From tragedy to triumph, the Thunder and their fans bond and put Oklahoma City on the world stage
Isaiah Hartenstein never expected a museum visit to be life-altering. Before the 7-foot center even signed his free agent contract with Oklahoma City two years ago, Thunder general manager Sam Presti told him onboarding would include a trip to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, the site where 168 people were killed on April 19, 1995. Presti requires new players to go so they can understand what the locals endured as a result of the Oklahoma City bombing at the Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Isaiah Hartenstein never expected a museum visit to be life-altering. Before the 7-foot center even signed his free agent contract with Oklahoma City two years ago, Thunder general manager Sam Presti told him onboarding would include a trip to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, the site where 168 people were killed on April 19, 1995. Presti requires new players to go so they can understand what the locals endured as a result of the Oklahoma City bombing at the Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building. The bombing itself didn’t stick with Hartenstein nearly as much as the aftermath. The community's collective spirit moved him so much that he produced a 14-minute documentary called “The Oklahoma Standard.
” Journalists and visiting first responders coined the phrase after being impressed with the way everyday people from the surrounding area aided the victims and rescue teams. The mentality — to rise in the face of catastrophe, help collectively, rebuild, then do it all again if necessary — has carried the city through major tornadoes in 1999, 2003 and 2013. It's a major part of the way Okies define themselves.
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