ESPN's E60 Looks at Rise of Oklahoma City Thunder and Overcoming a National Tragedy with "The Oklahoma Standard"

A new E60 is set to debut, with the acclaimed ESPN storytelling brand looking at how the rise of the Oklahoma City Thunder has helped the city move on from a dark shadow that has covered the city for over three decades.

What's Happening:

• ESPN’s award-winning storytelling brand E60 returns this year 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, is set to debut Sunday, April 26, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN, available for on-demand viewing afterward on the ESPN App.
• 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.
• Additionally, The Thunder host the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs on Wednesday, April 22 on ESPN at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The Attack:

• Colloquially known as "The Oklahoma City Bombing," a truck explosion outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was one of the deadliest acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.
• It happened on April 19, 1995, when a truck bomb exploded outside the structure, destroying much of the building and severely damaged nearby areas and other buildings.
• All packed into a rented truck, the bomb was made from a mixture of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and fuel oil, detonating in the morning when the building was full of employees and visitors, including a daycare center.
• 168 people were killed, including 19 children, with more than 600 injured. Hundreds of buildings in the surrounding area were damaged or destroyed.
• The attack was carried out by a former U.S. Army soldier (Timothy McVeigh) who was motivated by extreme anti-government beliefs and anger over federal actions like the Waco siege earlier in the decade.
• Today, the site is home to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, which honors the victims and educates visitors about the event.