Seventeen months ago, the Thunder was in the offseason and Serge Ibaka was overseas, on his way back to Oklahoma City. As soon as he touched down, he made his most important community visit since he joined the team.
In the summer of 2013, the veteran power forward had been a part of the Oklahoma City community for five years, and he wanted to visit the tornado-ravaged neighborhoods of Moore, to meet with families, teachers and community leaders. Ibaka offered his support, brightened the day of Thunder fans throughout the area and took in the scene, soaking in all of the emotion and pain felt by those suffering. Ibaka felt it all too.
On Wednesday, the adversity tested native of the Congo was back in Moore once again. As he arrived at the re-built Plaza Towers Elementary School, he stood in awe. To Ibaka, it was nearly incomprehensible that the decimated neighborhood was so upright, so strong and so vibrant just a year-and-a-half later.
“It feels good to be here again,” Ibaka said. “The first time I was here after the tornado, it was so sad. Everything was different. To be here today to see it, it just feels like a new place. It’s very good to see.”
Ibaka and teammate Sebastian Telfair were joined by training camp invitees Lance Thomas, Michael Jenkins, Richard Solomon and Talib Zanna in Moore to help unveil three brand new basketball courts that were built by the Thunder Cares Foundation.
Along with the players, the Thunder Drummers and Thunder Broadcasters Brian Davis and Michael Cage hosted the celebrations at Highland East Junior High, Plaza Towers Elementary and Briarwood Elementary, the three schools destroyed by the tornado that ripped through Moore in May of 2013. The Thunder Girls were on hand too, including Viviana, a Moore resident whose house was destroyed on that tragic day.
Children, school staff and parents surrounded the Thunder-blue courts at each school, and it was clear that for the principals and teachers, this was an emotional, cathartic moment of closure to the saga of the last year-and-a-half.
“We’re so happy,” Plaza Towers Elementary principal Shelley McMillin said. “You could feel it all day long. That’s all the kids were talking about.”
“We didn’t let the tornado define who we are,” Briarwood Elementary School principal Patrick Chase said. “It shows the resiliency of Oklahoma. We’re Oklahoma Strong and Moore Strong. It’s been a long, tough road but we’ve made it back step-by-step. If you look out here, it’s about the kids. That’s what it’s all about – the kids having fun.”
“I was talking to a few students today who said they don’t have a place to go play basketball,” Highland East Junior high principal Mark Archer said. “They’re excited to be able to come over here in the evenings to play ball.”
The teachers and staff at the schools were beaming with pride at how their community persevered and recovered from the tragedy. Emotions spilled over at each location, including within the Thunder organization. The bond has been built so strongly between the team and the Oklahoma City community, and the recovery efforts by the organization and the citizens so challenging, that Thunder Vice President of Community Relations Christine Berney could barely hold back tears as she watched Ibaka and his teammates play basketball with the children at Briarwood on the brand new court.
“It’s been an incredible day,” Berney managed to say. “To see the support of the community who has been so much and they’re coming out because the Thunder is here. That’s amazing.”
The obvious takeaway from the events, however, was that these basketball courts, rebuilt schools and new neighborhoods are all about one thing – the local children. As Ibaka stood on the edge of the court at Plaza Towers, he looked over the sea of school children, without a care in the world, heaving shots at the rim. In the Congo as a youth, Ibaka faced untold difficulties, and could always escape through playing the game of basketball. Reflecting back on his childhood, Ibaka hopes that the case can be the same here for the children in Moore.
“This is important to me because I grew up like those kids,” Ibaka said. “When I was young, every time I saw a basketball court, I was happy and just wanted to play basketball like those kids. Seeing those kids right now, reminds me of myself.”
Thunder players can relate not just because of their own personal stories and situations, but also because the team and organization are equal members of this Oklahoma City community as the families and teachers that celebrated at the schools on Wednesday. The Thunder stood with the residents of the city every step of the way through the tragedy and will continue to do so, because the organization feels the same civic pride and loyalty that Oklahomans across the state display every single day.
“I know there were some tragic times here, but the community always supports the Thunder,” Telfair said. “So we want to make sure that we always come out, support, put a smile on their face, build a new court and let them know that what they’re going through, we’re going through at the same time.”