Back Home in OKC | Final Thoughts
I was elated when the NBA league office asked the Thunder Girls to attend the NBA tour in London. It’s a huge honor for any dance team to represent the league abroad. With our dance team having only one season under our belt, it’s an even bigger honor and a testament to the amazing women we have as part of this program.
With only four days in London the Thunder Girls embraced the beauty of the city by walking through the beautiful streets, checking out Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Central London and, of course, shopping and tasting the locale fare. When it came down to business, each of the dancers took their role as an ambassador for the NBA and the Thunder with true conviction. They did a great job captivating everyone and putting a smile on faces of those they encountered, from little kids to the adults that attended the Adidas United 5 Tour. They even blew away the Adidas and NBA London staff with their intelligence, inner and outer beauty and talent in dance. They did an amazing job representing the NBA, the Thunder and Oklahoma City! I couldn’t have been more proud of the ladies that represented the Thunder Girls and I look forward to future memorable trips.
Go Thunder! Sabrina EllisonDay 5 | Our Last Day in London
It’s our last day in London and we had two performances at the adidas 5 on 5 basketball tournament. The crowd was enthusiastic and we’re positive we gained some new Thunder fans in London.
After the festivities of performing routines, handing out giveaways and assisting as judges for the basketball contests, our job was officially done. After the event we headed back into Central London for a delicious dinner and to do last-minute souvenir shopping for family and friends. It was a great trip and we had a great time representing adidas, the NBA and most importantly, the Thunder!
Jada and Hayley
Day 4 | Night on the Town, Then Back to Work
We had an amazing dinner last night with the adidas staff. They took us to a great restaurant called Strada. Following dinner we got to experience London night life. The city is so full of energy at night and the people are very fashionable and welcoming! We went to a club called Modiva and danced the night away.
This morning we went to the O2 arena where they were having the adidas 5-on-5 basketball tournament. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to perform as well as cheer for the teams playing. They also had a slam-dunk contest and a 3-point shooting contest, which was really fun to watch. One of the highlights of our day was interacting with some of the fans at the arena. They all made fun of our Oklahoma accents and they were trying to imitate the way we speak. However, we got them back because they wanted us to try to speak like them, and we were actually good at it! The people in London are very friendly and humorous so stay tuned and we will keep you posted on what’s happening next in London.
Sheri and Shereka
Day 3 | Shoot With adidas Tops Exciting Day
Hey Thunder fans! It’s day two here in London.
We started the day off with three call-ins to do radio interviews with our OKC stations -- Wild morning show, KISS FM with Jack and Ron, and the Sports Animal. This was our first day getting to work on the 5 United Tour. We went to Larkhall Park to be featured in an adidas commercial shoot. Two NBA players participated in the shoot, one from the Portland Trail Blazers and one from the New Jersey Nets. Kids from local schools came to be a part of the shoot. As a part of the shoot, we got to perform three routines and take pictures with the NBA players and kids.
There were also several sports magazines and media that attended the event to help promote the 5 United tour. All the people we have encountered, from the kids to the NBA and adidas staff here, have been great hosts to us. Tonight, we will be going to dinner with the adidas staff and then to experience London’s nightlife. Stay tuned to see what happens on day four! Go Thunder!
Riane and Lindsay
Day 2 | Perfect Day to be a Tourist
So … the girls just got done doing a call-in with the OKC radio show Wild and now we’re off to sightsee around London!
Our first stop was the Water Ferry. During the ride we saw the London Bridge, lots of beautiful scenery, and amazing architecture. After the Water Ferry we walked along the London streets taking pictures and admiring the sights. Buckingham Palace was next on our list. The Palace was huge with beautiful fountains and flowers. Inside the gates you saw the English guards guarding the palace with their lives. The English guards were so mesmerizing because even with all the tourists surrounding them and the busy streets they stood still and attentive without moving a single muscle.
After the Palace we did a lot of picture-taking, walking and finally grabbed some dinner at Hard Rock Café, it was wonderful because we were starving! We topped our evening off with a walk to Piccadilly Circus, which looks like the European version of Time Square in New York. After that we headed off to do what girls do best … shop! We hit up some London hot clothing shops like H&M and Top Shop. The fashion here is amazing and what a great day of being a tourist! Overall, our first day in London was memorable and tomorrow we start the real work!
Jada and Hayley
Day 1 | Excited to Represent OKC, Thunder
Hello, Thunder fans. We are so excited to represent Oklahoma City and the Thunder organization on our very first NBA tour! We feel very blessed to have this opportunity to participate in the adidas NBA Five United Tour in London.
We could hardly sleep knowing that we would be leaving for London early this morning. The flight went very smoothly and we entertained ourselves by watching the movie “The Proposal” (it’s funny, you should watch it if you haven’t seen it!) We made it to London and it took us a little while to adjust to the time difference, we are six hours ahead of Oklahoma time! We had the opportunity to do a call-in from London to the Wild morning show (click here to listen) with Joey and Heather, one of our Citadel partner radio stations, and they were really excited for us, too. We are so privileged to be here and we are ready to show London what the Oklahoma City Thunder is all about.
Now we are off to explore London; stay tuned for more London updates.
Sheri and Shereka