Oklahoma City Blue

American minor league basketball team of the NBA G League

Oklahoma City Blue

2023–24 NBA G League season
Conference| Western
League| NBA G League
Founded| 2001
History| Asheville Altitude
2001–2005
Tulsa 66ers
2005–2014
Oklahoma City Blue
2014–present
Arena| Paycom Center
Location| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Team colors| Blue, sunset, navy blue, yellow[1][2]

General manager| D. J. White
Head coach| Kameron Woods
Ownership| Professional Basketball Club LLC
Affiliation(s)| Oklahoma City Thunder
Championships| 3 (2003, 2004, 2024)
Conference titles| 3 (2004, 2017, 2024)
Division titles| 4 (2003, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Website| oklahomacity.gleague.nba.com

The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue compete in the NBA G League as members of the Western Conference. The Blue play their home games at Paycom Center, an arena shared with the Thunder.

The franchise began as the Asheville Altitude in 2001 playing in Asheville, North Carolina for four seasons. They won the 2004 and 2005 NBDL championship, becoming the first (and so far only) team to win consecutive league championships. After struggling with poor attendance, the franchise relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma and played nine seasons as the Tulsa 66ers. Before the 2014–15 season, the franchise relocated again to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, becoming the Oklahoma City Blue. One of three teams still playing from the first league season, they are the oldest surviving NBA G League champion to play in the league.

## History

[edit]

### Asheville Altitude (2001–2005)

[edit]

The franchise began in 2001 when NBA Commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Russ Granik formed the National Basketball Development League. Asheville, North Carolina was chosen to one of the first eight franchises located in the southeastern United States. The franchise hired Joey Meyer and began their inaugural season in the 2001–02 season.

In its inaugural season, the Altitude had a 26–30 record, finishing sixth in the league. Center Paul Grant was named to the league's inaugural All-NBDL Second Team. After accumulating a 49–57 record after two seasons, the Altitude won back-to-back championships in its final two seasons in Asheville. Despite the Altitude's recent success, the franchise experienced poor attendance with fans often numbering in the dozens despite a 5,000 seat capacity. In its first four seasons, the Altitude averaged 788 fans a game and suffered at least $100,000 in losses.[3]

After the 2004–05 season, team president Rudy Bourg announced the Altitude had been sold to an independent ownership group and would relocate prior to the start of next season.[4]

### Tulsa 66ers (2005–2014)

[edit]

Before the start of the 2005–06 season, the league announced expansion to the southwest United States with Tulsa, Oklahoma being chosen as a host city. Initially planned to being independently owned and operated by the league, Southwest Basketball, LLC, operated by owner David Kahn, purchased the Altitude and relocated the franchise to Tulsa. The franchise also rebranded and was renamed to the Tulsa 66ers, in honor of the U.S. Route 66 which runs through the city and the state of Oklahoma.[5] Starting in 2005, the National Basketball Association announced an affiliation and assignment system for the league. Under the system, the 66ers were directly affiliated with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks and the New Orleans Hornets.[6] Prior to the start of the 2006–07 season, the franchise's affiliation with the Bulls and Pacers ended with the addition of the New York Knicks.[7] Before the relocation of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the franchise had its final affiliations with the Bucks, Knicks, and the Dallas Mavericks during the 2007–08 season.[8]

On August 1, 2008, the newly relocated Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to purchase the 66ers for $2.25 million, becoming only the third NBA franchise to own a D-League team. In the agreement, the Thunder owned full control of the team's business and basketball operations and became the sole affiliate of the Thunder.[9]

### Oklahoma City Blue (2014–present)

[edit]

After getting offers from four venues, Professional Basketball Club felt none were suitable and announced the 66ers would move to Oklahoma City and play in the Cox Convention Center across the street from the Chesapeake Energy Arena where the parent club Oklahoma City Thunder plays starting with the 2014–15 season. The team's front offices are located in the Chesapeake Energy Arena along with the rest of the front office staff of the parent club Oklahoma City Thunder.[10] With the move, the team was rebranded from the 66ers to the Blue.[11][12] In the 2016–17 season, the team was the regular season Western Conference champion with 34 wins, a franchise record.[13]

In 2021, the Cox Convention Center was leased to a film production company and the arena was closed to become Prairie Surf Studios.[14] The Blue then moved into their parent team's home arena, the Paycom Center (then recently renamed from Chesapeake Energy Arena) in 2021.[15]

Ousmane Dieng was named NBA G League Finals MVP.

