When you think championship parade memorabilia, you imagine confetti, jerseys, maybe a trophy selfie if you’re lucky. But Oklahoma City? They got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with bubbles.
It started as a joke. A high school girl showed up to the parade armed with a plastic bubble blaster, instantly becoming the punchline of her friend group. For three hours, she endured the ribbing—until Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned her goofy prop into parade legend.
As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s float rolled by, the superstar locked onto the bubble gun drama. In one seamless motion, he reached down, grabbed the toy, and transformed it into the day’s unlikeliest highlight. For a full minute, the MVP posed with the group, grinning as bubbles floated over the crowd. The moment was so perfect it landed on KOCO 5’s live broadcast—a dollar-store bubble blaster sharing the spotlight with the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
And just like that, the teasing stopped. How do you mock something that’s now officially part of Thunder history?
Highlight of the parade: My co-worker’s high school sister bought a bubble gun early this morning. We made fun of her for three hours until Shai stopped, took the gun, and took pictures with us for a minute. pic.twitter.com/aNRuVUDz8J
— All Things Thunder (@all_things_OKC) June 24, 2025
This is why OKC loves Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Where other stars might’ve waved and moved on, he saw a chance to turn a silly gag into a core memory. That bubble gun isn’t just plastic anymore—it’s proof that our MVP cares as much about the fans as he does about winning. Some souvenirs cost hundreds. Hers cost five bucks—plus one perfectly timed MVP assist.
OKC’s parade proves 500,000 fans can still be “Too Small” for NBA trolls
Let’s get this straight. Oklahoma City just threw a party for half a million people—confetti, trophy selfies, and an MVP blowing bubbles like it’s his actual job. And somehow, the internet’s takeaway was: “not enough fans showed up.”
When the Thunder’s championship parade rolled through downtown on June 24, 2025, the streets were packed. Blue and orange everywhere. Fans screamed themselves hoarse. Players high-fived strangers. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—ever the people’s champ—paused his victory lap to play with a $5 bubble gun.
But sure, let’s focus on the three empty sidewalk squares someone posted on Twitter. Critics called it the “lowest turnout in recent NBA history.” Because apparently, half a million people (that’s 75% of Oklahoma City’s population) celebrating in 90-degree heat doesn’t count unless it blocks every camera angle.
Mayor David Holt’s response was perfect: he basically said, “Cool story, haters,” then named July “Thunder Month” just because. Meanwhile, actual attendees were too busy living their best lives to notice they were supposedly at a “disappointing” event. The lesson?
No matter how big your parade, someone will always call it small. Oklahoma City showed up—loud, proud, and utterly unbothered by the math homework of internet commentators. Even UFC stars took notice, with former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and middleweight contender Gerald Harris shouting out the Thunder’s celebration. And really, what’s more small-market than proving you don’t need a coastal zip code to throw the most ‘you celebration’ possible? Exactly.
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