OKLAHOMA CITY, Friday, March 15, 2019 The Oklahoma City Thunder and Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores today announced a significant multi-year expansion of their partnership to include the placement of the Love’s heart logo on the Thunder jersey for all games. The partnership builds upon existing initiatives, including the naming rights of Love’s Loud City and Love’s Kiss Cam, and includes new elements that reach beyond the court to support Thunder and Love’s business and community programs.
A partner of the Thunder since 2008, Love’s is the retail fuel industry leader in highway hospitality. The privately held, family-owned company was founded by Tom and Judy Love in 1964 when they opened a small filling station in Western Oklahoma. Today, more than 23,000 Love’s team members serve the trucking industry and motoring public at nearly 500 locations in 41 states.
“The Love family and organization represent all that is truly good in Oklahoma,” said Oklahoma City Thunder Chairman Clay Bennett. “The Thunder is honored to expand our long-standing relationship with them to now include representation on our jersey. It's a significant alignment of two organizations that share a deep and meaningful commitment to our community and the people we serve.”
“As we continue to grow our network of travel stops along our nation’s highways, expanding the Love’s partnership with the Oklahoma City Thunder in this way helps elevate our brand to an even broader audience,” said Love’s Founder and Executive Chairman Tom Love. “Our core values align with the Thunder’s, and we are proud to support our hometown team and extend that pride across the country.”
A shared vision for the two organizations is a commitment to growth through innovation. The enhanced partnership builds upon that common focus. With both organizations carving a space in the innovation and technology landscape, Love’s will join the Thunder in future efforts to elevate the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Oklahoma.
The partnership will also broaden to include joint community activities between Love’s and the Thunder, a significant priority for both organizations.
The Love’s Echo Heart will make its debut on Thunder jerseys this Saturday, March 16 as the Thunder faces the Golden State Warriors at Chesapeake Arena. Thunder fans around the world can watch the game as it airs on ABC at 7:30 p.m. CT.
