Oklahoma City, Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 – The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Sacramento Kings on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 15, at 7 p.m. The game marks the first time the NBA has scheduled a home game for the Thunder on MLK Day. The night will feature several tributes to the late activist in celebration of his life and impact on race relations in the United States.
To tip off the night, Orlando Smith, choir director of the Greater Mount Olive Church ensemble, will lead the invocation with a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” before then performing lead vocals alongside the ensemble for the national anthem.
Students from Martin Luther King Elementary will serve as honorary captains of the game, assist with game ball delivery and help Rumble with the pregame air raid siren. The students will also stand with players from both teams for the pregame performances. Thunder players will be wearing special MLK Day shirts for warmups and Josh Huestis will address the crowd prior to tipoff.
At halftime, a special video will feature Thunder players and members of the Oklahoma City community reading and reacting to portions of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and sharing messages of inspiration and hope.
Also featured during the game will be a chalk artist who will sketch a mural of Dr. King in the upper-level concourse.
Earlier this month, Andre Roberson and the Rolling Thunder Book Bus visited Thelma Parks Elementary to help students pick out a book to take home. Along with a book of their choice, each student received a copy of “Martin’s Big Words,” a Caldecott winner by Doreen Rappaport, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
This weekend, Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton will host approximately 50 young men from the OKC Boys Institute at the Thunder corporate office for a Q&A and discussion of the importance of mentoring and career development. This event is also a part of the NBA Cares “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative to help put boys and young men of color on a pathway to success.