Oklahoma City Thunder Retired Numbers
The Oklahoma City Thunder have retired 2 numbers. Each one below records who wore it, the seasons they wore it, and what earned it a place in the rafters.
Back to Oklahoma City ThunderGary Payton
1990–2003
June 9, 1996. KeyArena is so loud the floor seems to shake. Down 0–3 in the NBA Finals to a Chicago Bulls team that won 72 games, the Seattle SuperSonics refuse to die — and the reason is a point guard who has spent the night crouched in Michael Jordan's chest, hands flicking at the ball, mouth never stopping. Gary Payton had asked for the Jordan assignment, and after Seattle clawed back to make it 3–2, Jordan's numbers had cratered under the pressure of a defender nobody could shake.
Why #20 was retiredShawn Kemp
1989–1997
The Oklahoma City Thunder retired Shawn Kemp's number 40 as part of their inheritance of SuperSonics franchise history — a tribute to the soul of what the franchise was before relocation. Kemp arrived in Seattle in 1989 as a teenager from Elkhart, Indiana, selected 17th overall after attending Trinity Valley Community College rather than a four-year program. "The Reign Man" became a power forward unlike any other: long, explosive, dunking with a force that made arenas vibrate.
Why #40 was retired