Thunder have 5 players on the court. The way they see it, 18,000 helpers are in the stands

OKLAHOMA CITY — There is something different about Oklahoma City Thunder fans, and players aren't afraid to say that.
The crowd of 18,000 or so always arrives early. They stay late. They show up in the middle of the night at the airport to welcome the Thunder charter flight home and maybe get a wave or a fist bump from a player, even though a chain-link fence separates the team from the fans. It's like a college atmosphere at Thunder games at times.

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