Will the new OKC Thunder arena bring back Thunder Alley watch parties?

Three years away from opening, the Oklahoma City Thunder's future home received more details at the State of the City address. One detail was the possibility of bringing back an event that's asked about every year during the playoffs.

OKC Mayor David Holt and Architect David Manica presented the first look of OKC's new arena. It's set to open in 2028 with a construction cost of $900 million. Several photos and videos demonstrated the interior and exterior of the building.

In the renderings, you can see a "Thunder Alley" sign at the front of the arena. That caught the attention of fans online as it meant the outdoor space could be used to return the old OKC staple. Thunder Alley was an outdoor gathering where giant screens showed playoff games right outside the stadium.

It was stopped in 2012 after incidents involving it. Over the last couple of years, the Thunder have hosted pregame parties at outdoor parks near Paycom Center, but no official outdoor watch party replacements. That could change with the new OKC arena.

On the official OKC arena website, the possibility of returning to Thunder Alley was addressed in the FAQ section. They didn't say it'll happen, but they also left the door open.

The response was: "Preliminary exterior conceptual designs do include a fan area tentatively called Thunder Alley. Further design details will follow in the coming months."

Paycom Center will remain the Thunder's NBA arena for three seasons. The 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons will be the arena's last years. The new OKC arena will have a different name as Paycom will retire its naming rights once the current arena is shut down.

The Thunder have played at Paycom Center since their relocation from Seattle in 2008. The arena opened in 2002 and is one of the smaller NBA homes. It was formerly known as the Chesapeake Energy Arena before being rebranded as Paycom Center in 2021.

When the new OKC arena opens, the Thunder will sign a 25-year lease that will keep the NBA franchise through at least 2053. A new home is the type of long-term security needed to ensure the Thunder remain.

Fresh off an NBA championship, the Thunder should remain a title contender throughout Paycom Center's final years and when the new home opens. When the new OKC arena opens, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will still be under contract.

Thunder fans hope that future playoff runs will include the return of Thunder Alley. They've clamored for it in the past decade and have been in conversations in every playoff run since the discontinuation.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Will the new OKC Thunder arena bring back Thunder Alley watch parties?