A parade celebrating the OKC Thunder’s NBA championship rolled through downtown Oklahoma City and thousands of fans swarmed the city for a chance to see the NBA players in person.
The 2025 championship parade began shortly after at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23, in Midtown and ended at Paycom Center and Scissortail Park. The parade was expected to draw up to 500,000 people.
Follow along for live updates along the parade route as the whole city celebrates OKC Thunder.
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Vaughn Alexander, father of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, told reporters at the parade that he’s proud of his son’s success on the court, but also for his humility off the court.
“Everybody’s human and everybody’s equal. Yeah, Shai plays basketball and he’s amazing, but that doesn’t mean he’s better than anybody as a human being.”
“What makes him a better human being is how he acts off the court, and that’s what I’m more proud of. The off the court stuff, and this is off the court.”
“Everybody’s human and everybody’s equal. Yeah, Shai plays basketball and he’s amazing, but that doesn’t mean he’s better than anybody as a human being.”
Vaughn Alexander on the humility from Shai and the OKC squad 🫶 pic.twitter.com/T0FmXhqzCJ
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 24, 2025
-Cheyenne Derksen
Jalen Williams kept it “short and sweet,” thanking fans for their support.
Aaron Wiggins rallied the crowd with a shout of, “OKC, I know you’re not tired of making noise yet!”
“Without you guys, none of this is possible,” Wiggins added.
Jaylin Williams laughed as he took the mic, saying “And they said we was too young… But guess what? We’re the (expletive) champs!”
Shai Gilgeous Alexander: “Wow. … Thank you guys so much. Don’t ever forget this. Moments in life like this, they don’t come very often. … We love you guys.”
-Jana Hayes
OKC mayor David Holt has given each Thunder player his own day in July, culminating with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receiving his own day on July 30.
Holt ran through the list of dates and players on the stage at Scissortail Park.
-Jacob Unruh
The Oklahoma City Thunder double-decker Championship buses are nearing the end of the parade route, passing by the massive, cheering crowd based at Scissortail Park.
There will be a closing program at the park, which was expected to start around 12:15 and will last approximately half an hour.
-Jana Hayes
Social media users had different perspectives on the size of the crowd in Oklahoma City, with some lauding the many in attendance across the two-mile route in the city of 700,000.
Others appeared to think the size of the crowd was not large enough.
While it’s not yet clear just how many people are in attendance, it’s expected to be the biggest crowd Oklahoma City has ever seen. Here’s what people said:
Watching okc thunder parade, crowd is quiet a bit larger than trumps birthday parade, VERY LARGE CROWD.
— Apache Cowboy (@ApacheCowboy3) June 24, 2025
That thunder parade embarrassing
— shelly (@shelly_400) June 24, 2025
lmao ive seen the paycom get packed everytime in a playoff game
it looks like 5% of thunder fans attended the parade cry 😭
— 🕸️ (@flaggbeliever) June 24, 2025
-Jana Hayes
I love that this Thunder team got off the buses to high five the parade goers! Thunder up! @okcthunder
— DJackson (@mrsj_AZ) June 24, 2025
It just shows you how awesome and real these #Thunder players are, getting off the champ busses and walking along the route and going and engaging with the fans! Shout out OKC for showing up and showing out today! The parade is wild. #NBACHAMPIONPARADE
— Luke (@Oklahoma_dude) June 24, 2025
Lol, this #THUNDER championship parade is the most #okc thing ever, with the players off the buses to run around high-fiving fans and throw out swag. Big, young energy. Zero concerns if others don’t think we’re celebrating the “right” way or whatever.https://t.co/KQgVveIpVN
— Brandy McDonnell (@BAMOK) June 24, 2025
Thunder sideline reporter Nick Gallo is a man of the people. He proved it yet again Tuesday during the NBA championship parade, leaving a bus to greet fans along with center Isaiah Hartenstein, who gave Gallo what appeared to be Don Julio tequila.
-Jeff Patterson
About 20 minutes into the parade, several players exited the double-decker bus to walk alongside and cheer with fans.
J-Will, J-Dub, Isaiah Hartenstein and others walked along the barricade to give high-fives and sign autographs near where the parade route turned a corner outside the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.
Notably, players were celebrating with Thunder fans in what might be the happiest moment in OKC history in the same spot the city suffered its worst tragedy 30 years ago. For those who have a deep history with the city, it was a profound moment.
