Upcoming Oklahoma City Thunder dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Three tiers, three different Thunder nights
For an Oklahoma City Thunder game at Paycom Center, choose a center-court sideline seat in the lower level if you want the best view, and the front rows of Loud City, the 300 level, if you want the best value and the most noise. The middle tier, the Cox Club, is for buyers who put comfort first.
- Lower level, sections 101–120: courtside and the closest sideline views.
- Cox Club, the 200s: a raised, centered view with indoor club amenities.
- Loud City, sections 301–330: the upper deck and the heart of the crowd.
The numbering above follows fan-sourced seat-view maps, so double-check the spot on your listing. Paycom Center seats 18,203 for basketball, and the 41-game home schedule runs October to mid-April, with playoffs into June.
Paycom Center before and after the NBA
Built as the Ford Center, the building welcomed its first crowds in June 2002, six years before the NBA arrived for good. Name changes followed (Oklahoma City Arena, then Chesapeake Energy Arena) before the Paycom name went up in 2021. In between, Hurricane Katrina sent the displaced Hornets here for most of their home games from 2005 to 2007, giving the city a trial run as an NBA market.
The address is 100 West Reno Avenue, at the southern end of downtown, a short walk from the restaurants and bars of Bricktown. A new scoreboard went in during September 2023.
Its days are numbered. In December 2023 city voters extended a sales tax to fund a replacement arena, to be built just north on land once occupied by the Cox Convention Center; opening is aimed at about the 2029 season. Construction nearby has already reshaped parking.
Which Paycom Center seat fits you
Courtside
The rarest seats in the building, right at the edge of the floor. You buy them for closeness, not perspective; at floor level the opposite basket looks compressed. Seats a few rows back, within the first 10, usually read the game better.
Lower sideline
Center-court sections in the 100s are the benchmark for basketball, and demand holds even for ordinary opponents.
Lower corners
Near the floor and angled so you see both hoops. A sensible step down from the sideline.
Behind the baskets
The least expensive way into the lower level. When the ball is at your basket the support and glass block part of the view, and judging distance to the far end is tricky, so pick a higher row here rather than a low one.
Cox Club
Good height, a centered view and indoor amenities. Choose it for comfort and a clean sightline more than atmosphere.
Loud City
Nowhere else gives you this much game and this much noise for the money. Take the first rows on a sideline for a full look at the court, and avoid the highest corner rows, where the players shrink and you end up watching the video board.
Thunder dates that draw the biggest crowds
The NBA year runs from October preseason games through an 82-game regular season ending in mid-April. NBA Cup games land in November and December, the play-in round decides the last seeds, and the playoffs fill the calendar into June.
- National draws. Visiting teams with famous players and big followings bring out casual fans and traveling supporters.
- Old Western rivals. The Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, both regular playoff opponents over the years, with Spurs games drawing extra attention in this era.
- The 2025 Finals opponent. Games against the Indiana Pacers recall the seven-game title series.
- Fridays, Saturdays and holiday dates. These sell before midweek games.
- Playoffs. Since the 2025 title, a home playoff seat is about the toughest ticket in Oklahoma, and sales open only days ahead.
For the widest choice, look at weeknights early in the season when an Eastern Conference visitor lacks a marquee name. Resale demand shifts with the standings, injury news and who is coming to town, so watch a game's listings for several days before committing.
Streetcar stops, garages and park-and-ride
Many fans park once downtown and walk. If you prefer transit:
- OKC Streetcar. Both the Bricktown and Downtown loops serve the arena, with one stop on Reno Avenue directly north and another to the southwest where Oklahoma City Boulevard meets South Robinson Avenue.
- Garages. Recent seasons have listed the Santa Fe, Century Center, Arts District and Sheridan-Walker garages, along with the Scissortail lot. The regional transit agency, EMBARK, runs gameday shuttles out of the Arts District and Sheridan-Walker garages, and showing a downtown parking receipt makes streetcar and RAPID rides free.
- RAPID bus. Leave the car at no charge at the Northwest Expressway and Meridian Avenue park-and-ride; the bus drops you roughly two and a half blocks from the doors.
Because the new-arena construction keeps changing what is open, check EMBARK's Paycom Center page before you leave.
Bags, arrival time and Loud City pregame
Aim to be at the doors about 45 minutes before tipoff in the regular season and earlier in the playoffs, when downtown fills and the plaza outside turns into a gathering spot. Be seated before the opening tip: the pregame introductions, with Loud City at full volume, are part of the show.
Local coverage of the 2025 playoffs reported a small-bag limit, about 6 by 9 by 2 inches (clutch or belt-bag size), no backpacks, and separate screening for medical and diaper bags. Policies shift, so confirm with the arena before game day. Every Reserved Seat order comes with a 100% guarantee.
Seattle roots and the 2025 banner
The franchise started as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1967 and won the 1979 title there, and that banner still counts in the franchise's books. The move to Oklahoma City came in July 2008, and as the state's only major-league team it plays to a local, loyal and loud crowd that calls itself Loud City.
- 2012. Only four seasons after arriving, a young core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden played for the title and fell to the Miami Heat in five. That spring "Thunder Up" became the city's slogan.
- 2016. Durant signed with Golden State, and the front office eventually rebuilt around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a deep supply of draft picks.
- 2024–25. A franchise-record 68 wins, then a seven-game Finals win over the Indiana Pacers, clinched with a 103–91 Game 7 in Oklahoma City on June 22, 2025. Gilgeous-Alexander was Finals MVP.
Rumble the Bison has been the mascot since 2009. Rosters change every season, so check the team's site before buying around a player.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the upper deck at Paycom Center called Loud City?
Loud City is what Thunder fans call themselves, and the name also attaches to the 300-level sections, 301 to 330, where much of the crowd noise comes from.
Is the Cox Club worth it for a Thunder game?
If comfort matters most, yes. The 200-level club sits between the two bowls, giving a raised, centered view plus indoor amenities, though Loud City has more atmosphere.
Are courtside seats the best view at a Thunder game?
They are the closest seats, not the clearest. A center-court lower-level seat a few rows up usually shows the whole play better.
Which streetcar stops serve Paycom Center?
Two: Reno Avenue, directly north of the arena, and the corner of Oklahoma City Boulevard and South Robinson Avenue to the southwest. Both loops stop at each.
Is the Thunder getting a new arena?
Yes. A sales-tax extension passed in December 2023 funds a replacement just north of Paycom Center, where the Cox Convention Center stood, with about the 2029 season as the target.
How many titles does the franchise have?
Two. Seattle won in 1979, and Oklahoma City beat Indiana in a seven-game Finals in 2025.