#### 2023–2024: First championship

[edit]

Headed into the 2023–24 season, the Blue finished the regular season with a 21–13 record and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the 2018–19 season. Entering the playoffs as the third seed, the Blue defeated Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the first round in a 126–125 overtime win behind Ousmane Dieng's game winner. Advancing into the semifinals, the Blue defeated Sioux Falls Skyforce in a 111–93 win after winning the fourth quarter 34–18 to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2019. Facing off against the top-seeded Stockton Kings, the Blue outscored the Kings by 24 points to lead 58–45 at halftime. Despite a late comeback, the Blue won 114–107 and advanced to their second-ever G League Finals since the team was known as the Tulsa 66ers. In the best-of-three series against Maine Celtics, the Blue split the first two games, with both teams winning at home. In the decisive game three, the Blue built on an early lead and outscored the Celtics by 16 points to hold a 63–40 halftime lead. After a back-and-forth third quarter, the Blue led 92–67 entering the fourth quarter. Behind Dieng and Jahmi'us Ramsey, the Blue won its first-ever championship, defeating the Celtics 117–100, clinching their first championship since becoming the only affiliate for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Thunder assignment Ousmane Dieng was named NBA G League Finals MVP after scoring 25 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.[16]

## Season-by-season record

[edit]

Season  | Regular season  | Playoffs

|
|

W  | L  | W–L%  | Finish  | W  | L  | W–L%  | Finish
Asheville Altitude
2001–02 | 26  | 30  | .464  | 6th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2002–03 | 23  | 27  | .460  | 7th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2003–04 | 28  | 18  | .609  | 1st  | 2  | 0  | 1.000  | Won D-League Championship
2004–05 | 27  | 21  | .563  | 2nd  | 2  | 0  | 1.000  | Won D-League Championship
Tulsa 66ers
2005–06 | 24  | 24  | .500  | 7th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2006–07 | 21  | 29  | .420  | 4th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2007–08 | 26  | 24  | .520  | 3rd  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2008–09 | 15  | 35  | .300  | 5th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2009–10 | 27  | 23  | .540  | 5th  | 2  | 1  | .667  | Lost D-League Finals
2010–11 | 33  | 17  | .660  | 3rd  | 1  | 1  | .500  | Lost in Semifinals
2011–12 | 23  | 27  | .460  | 6th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2012–13 | 27  | 23  | .540  | 3rd  | 1  | 1  | .500  | Lost in Semifinals
2013–14 | 24  | 26  | .480  | 5th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
Oklahoma City Blue
2014–15 | 28  | 22  | .560  | 2nd  | 0  | 1  | .000  | Lost in First Round
2015–16 | 19  | 31  | .380  | 4th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2016–17 | 34  | 16  | .680  | 1st  | 1  | 1  | .500  | Lost in Conference Finals
2017–18 | 28  | 22  | .560  | 1st  | 0  | 1  | .000  | Lost in First Round
2018–19 | 34  | 16  | .680  | 1st  | 1  | 1  | .500  | Lost in Semifinals
2019–20 | 20  | 22  | .476  | 3rd  | —  | —  | —  | Season cancelled
2020–21 | 8  | 7  | .533  | 9th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2021–22 | 15  | 20  | .429  | 10th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2022–23 | 13  | 19  | .406  | 10th  | —  | —  | —  | Missed playoffs
2023–24 | 21  | 13  | .618  | 3rd  | 5  | 1  | .833  | Won G League Championship

