Oklahoma City may be the 47th largest television market in the United States,

yet it's home to an NBA franchise, the Women's College World Series, a slew of minor league clubs,

and in 2028, two Olympic events.

Sports have become a vital piece of the city's economy, and it's growing rapidly.

I'm Justin Bernbaum, a staff writer here at Forbes,

and joining me today to talk about their growth is Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. Thanks for being

with us today. Absolutely, Justin. Thanks for having me. So I got to ask you, with everything going on,

is Oklahoma City finally a basketball town? I know Oklahoma football, Oklahoma State football has dominated, but what's the feeling like?

Oh, absolutely. I mean, we've now had 17 seasons with the Thunder, 19 total seasons, if you count the Hornets, which was kind of our audition for the NBA.

We are absolutely through and through. We are basketball fans now, and I think pretty sophisticated

basketball fans. But you're right. I mean, our history was in football, but we're all in

on hoops now. So obviously being in the midst of the NBA finals right now, how is that swept

up the city? What's the energy like? How is it changing things? What's going on? Yeah, I mean,

it's all encompassing. And I mean, you can probably even hear it in my voice. I think I'm exhausted from cheering.

You know, I mean, everybody's whole life right now is revolving around the thunder as we make this run to the NBA finals.

So it's kind of hard probably maybe for people who aren't from a city that size, plus a city that's still relatively new to the NBA,

to really understand just how the city and the team are intertwined.

I mean, it feels like we're kind of just one and the same.

And this moment that we're having in making the NBA finals has really become

a prism through which we're viewing our whole journey to this point as a city, you know,

not just as a basketball team, but really all of the investments and all of the vision

that led to this moment, really for us, I think, go far beyond anything Sam Presti ever dreamed.

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