• Thunder have made history of bombing a profound piece of the organization 
• The Oklahoma Standard debuts Sunday, April 26, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN; streaming afterward on ESPN App

Following a year marked by a Peabody Award nomination and six Sports Emmy nominations, ESPN’s award-winning storytelling brand E60 returns in 2026 with a powerful story of how the rise of NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder helped the city emerge from the shadow of its 1995 terrorist attack.

E60’s “The Oklahoma Standard,” reported by ESPN senior writer Baxter Holmes, debuts Sunday, April 26, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN, available for on-demand viewing afterward on the ESPN App. The Thunder host the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs on Wednesday, April 22 (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.).

In June 2025, Oklahoma City reached the pinnacle of the sports world when the Thunder captured the NBA championship. But in the three decades leading up to that triumph, the city was known for something far different.

On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City became the site of the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in U.S. history, when a bomb exploded outside of a downtown federal building. The attack killed 168 people, including children, injured hundreds more, and left a deep scar on the community.

Since relocating from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder have made that history a profound piece of the organization. Every new player and employee visits the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, underscoring the impact of both the tragedy and the resilience that followed. The experience continues to shape the team, forever binding it to the community.

In The Oklahoma Standard, E60 explores the Thunder’s relationship with Oklahoma City’s painful past, with insight from figures like Thunder GM Sam Presti, reigning NBA and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star forward Chet Holmgren, center Isaiah Hartenstein, former Thunder superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Thunder legend Nick Collison, former mayor Ron Norick and current mayor David Holt – plus survivors of the bombing along with family members of those killed by it, and first responders. Through these perspectives, viewers come to understand not only the darkness, but also how a team and a community are bound together with a shared sense of purpose.

E60: The Oklahoma Standard was directed by David Seronick and produced by Simon Baumgart.

Holmes explored the story in an ESPN.com piece published last fall.

About E60:

E60, founded in 2007, is ESPN’s highly decorated sports storytelling brand. E60 has received 118 Sports Emmy nominations with 21 wins, scoring eight nominations in 2026 including its sixth for “Outstanding Hosted Edited Series.” E60 has won accolades for its mix of revealing profiles, hard-hitting investigations and exclusive interviews delivered with innovative production techniques, top-notch journalism with unrivaled storytelling. While E60 has taken on several formats during its lifespan, it’s current format of a one-hour, single-story program for linear television and streaming has been in place since 2020.

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