## Players and personnel

[edit]

### Current roster

[edit]

Oklahoma City Blue roster

* v
* t
* e

Players  | Coaches

|

| Pos. | No. | Name  | Height  | Weight  | DOB  | From

|
|
|
|
|
|

F | 14 | Daniel, Sam | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)  | 220 lb (100 kg)  | 1996-01-06  | Florida Tech
G/F | —  | Ducas, Alex (TW)  | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)  | 220 lb (100 kg)  | 2000-12-11  | Saint Mary's
G | 10 | Flagler, Adam (TW)  | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)  | 180 lb (82 kg)  | 1999-12-01  | Baylor
G | 16 | Johnson, Logan | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)  | 180 lb (82 kg)  | 1999-10-11  | Saint Mary's
F | 9 | Kong, Kong | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)  | 190 lb (86 kg)  | 2000-07-31  | Kentucky State
F | 11 | Kopp, Miller | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)  | 220 lb (100 kg)  | 1998-11-24  | Indiana
G | 55 | McConnell, Caleb | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)  | 195 lb (88 kg)  | 1999-06-08  | Rutgers
G | —  | Mitchell, Ajay (TW)  | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)  | 190 lb (86 kg)  | 2002-06-25  | UC Santa Barbara
G | 8 | Ramsey, Jahmi'us | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)  | 190 lb (86 kg)  | 2001-06-09  | Texas Tech
G | 5 | Shackelford, Jaden | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)  | 200 lb (91 kg)  | 2001-02-14  | Alabama

Head coach

* Kameron Woods

Assistant coach(es)

* Daniel Dixon
* Darnell Foreman
* Seth Jackson

* * *

Legend

* (DP) Unsigned draft pick
* (FA) Free agent
* (S) Suspended
* (P) Prospects
* (NBA) On assignment from NBA affiliate
* (TW) Two-way affiliate player
* Injured

* * *

Roster
Last transaction: August 10, 2024

### Coaches

[edit]

#  | Name  | Years  | Regular season  | Playoffs  | Achievements

|
|
|
|
|

GC  | W  | L  | W–L%  | GC  | W  | L  | W–L%
Asheville Altitude
1  | Joey Meyer | 2001–08  | 348  | 175  | 173  | .503  | 4  | 4  | 0  | 1.000  | 2 Championships (2004, 2005)
Tulsa 66ers
2  | Paul Woolpert | 2008–09  | 50  | 15  | 35  | .300  | —  | —  | —  | —  | —
3  | Nate Tibbetts  | 2009–11  | 100  | 60  | 40  | .600  | 13  | 6  | 7  | .462  | —
4  | Dale Osbourne  | 2011–12  | 50  | 23  | 27  | .460  | —  | —  | —  | —  | —
5  | Darko Rajaković | 2012–14  | 100  | 51  | 49  | .510  | 5  | 2  | 3  | .400  | —
Oklahoma City Blue
6  | Mark Daigneault | 2014–19  | 250  | 143  | 107  | .572  | 11  | 4  | 7  | .364  | 3 Coach of the Month awards
7  | Grant Gibbs | 2019–22  | 92  | 43  | 49  | .467  | —  | —  | —  | —  | —
8  | Kameron Woods | 2022–present  | 66  | 34  | 32  | .515  | 6  | 5  | 1  | .857  | 1 Championship (2024)

## NBA affiliates

[edit]

### Asheville Altitude

[edit]

* None

### Tulsa 66ers

[edit]

* Chicago Bulls (2005–2006)
* Dallas Mavericks (2007–2008)
* Indiana Pacers (2005–2006)
* Milwaukee Bucks (2005–2008)
* New Orleans Hornets (2005–2007)
* New York Knicks (2006–2008)
* Oklahoma City Thunder (2008–2014)

### Oklahoma City Blue

[edit]