-Cheyenne Derksen
Oklahoma City Thunder stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Hartenstein could be seen leaving their double-decker parade buses for a few short moments to greet fans.
Hartenstein busted a few dance moves in the street, and was followed by Brandon Carlson who allowed fans to touch the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy.
Soon, other players joined in on the fun, including Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams and Lu Dort.
-Jana Hayes
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, his wife Rachel Canuso Holt and two children, were seen in the bed of a pickup truck as part of the 2025 Championship Parade.
Holt, who consistently cheers on the Thunder from Paycom Center along with his family, could be seen yelling at the crowd and waving a rally towel.
-Jana Hayes
The 2025 Champions Parade has begun.
The first vehicle in the parade carried OKC Thunder mascot Rumble the Bison, who amped up crowds from the top of a vehicle.
He was followed by vehicles carrying Thunder cheerleaders, employees from sponsoring companies, drummers, and confetti cannons.
-Cheyenne Derksen
The parade route starts at NW 10 and Harvey Avenue and heads south on Harvey, west on NW 5, south on Walker Avenue, east on Oklahoma City Boulevard, south on S Robinson Avenue and ends at SW 6.
Cross streets and other surrounding streets will be closed.
The 2025 championship parade was slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23, in Midtown and end at Paycom Center and Scissortail Park.
At 10:50 a.m., players were loading onto double-decker buses about to take off and start the parade.
Before the parade, players and their families participated in a kickoff celebration at Paycom Center, then traveled to the north side of downtown to load up and start the parade.
-Cheyenne Derksen
Isaiah Hartenstein shouted out Nick Collison with a bloody-face T-shirt.
Alex Caruso shouted out himself with a Mount Rushmore with his face plastered four times.
Meanwhile, Kenny Hustle himself, Kenrich Williams paid homage to the two other Williamses on the Thunder — Jalen and Jaylin — with a custom jersey featuring all three of their numbers.
The Williams trio jersey first gained fame last season thanks to Thunder superfan Sharee Farmer.
-Jeff Patterson
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the last player to speak: “Louder!” he shouts, egging on the crowd. He tells his teammates to stand up and get behind him, like in the postgame interviews. “Act like you’ve been here,” he jokes.
“We do everything together, and guess what guys, we won an NBA championship together.”
-Joe Mussatto
Jaylin Williams said of his team, “These are my brothers. I know y’all see us as a team, but we’re a family first.”
He also thanked fans for cheering the team on: “We couldn’t have done it without y’all. Y’all should’ve worn a jersey.”
Watch Thunder player entrance at Paycom Center before NBA title parade
Kenrich Kenrich has a triple Williams’ jersey. Isaiah Hartenstein is rocking a Nick Collison shirt. Chet Holmgren is in a full sweatsuit. SGA and Dort rocking their flags.
-Joe Mussatto
“What have the last 24 hours been like for you?” Jalen Williams is asked.“Alcohol for the first time,” he says with a giggle.
-Joe Mussatto
“Heavy,” Chet Holmgren says as he lifts the Larry O’Brien trophy with one arm and holds the microphone with the other.
-Joe Mussatto
Alex Caruso spoke to the crowd, thanking fans for showing support in many ways.
“I think there was a great mutual energy between me and the crowd this year … Y’all were the difference,” Caruso said.
Kenrich Williams added: “We’ve been playing in every arena in this league, and you guys are the best fans in the world. I promise you that.”
-Joe Mussatto
A man carrying a sign with messages like “Repent!” is walking through the crowd at Scissortail Park. Speaking through a megaphone, he’s drawing more than a few curious glances from people in this captive audience.
Several charter buses rolled past the park, causing the many in the crowd to cheer. Presumably, they think the Thunder players or other VIPs may have made their entrance into downtown on those buses.
The outer perimeter of the park along the parade route is at least five rows deep with people in lawn chairs waiting for the big event to start.
Even though Oklahoma City Mayor warned that upwards of 500,000 people would gather for the parade, some people in the crowd still expressed surprise at the throngs of people already at the park by 8:30 a.m.
“I knew there would be a lot of people, but I didn’t realize there would be this many,” Josephine Burton said, as she and her husband Charles sat in lawn chairs on the east perimeter of the park.
