Latest news with #ChampionsParade
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OKC businesses see historic crowds for Thunder parade
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Some Oklahoma City businesses say they're recovering after Tuesday's Champions parade for the Oklahoma City Thunder after seeing historic turnouts. The two-mile route started at NW 10th Street and N. Harvey Avenue and headed south on Harvey, west on NW 5th Street, south on N. Walker Avenue, east on Oklahoma City Boulevard, south on S. Robinson Avenue, and ended at Scissortail Park. Thunder fans swarm downtown to celebrate during the Champions parade Cross streets and other surrounding streets were closed, but some businesses decided to welcome the large crowds instead of closing their doors. News 4 spoke with Hobby's Hoagies owner, Kim Nixon, on Thursday, still coming off of Tuesday's celebration. 'We got here around eight o'clock, opened the doors, and it was a madhouse,' said Nixon. 'We've been in business for 34 years, and that was the biggest day we ever had.' City leaders estimate that at least half a million people attended the parade, but the exact numbers and economic impact are still being determined. Nixon said, on Tuesday, she and her staff were basically limping at the end of the day due to how packed they were. She didn't go into specifics on numbers, but said she plans to reward her employees for their hard work. 'We got a little bonuses coming in for them,' said Nixon. 'So they don't know about yet, but I guess they will find out now, though.' It's a similar story of success for Nazo, a Japanese restaurant in Midtown, near NW 10th Street and N. Harvey Avenue, if you ask the staff there. News 4 visited the business on Monday before the parade and were told it had only been open for less than a month. 'We were pretty packed that day,' said Eason Liu, an employee at Nazo. 'You know, that is great.' Liu said typically the restaurant opens after noon, but he and the staff came in around 10 a.m. Tuesday morning to welcome in customers and bring water to the crowds facing the heat. Both businesses say they hope to have a chance to do it all over again next year. 'We will have another championship parade next year,' said Nixon. 'We are going to be throwing the sandwiches out to the guys this time.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How police are preparing for OKC Thunder NBA championship parade
Law enforcement agencies across the Oklahoma City metro are coordinating for what could be the biggest party in the city's history. Authorities expect as many as hundreds of thousands of people to pour into downtown Tuesday, June 24, to celebrate the Thunder's NBA Finals victory at the Champions Parade. Due to the large-scale nature of the celebration, OKC police have asked for help from law enforcement agencies in surrounding communities and the broader state, including the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety and the Oklahoma National Guard. Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sarah Stewart said the agency was helping implement a traffic plan, with increased Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers Tuesday along major highways coming in and out of OKC. City council members for Yukon, a suburb west of OKC, also approved members of its police force to assist with the parade. Yukon Police Chief John Corn said partner agencies held meetings right up until Friday, June 20, as various OKC departments planned the event, which became a reality Sunday night when the Thunder secured the title. "It's quite elaborate planning," Corn said. More: Half a million are expected downtown for the championship parade. How are businesses preparing? The Moore Police and Norman Police departments, stationed in suburbs south of OKC, and the Edmond Police Department, headquartered just north, also have been asked to assist. Moore spokesman Clint Byley said members of Moore police would be present in downtown OKC as part of the South Metro SWAT Team, a multi-jurisdictional unit that also includes Norman police and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office. For OKC police, Tuesday's parade will come less than 48 hours after another major event — Sunday night's championship game at the Paycom Center downtown. Police also planned ahead for that event, blocking off inbound traffic into downtown OKC's Bricktown area late Sunday immediately after the team's win. OKC police Sgt. Gary Knight said that, given the historic nature of the celebration, police saw few issues Sunday night into Monday downtown. "It was pretty peaceful, and we had a lot of people out there, but there was nothing major that happened," Knight said. "As far as police work goes, people behaved themselves, for the most part, really well." Police did respond to a shooting around 10:30 p.m. Sunday on the east side of Scissortail Park. Knight said a teenager was shot and had injuries that were not life-threatening. While there was concern on social media about the shooting's possible connection to the championship given the park's proximity to the Paycom Center, Knight said the incident was not related "in any way, shape, form or fashion to the game or the post-game celebration." One person was initially detained in connection to the shooting, but Knight said no arrest had been made as of early Monday. After Sunday night's game, some fans of the team were videoed jumping for joy into the Bricktown Canal. The city's Parks and Recreation Department later advised residents against doing so. While the parks department did not mention it directly, many on social media recalled a tragic situation when a man died and another was injured after being electrocuted by a broken light at the Bricktown Canal in 2018. "Listen, we get it. THUNDER UP! But you guys: stop jumping in the canal," the parks department said in social media posts Monday. "First of all, it's against the rules. Second of all, our nanobubble scrubber technology is still working to clear the water. And there is, um, a ways to go before that's all good." More: What could an Oklahoma City Thunder victory parade look like? The city's various departments have also been at work for weeks to plan Tuesday's parade, ever since the Thunder made the NBA playoffs in early June. City management announced Monday that city offices would close and most city services would be unavailable on the day of the parade. "Conducting City business in person downtown will be almost impossible on parade day, so I decided to close," City Manager Craig Freeman said in a statement. "Closing will also make more parking available for the thousands of people attending the parade. Plus, many of our Utilities, Parks and Public Works crews are needed to support parade operations." Ahead of the parade, OKC Police Chief Ron Bacy encouraged people to bring the "best versions of yourself" to the celebration, adding that the Thunder had represented the city well in the NBA competition and that residents should want to match the team's efforts. "We want to make sure that we represent them the way that they've represented us on the biggest stage: with dignity, with class, and with respect," Bacy said. More: Security efforts are ramping up at Paycom Center as the Thunder enters NBA Finals He also said that attendees should have a plan before they arrive on how to reunify if they end up lost or separated from their party. "Again, we want everyone to stay safe," Bacy said. "If you see something, say something." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Championship parade: How OKC police are preparing for the party
