After Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Hornets had to relocate to Oklahoma City in what turned out to be a great discovery for the NBA.

The fanbase was so good for the Hornets that then-head coach Byron Scott stated his desire to keep the team there, and said, I think the fans have been unbelievable. Out of our 12 home wins, I think the fans out there have won half of them.

So it's no surprise that when the Super Sonics moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City the reception has been more than welcoming for the Thunder.

In their first season, the organization sold out all 13,000 season tickets within five days at the then-named Ford Center. Since their inaugural season, the Thunder have had near perfect attendance.

A problem back in 2009 was a lack of television viewers, but this season the ratings have soared.

What is most impressive about the Thunder is the atmosphere at games. Unlike many big market teams where the fans may show up a little late, or don't get out of their seats as often as they should, Oklahoma City Arena often has the feel of a college basketball environment.

It's differ­ent here - a lot differ­ent, said guard Daequan Cook, when describing the college basketball feel.

Fans get on their feet, and stand... a lot. There is a reason they're called Loud City. The atmosphere is electric, and the fans know their hoops.

It certainly helps that the Thunder have an excellent team, have a great player in Kevin Durant, and haven't been hit quite as hard by the economy as other cities.

But these fans have been pumped about their team for a while now, and they even had a rally for the Thunder before the start of the season where Durant showed up and went on a microphone to show his apprecation for their support.

The enthusiasm for the team sometimes overflows to incredible proportions. On Tuesday morning, following the Thunder's triple-overtime Game Four win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, fans showed up at the airport to greet the team at 3:30.

It didn't matter that it was a work day.

These fans are just that loyal and devoted.

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