Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Thunder brings boom to Metro businesses
Local businesses that saw near record-breaking numbers for Game 6 of the NBA Finals told News 9 on Friday that they are preparing for even higher numbers for Game 7.
A few bars News 9 spoke with shared that they will be opening early on Sunday, with more food trucks, bartenders, TVs and fan gear.
“People feel like watching the game is a community activity. It’s hard to do at home with your TV. You want to be with someone else when the big win happens. So, I definitely think we’re seeing a lot of impact to restaurants,” said Cynthia Reid, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications with the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce.
The Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce said the NBA Finals have brought lots of business and attention to the city.
“I was with the downtown hotel here this morning and he told me that they’ve been booked solid for quite some time and that’s a combination of Women’s College World Series, the NBA Finals. We’ve got a number of groups in town right now, so this is a good time to be in the hotel and restaurant business if you’re downtown,” said Reid.
One local bar said business boomed on the day of Game 6.
“It’s not uncommon for us to have a lot of volume, but I will say last night, I have not seen that many people on the property all at once. I think that set a record. I mean we were close to [having] the biggest sales day we’ve ever had in [the] six to seven years we’ve been open. So, we were right on the cusp of that,” said Ryan Noe, the General Manager of Social Capital.
Another local bar also boomed on game day.
“It’s a little hard to hard to say because you have a lot of people coming and a lot of people going at different times, but Game 6, I would say we probably hosted throughout the day in our building– over 2000 people,” said Scott Marsh, Partner and Director of Operations at the Jones Assembly.
Both bars are expecting even higher numbers for Game 7.
“We worked with the city, and we’re going to close our street next to us for Game 7, and we are going to have a giant screen out there, a big seating area. So, we’re expanding due to the great demands that we’ve had,” said Marsh.
Stay connected with The Oklahoman: How to subscribe online
Through our website, app, e-edition, newsletters, news alerts, social media and more, The Oklahoman is here for you. Here’s how to stay connected.
In addition to serving as mayor of Oklahoma City and as the dean of Oklahoma City University School of Law, David Holt added another hat to his wardrobe, now serving as the president of the United States Conference of Mayors.
His tenure as the organization’s 83rd president began the same day the Oklahoma City Thunder won its first NBA championship. He’s the second OKC mayor to serve in that capacity.
Holt’s term runs until June 2026, and he is believed to be the first Native American to serve in the role, according to a city news release. Former Mayor Mick Cornett served as the organization’s president in 2016-17 and hosted the annual meeting in Oklahoma City in 2010 when Holt served as Cornett’s chief of staff.
Beyond the logistics of running a nearly century old organization, it’s an opportunity to learn from other cities and have other cities learn from OKC, Holt told The Oklahoman. He said he has found a lot of value in the organization. Another benefit is friendship and camaraderie with other mayors.
“I think part of our story in the last 30 years has been mayors who are willing to market the city and represent the city and that ultimately is just part of the strategy,” he told The Oklahoman. “I often say that people don’t visit, live in or invest in cities they’ve never heard of, so there’s a lot of ways that we as a community get our name out there.”
MAPS projects have been an inspiration for other cities
Holt said cities are able to learn from each other and cited Oklahoma City’s MAPS projects. It’s now one of the most well-known initiatives in urban circles, Holt said.
He said cities have been inspired by different aspects of MAPS — Little Rock, Arkansas, and Louisville, Kentucky, have attempted to implement the program or something similar, but both efforts have failed. Holt said they didn’t really have the opportunity to try to implement it.
“The best ideas that work around the country are certainly those that we will try to emulate in Oklahoma City and it’s a perfect example of the old phrase that the cities and states are the laboratories of democracy,” Holt said. “Sometimes we’ll let others do the experimentation first, and then we’ll pick it up.”
Holt said an example of that is watching Indianapolis’ sports strategy. The city carved out a space for themselves as the amateur sports capital of the world and eventually they became home to the NCAA, Holt said.
“Just that idea that you could sort of define yourself around a certain category of sports and that that would elevate your whole city, I think was intriguing,” he said. “Obviously as it’s turned out with us, we’re sort of all over the place. We have used the NBA and used softball and now use paddle sports to elevate ourselves in so many different ways.”
Another benefit of watching other cities try something for the first time is not making the same mistakes as they did, Holt added. Between Cornett’s involvement with the Conference of Mayors and now Holt, that’s almost a quarter of a century of high-level engagement.
As president, Holt is responsible for several duties including weighing in on timely topics, such as releasing a statement about the floods in Texas. Other duties include convening and presiding over meetings, weighing in on local issues, attending meetings on a variety of topics such as housing and homelessness and other administrative responsibilities.
Formed in 1932, the conference is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, according to a city news release.
Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director, said the conference is fortunate to lean on Holt’s leadership in a time of opportunity and need for America’s cities.
“He champions the value of local leadership, and he embraces the power this conference has to unite so many voices to improve the lives of the people of America’s cities. I know his colleagues are grateful to have him steering the ship,” Cochran said.
For the first time in nearly 3 decades, Oklahoma is searching for a new athletic director.
Joe Castiglione, who was hired by the university in 1998, is set to retire at some point over the next year. That news was reported on Monday and later confirmed by the university. On Tuesday morning, Castiglione and Oklahoma president Joe Harroz held a press conference to discuss Castiglione’s tenure and OU’s succession plan.
When asked about the factors that will guide OU during this search, Harroz gave a clear answer.
“The athletic director we’re looking for next is someone who can see the landscape and have the ability to act,” Harroz said. “The most important attribute is someone who understands the changing landscape.”
Dabble is legal in Oklahoma! Here’s how you can earn a Dabble promo code to help you get started with one of the best DFS apps on the market!
The evolving nature of the college football landscape is something Castiglione handled quite well over his tenure. While Castiglione managed things like the beginning of the transfer portal and NIL eras, his successor will need to navigate the start of the revenue-sharing era as well as other potential changes that have yet to unfold in college athletics.
Randall Stephenson, Chair of OU football, will lead the search for the program’s next athletic director. Stephenson is, amongst other things, the former CEO of AT&T. Stephenson joined Oklahoma in December of 2024.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
Browns rookie Quinshon Judkins arrested in Florida for alleged domestic violence
Solar-powered robot zaps weeds without chemicals
It's peak season in Malibu, but these small businesses are still struggling after the Palisades fire
Review: At the Huntington, the New Hollywood String Quartet recalls legendary studio musicians
Is walking 10,000 steps a legit fitness goal or a marketing myth?
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,235
Texas flood death toll rises as search continues for victims – UPI.com
Federal judge issues temporary restraining order curtailing Trump's immigration enforcement in California
US continues arms deliveries to Ukraine – for how long?
'Helping every dang soul': Beloved camp director was among those lost in Texas flooding
-
Business1 week agoSee How Trump’s Big Bill Could Affect Your Taxes, Health Care and Other Finances
-
Politics1 week agoVideo: Trump Signs the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Into Law
-
Culture1 week ago16 Mayors on What It’s Like to Run a U.S. City Now Under Trump
-
News1 week agoVideo: Who Loses in the Republican Policy Bill?
-
Science1 week agoFederal contractors improperly dumped wildfire-related asbestos waste at L.A. area landfills
-
Technology1 week agoMeet Soham Parekh, the engineer burning through tech by working at three to four startups simultaneously
-
World1 week agoRussia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,227
-
Politics1 week agoCongressman's last day in office revealed after vote on Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill'