The Thunder received their title rings in a packed Oklahoma City stadium

A historical and full of emotion night for Thunder fans as the team received their NBA championship rings and raised the title banner before the season opener against the Rockets. It was the first time Oklahoma celebrated a championship since the team moved from Seattle in 2008.

The Thunder they won the title beating the Indiana Pacers in the finals, after an impressive season (68-14), which gave them home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Before the start of the matchthe NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the audience and then presented the first rings to the Thunder president, Clay Bennettand to general manager, Sam Presti. The players then walked through the tunnel one by one, hugging each other Silver and Prestibefore receiving their rings from Bennett.

He was the last to appear the league’s most valuable player, Cy Gilgeous-Alexanderwho was deified with rhythmic “MVP” chants. The Thunder leader opened the box, looked at the ring and did a little dance, causing an explosion of excitement in the stadium.

The rings, designed by the company Jostens, are made of 14 carat gold and include over 800 hand-set gemstones. In the upper part it dominates the ‘OKC’ logo in diamondson the team shield, with the championship trophy in a gold border. Surrounding it are 46 genuine blue sapphires.

The inscriptions ‘NBA’ and ‘Champions’ shine on a background of gold and diamonds, while inside there is an innovative design “ring within the ring». The inner strip can be worn individually and is engraved with each player’s signature, their jersey number in diamonds, as well as the numbers of all their teammates.

The outside of the ring features a moving tribute to the Oklahoma City Memorial’s “Gates of Time” and “Reflecting Pool.” After the award, the championship banner rose to the sky of the field in apotheosis.

The Thunder, with stars Cy Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Williams and Chet Holmgren, continue this year with the same body and coach Marc Daigneault, again setting high goals.

Opposing them in the opener were the Houston Rockets, who are now playing for Kevin Durant — the former star of the Thunder. The 37-year-old forward signed a new two-year contract on Sunday and has his sights set on leading Houston to the top.

Durant, a four-time NBA leading scorer and MVP in 2014, played for the Thunder until 2016, when he caused a firestorm by leaving for the Golden State Warriors — the team that had eliminated Oklahoma in the Western Conference finals a few months earlier.