* Oklahoma City Thunder (2014–present)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "2018-19 Quick Facts" (PDF). 2018–19 Oklahoma City Blue Media Guide. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 7, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
2. ^ "Oklahoma City Blue Reproduction Guideline Sheet". NBA Properties, Inc. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
3. ^ "Would minor-league pro basketball fly in Asheville?". citizen-times.com.
4. ^ "Altitude leaving Asheville". blueridgenow.com.
5. ^ "Tulsa 66ers set for 9th season". tulsatoday.com.
6. ^ "Tulsa 66ers announce NBA affiliations". oursportscentral.com.
7. ^ "Tulsa 66ers Announce NBA Affiliates for 2006-07". oursportscentral.com.
8. ^ "Tulsa 66ers Announce 2007-08 NBA Affiliates". oursportscentral.com.
9. ^ "OKC's NBA franchise buys Tulsa's D-League team". oklahoman.com.
10. ^ "Thunder moving 66ers from Tulsa to Oklahoma City". Tulsa World. July 19, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
11. ^ "Thunder Reveals New Name for Development Team". Oklahoma City Thunder. September 24, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
12. ^ Mannix, Chris (November 7, 2014). "Thunder eye panic button, Paul Pierce reminisces and more". Sports Illustrated. Time, Inc. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
13. ^ Kemp, Adam (April 20, 2017). "OKC Blue season ends after playoff loss to Vipers". NewsOK.com. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
14. ^ "Lease approved: OKC's Cox Center now in the movie business". The Oklahoman. December 9, 2020.
15. ^ "Oklahoma City Blue Announces 2021-22 Regular-Season Schedule". OKC Blue. September 14, 2021.
16. ^ "Thunder Signs Mike Muscala". gleague.nba.com. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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NBA G League

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Conference|

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Western
Conference|

* Austin Spurs
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NBA G League champions

* 2002: Greenville Groove
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* 2005: Asheville Altitude
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* v
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Oklahoma City Thunder

* Founded in 1967
* Formerly the Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008)
* Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Franchise|

* History
* All-time roster
* Draft history
* 1967
* Records
* Head coaches
* Seasons
* Current season

Arenas|

* Seattle Center Coliseum
* Kingdome
* Tacoma Dome
* Paycom Center

Personnel|

Owner(s)
Professional Basketball Club (Clay Bennett, chairman)
President
Vacant
General manager
Sam Presti
Head coach
Mark Daigneault

NBA G League affiliate|

* Oklahoma City Blue

Retired numbers|

* 1
* 4
* 10
* 19
* 24
* 32
* 43

NBA championships|

* 1979

Rivalries|

* Portland Trail Blazers (I-5 rivalry)

Culture and lore|

* Seattle SuperSonics
* relocation to Oklahoma City
* Howard Schultz
* Wheedle
* Squatch
* Rumble the Bison
* "It Was a Good Day"
* Sonicsgate
* Thunderstruck
* "Thunder Up"
* Radio network
* KWPN-AM
* WWLS-FM
* Love's

* v
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Sports teams based in Oklahoma

Baseball|

PCL
Oklahoma City Baseball Club

Tulsa Drillers

Blackwell FlyCatchers

Basketball|

NBA
Oklahoma City Thunder
NBAGL
Oklahoma City Blue
TBL
Enid Outlaws
Potawatomi Fire

Football|

IFL
Tulsa Oilers
WFA
Oklahoma City Lady Force
Oklahoma Rage

Hockey|

ECHL
Tulsa Oilers
NAHL
Oklahoma Warriors

Roller derby|

WFTDA
Twister City Roller Derby

Soccer|

USLC
OKC Energy FC
FC Tulsa
NPSL
Oklahoma City 1889 FC
Tulsa Athletic
WPSL
Oklahoma City FC
Side FC 92

Softball|

AFP
Oklahoma City Spark

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City of Oklahoma City

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Districts|

* Adventure District
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Professional sports teams|

* Oklahoma City Thunder
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* Category
* Metro area
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