The Oklahoma City Thunder are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.
In our Unforgettable Moments series, creators and players revisit their favorite Finals memories that left a last impact – whether they were watching from afar or living it themselves.
For NBA content creator and die-hard Thunder fan “Three Cone,” that moment came in 2012. Growing up in southeastern Virginia — far from any NBA city — Cone didn’t have a clear team to root for as a child. But everything changed when he first caught a glimpse of a young, explosive guard named Russell Westbrook.
What started as a casual interest quickly turned into a passionate fandom. By the time Cone was 12, OKC had stormed to the NBA Finals with a trio of young stars – Westbrook, Kevin Durant and James Harden – and a new love was unlocked.
Now one of the most recognizable voices in Thunder Nation, Cone reflects on how that Finals run changed everything for him, what this year’s return to the big stage means and why he’s not taking a single second of it for granted.
What’s your ‘Unforgettable’ Finals moment?
Cone: “For me, the 2012 Finals come back. It’s funny, though, because I have memories of it, but they’re very hazy in a way because I was 12, you know? So I’m 25 now, and that was very early in me getting into basketball…
“But around 2010, right as I hit double digits, I started to watch basketball a little bit. And specifically, almost from the get-go, Russell Westbrook really caught my eye.
“I just started watching games and I immediately became a big fan of his and then in turn became a Thunder fan … a couple years later – boom, they’re in the NBA Finals. And then they won Game 1 – that’s one of my moments right there, beating Miami in that first game of the series.
“They end up losing the next four games, unfortunately. But I just remember watching those guys — that series and that team – specifically watching Russ. I remember he put up 43 in Game 4. That’s when I really fell in love with the sport.”
How did that moment shape your experience as a fan?
“Since then, it’s grown and grown to the point where now, I personally believe – you know, somewhat biased – I’m the biggest Thunder fan in the world. Now to be back 13 years later in this spot with a lot of crazy similarities.
“It’s a young team that – when you just look at their ages – you wouldn’t expect to be in this spot. But they defy expectations. There is an MVP player here now in Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] and I’m not taking it for granted because I think I did when I was 12, and I was like, ‘Oh, you know, they’ll be back.’
“But in the NBA, nothing’s ever guaranteed. And, obviously, Harden gets traded, and KD and Russ never get back there together with Oklahoma City. And now we had to go through the retooling periods and end up here, where it feels like this is a team that could be here not just this season … but could be here the year after and the year after.
“They feel like they have a chance to do something incredibly special, but at the same time, I’m not taking it for granted.”
How do you feel about the Thunder heading into the Finals?
“Any time you hear Mark Daigneault talk or any of the guys and they’re asked, ‘How does it feel to win this game?’, they’re like, ‘It’s cool, but zero-zero mentality.’ Like, we’re going on to the next one, and we’re just staying in this moment.
“For the moment, it’s zero-zero. Treat every game like you have to win it, and that’s the way I’m looking at the Finals … I’m just trying to keep that zero-zero mindset with this team.”
What would it mean for you to see this young core bring a championship to Oklahoma City?
“I’m gonna be such a wreck. I’d be crying nonstop. I don’t think I’d stop smiling for months. I’m a big sports guy, but no fandom of any other teams comes close to what the Oklahoma City Thunder mean to me.
“The way that I’ve found so many lifelong friends through being a Thunder fan. Obviously, a lot of my platform that I’ve built up now is being a Thunder fan. The community has been so generous to me and the players. You see that same sense of community that the guys have, they all talk about how it’s a brotherhood. They’ve never felt this close to teammates. They’re friends for life.
“I think that reflects a lot in the fan base and the passion, the emotion that everybody feels for this team. I promise you, if the Thunder win, there’s not gonna be a single dry eye in that building if it’s in Oklahoma City.”
