As a sports fan, have you ever witnessed the celebration that takes place in the aftermath of a major win? Well, then you may have been well acquainted with how crazy things can get. Fans might still remember how, after the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl, visuals of people climbing poles, jumping on top of and destroying a police van, dancing on an ambulance, and engaging in acts of vandalism, disorderly conduct, and aggravated assault made the rounds of the internet. Now, with the NBA Finals having concluded, such acts were once again expected to make a return, right? Fortunately not, as local police put a halt to the celebrations before they even began.

As highlighted by social media users, fans exiting the Paycom Center after OKC’s win in the NBA Finals were immediately greeted by police. The sight of armoured vehicles with machine guns on top, officers carrying shotguns and rifles, and 8 or more vehicles surrounding an intersection certainly did not speak ‘party time’. The announcement emanating from the area said, “If you do not disperse, you may be arrested”. Talk about a vibe killer, right?

If the past is an indication, it is that civilized behaviour often takes a back seat when celebrating an NBA championship victory. Long-time fans might still remember how, back in June 2010, things turned intense in Los Angeles after the Kobe Bryant-Pau Gasol led Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics. Rocks and bottles were thrown at officers, people were jumping on vehicles, and trash cans were being set on fire! All of this happened despite the hundreds of police officers who had gathered around the Staples Center before Game 7 to prevent a repeat of the violence that had happened after the Lakers’ victory in the previous year! Footage of a man being beaten, a car set on fire, and reports of windows being broken at several businesses, went viral.

We aren’t even talking about the celebrations from last year, when the Boston Celtics won the championship. People were literally climbing up light poles and street signs. Joseph Cirone, a 24-year-old, even allegedly hit a police officer after the cop told him an area outside the arena was closed to the public. Two juveniles were arrested amid reports of a fight. Three additional people were put in handcuffs after an anonymous person caused the electric display panel from the top of a pole to snap after he/she attempted to climb on top of the electric pedestrian control signal, but fell. 8 people, in total, were arrested that night. 8!

In light of all that, no one can blame the police officers for taking action. After all, NBA championship celebrations tend to go way out of hand. Furthermore, with the Oklahoma City Thunder not having won a championship since 1979, modern generation fans did not get a chance to realize how strict law enforcement can get in such situations. Despite this, people were not happy with the strictness and were willing to make their voices heard out loud. Well, not out loud on the streets, in front of the cops, but on social media.

NBA fans criticize police intervening in OKC Thunder’s championship win celebration: “so intense for no reason”

One social media user wrote, “Wtf this is so intense for no reason”.

Well, once again, if people reminded themselves of what happened last year in Boston, there certainly would be a few reasons to name.

One individual wrote, “Bulls–t man let them celebrate”. It is not as if the people were completely devoid of having a good time. As a social media user highlighted, massive crowds of people were reportedly seen shooting fireworks AT the police. Others reported regular use of fireworks. People gathered in the areas around the Paycom Center to engage in some dancing and chanting “OKC! OKC!”. Plus, the OKC Thunder squad will also have the customary celebratory parade in a few weeks from now.

One social media user wrote, “never let oklahoma city win ever again if this is how their city acts lmfao”. Well, one can’t be blamed for ensuring that people don’t climb on poles and destroy vehicles. Then again, police officers with shotguns and rifles might allegedly be overselling the warning by a lot.

One individual wrote, “That’s lame”. Compared to how the Lakers and the Celtics celebrated their championship wins, anything would be ‘lame’ in comparison.

One social media user wrote “oh that’s wack lmao they acting like yall Knicks fans or sumn”. Well, Knicks fans really can get intense. The same was proven back in May, after the Knicks eliminated the Boston Celtics in a 6-game series. Outside Madison Square Garden, fans swarmed and taunted the Celtics’ bus as the team attempted to get out of town. They were reportedly screaming “bye-bye” and “f–k Boston” as the bus made its way down 33rd Street. Even Spike Lee, who is a long-time Knicks fan, reportedly stuck his head out of a car window to join the post-game party. Well, to ensure that OKC fans did not turn into Knicks fans, the police were present.

Overall, the majority of reactions highlighted people not being happy with the police. However, rowdy celebration or not, it does not change the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder still won a championship. The joy of that feeling is not something that will evaporate for the local people in just a few days.