-Carla Hinton
The whole team stood and cheered when Sam Presti was recognized. They did the same for Mark Daigneault. The players are about to speak. Aaron Wiggins is up first.
Wiggins leads the Thunder crowd in “OKC” chants. “What a journey. Was it worth it?!?” The crowd went nuts.
“Where’s Nick Collison at?” Wiggins yelled when the video board panned to Collison’s jersey hanging in the rafters. Collison stood and tipped his hat to the crowd.
-Joe Mussatto
Isaiah Hartenstein is wearing a shirt featuring a bloody-faced Nick Collison. SGA has on his gold converse sneakers. He has a Canadian flag draped around his waist.
-Joe Mussatto
Thunder PA announcer Mario Nanni is welcoming each player onto the court. Rookie Dillon Jones carried the Larry O’Brien trophy onto the stage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the last player announced. And no surprise, he got the loudest cheers.
Thunder sideline reporter Paris Lawson is emceeing the opening ceremony of the parade inside Paycom Center.
-Joe Mussatto
The ceremony inside Paycom Center starts in classic Thunder fashion: With a Rob Clay national anthem. The pre-parade event is for Thunder season ticket holders.
Clay Bennett raised his arms to the crowd as he walked onto the stage alongside general manager Sam Presti and coach Mark Daigneault. The players are about to enter the court.
-Joe Mussatto
White T-shirts are covering the seats along the lower bowl at Paycom Center ahead of Tuesday’s 9 a.m. celebration.
What is the OKC Thunder parade route?
The parade route starts at NW 10 and Harvey Avenue and heads south on Harvey, west on NW 5, south on Walker Avenue, east on Oklahoma City Boulevard, south on S Robinson Avenue and ends at SW 6.
Cross streets and other surrounding streets will be closed.
The National Weather Service warns that conditions today will be hot and muggy, with heat indices reaching as high as 100 and 105 degrees in some areas.
Parade officials are offering cooling stations, water and medical services to fans needing help along the parade route.
The heat continues this week with hot and muggy conditions. Heat indices will be as high as 100 to 105 degrees in some areas. Low chances for precipitation across parts of northern OK this week with increasing chances of precipitation heading into early next week. #okwx #txwx pic.twitter.com/hTmCVbgft6
— NWS Norman (@NWSNorman) June 24, 2025
-Cheyenne Derksen
OKC Thunder championship books
The award-winning sportswriters and photographers at The Oklahoman have crafted two books about the Thunder’s season: “THUNDERSTRUCK” and “Thunder Up!” Each tells the championship story in different ways and formats, featuring scores of color photos and insider observations about the Thunder from Joel Lorenzi, Jenni Carlson, and Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.
“THUNDERSTRUCK: The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Historic Run to the 2025 NBA Championship” will be available at a variety of stores by the weekend of June 27, although it can also be ordered online right now at www.triumphbooks.com/thunder2025.
“THUNDERSTRUCK,” a 128-page softcover book, chronicles the unforgettable moments of this championship season. From beating Nikola Jokic in the season opener to winning a franchise record of 15 straight games to hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy on OKC’s home court.
“THUNDERSTRUCK” retails for $17.95 (plus tax and shipping if purchased online).
Buy our THUNDERSTRUCK championship book
“Thunder Up! SGA’s MVP Season and OKC’s Historic Championship Run” also covers the thrills and chills of the championship season but highlights the people and personalities forever etched in OKC lore. “Thunder Up!” is a premium hardcover collector’s book with more pictures, more pages and more Thunder.
At 160 pages, it features more on SGA’s 54-pointer against Utah. More on the showdowns with the Cavaliers of Donovan Mitchell and the Lakers of Luka Doncic and LeBron James. More on the playoff march that steamrolled Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, Jokic and the Nuggets, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves and, finally, Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers.
Order “Thunder Up!” for just $31.95 — a 20% discount off the $39.95 retail price (plus tax and shipping). You also can receive a printable certificate for a graduation gift. Order at ThunderUp.PictorialBook.com.
Many fans will want “THUNDERSTRUCK” and “Thunder Up!” Some fans never will take the coffee-table book out its shrink-wrapping so that it can be passed down to future generations, all brought up the right way to wear Thunder blue.
Buy our Thunder Up! championship book
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