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'Worst way to ... ': World No 1 Magnus Carlsen expresses disappointment over Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA triumph
FILE - Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, left, of SG Alpine Warriors plays against Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Chingari Gulf Titans during Global Chess League in Dubai United Arab Emirates, on July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) Magnus Carlsen expressed disappointment that the Oklahoma City Thunder won their first NBA title on his wife's birthday. The Thunder, who led the league in defensive rating during both the regular season and the playoffs, turned in another gem in Game 7 of the NBA Finals—a 103–91 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night. Oklahoma City held the Pacers to 41.4% shooting in the decisive game, well below the 48.4% Indiana had averaged in the playoffs. The Thunder also forced 21 turnovers and blocked eight shots. The World No. 1 chess player wrote on X: "Worst way to start the day when I open the NBA app in no-spoilers mode, click on 'All Possessions.' It shows images of Haliburton going down and OKC celebrating before the video even starts. Oh well, happy birthday to my wife, I guess." Oklahoma City captured the franchise's first championship since 1979, when the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the regular season MVP and now the Finals MVP, posted 29 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds. He became just the third player to record at least 25 points and 12 assists in an NBA Finals Game 7, joining Walt Frazier and Jerry West. The Pacers suffered a devastating blow early in the first quarter when Tyrese Haliburton injured his Achilles while driving to the basket. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo After suffering a calf strain in Game 5, Haliburton had fought through the pain in Game 6 and tried to gut it out in the final game of the series, according to NBA reports. According to the Thunder entered the 2024–25 season as the youngest team in the league, with an average age of 24.148 years. Based on calculations from the Thunder currently have the second-lowest average age in the league overall, and the sixth-lowest when factoring in player minutes. Following their triumph, Oklahoma City will host a Champions Parade on June 24 in downtown Oklahoma City. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'Proud to call him my teammate' -- Chet Holmgren showered praise on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for having one of the greatest seasons by any player
Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Photo via Jerome Miron-Imagn Images) Power forward Chet Holmgren, who himself has showed an impressive set of skills, went ahead to praise the NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for having one of the greatest seasons by a player and leading the team to its well-deserved championship victory. During the interview, Chet talked about the contributions the NBA MVP made towards the team and how it was always more than just about the personal achievements of the player. Chet Holmgren expresses his gratitude and appreciation for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, calls himself a proud friend of the NBA Finals MVP Talking at the post-match interview, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, who joined hands alongside Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lead the team to championship victory, revealed his gratitude and appreciation towards the NBA MVP. Reflecting on the journey of Gilgeous-Alexander throughout the season, Holmgren stated, 'At the end of the day that is going to go down in history as one of the greatest seasons that's ever been had by a player. You know it's amazing to be a part of that.' The player further continued, 'Witness somebody going through it and succeeding in so many different ways.' Chet highlighted all the records that the MVP broke throughout the season, drafting and setting some of his own. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Book 3 & 4 BHK apartments from 4.65 Cr* in Sec 22, Gurugram Ambience Creacions, Gurugram Learn More Undo Along with all these achievements, Gilgeous-Alexander is not just about breaking records and being serious all throughout. Talking about the player's presence within the team, Chet said, 'He really makes it a joy to be around. It's never about him. It's always about us. It's always about winning. He is one hell of a basketball player. But he is a better person. I am proud to call him my teammate. I am proud to call him my friend.' Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt announces a Champions Parade honoring the historic win of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City Thunder In a heartwarming post, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt expressed his warm wishes and regards after the historic win by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Held at the Paycom Centre, the venue saw the Mayor relishing the finals Game 7 throughout its run till the end. Post the match, the Mayor announced a Champions Parade on June 24, 2025 at 10.30 am in honor of the unprecedented legacy set by the team. Relishing the moment of victory, Holt wrote, 'We Are The Champions. After a historic regular season and a hard-fought playoff run, our Oklahoma City Thunder are the 2025 NBA Champions. Congratulations to the players, the coaches, the front office management, the staff and ownership. And of course, congratulations to our city. This is a moment we will each remember for the rest of our lives. OKC has achieved sports immortality. Through the prism of that achievement, we stand in awe of how far our city has come. Nearly two decades ago, our Thunder first declared that we would "rise together." That rise is now complete. In every way, this is our time, OKC.' The Mayor further announced the parade, urging the participation of each and every resident of the city in this grand celebration. What makes the win even more significant is that the championship trophy is the first one to be won by the team after winning for the first time in 1979. The team was then known as the Seattle SuperSonics. Also Read: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named NBA Finals MVP after powering Oklahoma City Thunder to historic Game 7 win Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
NZ Herald
23-06-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Crusaders parade in Christchurch after 13th Super Rugby win
The 2025 Super Rugby Pacific champions have shown off their silverware to an adoring public in Christchurch today. A solid crowd turned out in cool sunshine for the Crusaders' 'Champions Parade' that saw the team arrive via tram to the corner of Cashel and High Streets. On hand
