How 'same DNA of the Thunder' carries on, impressing Serge Ibaka, former OKC stars

They sat in the center of an empty row of benches, soaking in the sights and sounds.

The rest of their Houston teammates retreated to the away locker room, intent on missing the pregame party as OKC handed out diamond-covered rings and raised a new banner into Paycom Center’s rafters. But Steven Adams and Jeff Green invited themselves.

The former Thunder players wanted to experience something they once dreamt about being a part of: OKC’s first championship ceremony in franchise history. And while Green held a basketball in his hands, rubbing it as if it was a crystal ball, neither him nor Adams could’ve predicted how everything lined up all these years later.

They were just two of the many Thunder alums in the building for OKC’s 125-124 win over Houston in double overtime Tuesday to open the season.

The Rockets’ newly-acquired forward Kevin Durant and assistant coach Royal Ivey also have Thunder ties. So do two former NBA players in Serge Ibaka and Carmelo Anthony, who was there as an analyst for NBC’s new broadcast team. Even sophomore forward Dillon Jones was in attendance after being traded from OKC to Washington in June.

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They all got to take in a long-awaited moment for a city that once took them in.

“I got to spend so much time here,” Adams said, “and got to know people here in the organization as well as just the citizens. For the city itself, this is really good. This is a really big, good moment.”

Adams still checks out the mural of himself on the side of The Paramount in downtown Oklahoma City from time to time.

The spray-painted piece of art was done all the way back in 2016 by Graham Hoete to honor the living Thunder legend. A large tribute for a larger-than-life person, who left an even larger imprint on the city from 2013-20.

Adams joked that he’s surprised the mural hasn’t been tagged up by now. Maybe with a random mustache or something, he says, although it’d be hard to top the handlebar one that’s already in place. But it remains undamaged to this day, just like his relationship with the Thunder fan base.

Even when the crowd pelted the Rockets with boos during the starting lineup introduction, just moments before going to war, it held a ceasefire once Adams’ name was called.

“This was my home,” Adams said. “I was like 18 or 19 when I was drafted (by OKC). It’s really cool that the people still remember me and what not.”

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Fans also remember Ibaka, who sat courtside for the opening-night game and received a standing ovation during the first quarter. He had been in town for the past few days, and he attended OKC’s practice Sunday.

Ibaka sported a gray Balenciaga sweatsuit set as he walked around the facility. The fashion-forward power forward’s style was still impeccable, just like it was when he played for the Thunder from 2009-16.

And that wasn’t the only thing that hadn’t changed.

“One thing about Sam (Presti) is he’s going to keep the same conditions and the same DNA of the Thunder,” Ibaka told The Oklahoman. “Even now, they have the new guys, but I went (to practice) and I can see everybody who still works there. All of the people I know since back in the day, they still work there because you’ve got to keep the family together. I think that’s what’s most important.”

Even families fight. And the ongoing feud between the Paycom Center crowd and Durant, its former golden child, was on full display again during opening night.

Fans cheered for Adams. They cheered for Ibaka. They cheered for Anthony, who received a standing ovation during the second quarter. They even cheered for Jones, who played less total minutes with OKC (551) than Durant played total games (561).

But every time the former MVP pounded the rock, boos pounded his eardrums. They used to tear through them, seeping into his mind. But the future Hall of Famer has developed selective hearing throughout the years following his decision to leave OKC for Golden State in 2016.

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Oct 21, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Former Oklahoma City Thunder player Serge Ibaka watches a game between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

“Man, it’s not real,” Durant said of the boos. “I get so much love when I come here from all the fans. Walking onto the court or at the hotel. Walking around town every time I come here. It’s just so much love and respect. People always tell me they appreciate my time here, and I feel the same way. That’s part of the brand in OKC, to boo me when my name gets introduced. But I think it’s all love.”

Durant knew it was all love before tipoff when he heard a fan holler at him while walking through the tunnel.

“Hey, KD, could you take a picture with my son?”

It was Justin Oliver, a longtime OKC fan who brought his wife Mara and his 7-month-old son Angel to the game with him. The hope was for Durant to simply pose for a photo in the background while Oliver held Angel, but Oliver was surprised when the superstar forward immediately reached out his hands.

He only held Angel, who was wearing Durant’s old Thunder jersey, for about 15 seconds. And yet that brief moment provided a glimpse into who Durant is as a person.

He’s the same guy who dedicated his 2014 MVP award to his mother. The same guy who donated $57,000 toward an effort to build a new school for OKC’s homeless children five months after he joined the Warriors. The same guy who chatted with Thunder staffers and dapped up stadium workers in the hallways before Tuesday’s game, away from the eyes of those who scrutinize his every move.

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The same guy who won the hearts of everyone in OKC.

“Going back to watching his 2014 MVP speech and all of those things, we believe that’s him,” Oliver told The Oklahoman. “That’s who he is at the heart of it all. … Ultimately, that’s why I’m still a fan of his. Not to say that his 2016 exit didn’t hurt us. For sure, it definitely hurt. … But we all live and we learn.”

There was certainly a lesson for everyone to learn Tuesday night.

As much as it was about celebrating the current Thunder team, it was also about celebrating the past. The teams that placed OKC on the map in the basketball world. The players who poured their heart and soul into the game they love.

Tuesday was a chance to soak all of that in.

Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: ‘DNA of the Thunder’ still impresses Serge Ibaka and former OKC stars

How ‘same DNA of the Thunder’ carries on, impressing Serge Ibaka, former OKC stars

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