Every player in OKC Thunder history who has worn No. 8

Posted by Admin August 29, 2024 NBA

It’s summertime in the NBA, so the ample free time is a perfect opportunity to reflect and learn about the league’s history. While the Oklahoma City Thunder are a relatively fresh franchise, they technically share history with the Seattle Supersonics.

The Sonics’ first season dates back to 1967. The Thunder’s first season was in 2008. This type of longevity has allowed several players to wear practically every jersey number available.

Amid boredom, Thunder Wire will look back at all 51 jersey numbers worn, spanning from 00 to 97. This exercise will include the Sonics’ history. Let’s look at the 17 players who donned the No. 8 jersey during their time with the franchise:

Lonnie Shelton, 1979-83

Shelton was an important contributor during his five seasons on the Sonics. He played a massive role in their championship quest in 1979. His sole All-Star selection was with the Sonics in 1982. He also made the All-Defensive second team that season. He averaged 13.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in his 329 career games in Seattle.

Scott Meents, 1991

Meents only spent two seasons in the NBA. Both were on the Sonics. He switched to No. 8 in his second year. He averaged 1.8 points in 39 career appearances.

Eddie Johnson, 1992-93

The decorated bench player had a stop on the Sonics. Johnson spent roughly three seasons in Seattle, where he was a prominent rotation player. He averaged 16.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in his 229 career games with the Sonics.

Kevin Ollie, 2003

Before he became the UConn head coach and Nets interim coach, Ollie bounced around the league. One of his stints included the Sonics. He averaged eight points and 2.9 rebounds in Seattle. He also has the distinction of joining an exclusive club of players who played for both the Sonics and Thunder. He later signed with OKC in his career.

Luke Ridnour, 2004-08

The first stop in Ridnour’s lengthy career was with the Sonics. He spent his first five seasons with the Sonics as mostly a starter. He averaged 9.1 points and five assists in 362 career games in Seattle.

Chucky Atkins, 2009

Atkins had a solid career as a high-end role player. His second-to-last stop was on the Thunder. He averaged 3.7 points in 19 games.

Antonio Anderson, 2010

Anderson’s career lasted just one game. He scored two points in his only NBA appearance with the Thunder.

Nazr Mohammed, 2011-12

The backup big spent 18 seasons in the NBA spread across eight teams. He had two separate stints with the Thunder. The first lasted roughly two seasons, where he wore the No. 8 uniform. In total, he averaged 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 92 career games in OKC. He’s been with the Thunder after retirement in a front-office role. He was previously the G League’s OKC Blue GM.

Ronnie Brewer, 2013

Brewer played for six teams in his eight seasons. He spent parts of one season on the Thunder. He was mostly a bench player that was seldom used. He averaged 2.9 rebounds in his 14 appearances in OKC.

Ryan Gomes, 2014

Gomes’ last season in the NBA was on the Thunder. He averaged 1.2 points in his five appearances in OKC.

Ish Smith, 2015

One of the fastest players in the league, Smith is well-traveled. He’s played 14 seasons across 13 teams, making him arguably the poster child of a career journeyman. Of course, he had a quick stop on the Thunder. He averaged 1.2 points in his 30 games there.

Alex Abrines, 2018-19

Coming from overseas, Abrines spent three seasons with the Thunder. He was an exciting role player who could shoot from outside. He was fun to watch during his OKC stay before he returned to Spain. He averaged 5.3 points in 174 career games.

Jawun Evans, 2019

Evans only lasted two seasons in the NBA. He was with the Thunder in his second year. He only appeared in one game in OKC.

Danilo Gallinari, 2020

Acquired the blockbuster Paul George trade, Gallinari enjoyed one of his best seasons on the Thunder. He played a pivotal role as a starter on a respectable playoff squad. He averaged 18.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in OKC. He shot 40.5% from 3 on 7.1 attempts.

Jaylen Hoard, 2021

Plenty of pseudo-NBA players were given a shot during the Thunder’s rebuild. Hoard was one of them. He spent parts of two seasons in OKC. In his first year, he wore the No. 8 number. He averaged 8.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in his 26 career games on the Thunder.

Paul Watson, 2022

Like Hoard, Watson was another player given a shot because of the Thunder’s situation. He averaged 3.4 points and three rebounds in his nine games in OKC.

Jalen Williams, 2022-Present

If Williams reaches his ceiling on the Thunder, there’s a good chance he’ll be the last player to wear No. 8. Added in 2022, the 23-year-old has blossomed into one of the best young players in the league. His efficient scoring makes him one of the best second options in the league. His ascension has helped break out the Thunder into a title contender. Expect Williams to be a franchise cornerstone who flirts with All-Star status for the foreseeable future.