FinalsNBA Finals schedule: When you can watch the Thunder play
OKLAHOMA CITY —
As Oklahoma City prepares for Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the city has seen a notable increase in visitors from across the nation and internationally.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel
Chad Huntington, one of the directors for Bricktown in OKC, shared data showing unique visits to the Bricktown area since January 1, using cell phone data to track people specifically coming to Bricktown.
WATCH: Thunder superfan travels thousands of miles to support team in NBA Finals
“There’s a significant number of people coming from out of town and out of state, and probably a number of those have to do with the playoffs,” Huntington said.
Visitors have come to Oklahoma City not only for the NBA Finals but also for other attractions like the Women’s College World Series and tourism hotspots such as Route 66.
The top out-of-state visitors come from Texas, Kansas, and Arkansas, with additional visits recorded from Hawaii, Alaska, and states across the East Coast.
“Route 66 is also a big driver for us,” Huntington said.
The Bricktown Water Taxi has also seen international travelers, with captains identifying 234 bookings from international visitors since Memorial Day.
These travelers represent nearly two dozen different countries, including Australia, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Latvia, Maldives, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
WATCH: Canadian fans travel over 1,700 miles to support Thunder in Oklahoma City
“That would probably equate to about 500 or so international travelers, and I think the number was 23 countries,” Huntington said.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
A number of local Thunder fans have also showed their pride for the team, including one Bethany family.
Lit up outside their house on Friday night: Believe.
The family changes the messages in lights before every game.
“We started out with OKC, and it was simple but it got kind of boring, and everyone was digging it. So, we decided to be like Charlotte’s Web, and make a new saying for every game,” said Sherry Mitchell.
With Game 7 approaching, tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Sunday night, as fans eagerly await to see if the Thunder can secure the championship trophy.
More Thunder Headlines