OKC Thunder evens series with Game 4 win over Denver Nuggets
The OKC Thunder earned a 92-87 road win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Oklahoma City Thunder return to the Paycom Center this week, and attendees will receive a mix of playoff shirts this season.
Each ticket holder will receive a free T-shirt that will paint the crowd in stripes of blue and white during Tuesday’s Game 5 matchup. Most fans put their shirts on right away (if you don’t, you risk being on the jumbotron and pressured to join).
During this season’s playoffs, the Thunder has also continued its lighthearted jumbotron antics, which aim to peer-pressure fans to wear their playoff T-shirts. The camera pans to an attendee who isn’t wearing one of the shirts and clamorous boos follow.
Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s shirts.
OKC Thunder playoff shirts designs
This season’s playoff shirts have been blue and white, and for Game 5, fans will get another chance at the playoff design. The shirts read “Playoffs25” and “Oklahoma City Basketball Est. 08.” They are Thunder blue with white lettering or white with Thunder blue lettering.
Each shirt also has the Riverwind Casino logo on the left sleeve.
You don’t get to choose your shirt; each section is given a different colored shirt.
Fans are encouraged to come early and put on their shirts and be in their seats by 8:10 p.m. to welcome the team to the floor before tipoff.
Why do NBA teams do playoff shirts?
For the Thunder, offering 18,203 fans matching shirts during the NBA playoffs is a tradition dating back to one of the franchise’s first postseason wins in OKC over Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers 15 years ago. And in Game 2, when the Thunder handled the Grizzlies 118-99 Tuesday night, the pranks continued.
It’s unknown when the tradition started throughout the NBA, but looking at the 2007 Warriors’ run, you can find a couple of glimpses of the start. At the time, this was the Warriors‘ first playoff appearance in 13 seasons, and Warrior executives wanted to “make that first playoff game special.”
Related: Here’s how the tradition of playoff shirts got its start.
So, they printed shirts for every fan in the arena and have continued the tradition for every home playoff game since.
Is it required to wear the shirt?
You are not required to wear a shirt at the game, but you’d be better off wearing one if you don’t want to face the peer pressure.
Even the Oklahoma City Police Department has made light of the joke, saying, “We’re watching.”
If you are caught without the signature shirt, whether blue or white, you may be put on the jumbotron and booed by fans near and at home. The camera pans to an attendee who isn’t wearing one of the shirts and clamorous boos follow.
For a long time, Thunder fan Juan Guerra hadn’t missed a home game, and during Game 2 of the NBA Playoffs, he did not match the dress code. While fans booed and tried to pressure Guerra to wear the shirt, center Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed one of the playoff shirts and draped it over Guerra’s shoulder.
“He got the neon shirt on and I saw it and just felt like he was doing it on purpose,” Hartenstein told The Oklahoman. “You can’t be too cool to wear the shirt.”
Since then, it’s become a playoff ritual to target those who opt not to wear the shirt.