AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Last night, the U.S. intervened in the conflict between Israel and Iran. American forces attacked three Iranian nuclear sites with bombers and a submarine. President Trump announced the strikes on his social media platform and claimed the sites were, quote-unquote, "obliterated." But we're still working to confirm the full scope of the damage. We've got lots more details elsewhere in this program, and be sure to stay tuned to this station for expert assessment of the strikes, independent analysis and reaction from the region, the world and from here in the U.S.
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RASCOE: Tonight in Oklahoma City, the final game in the NBA championship. A win for either team, the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers, would be their first. Member Station KOSU's Abigail Siatkowski brings us this from the host city and Thunder fans.
ABIGAIL SIATKOWSKI, BYLINE: This year's NBA championship has been coined the Small-Market Finals. And in Oklahoma City, Thunder fans like Alexi Smith (ph) are excited to prove small markets can make it in the big leagues.
ALEXI SMITH: It's a showing that we're not, like, the little brother anymore. People may think of us as, like, cowboy hats and no big, tall buildings, right? But there's a lot more going on in Oklahoma City. One big way to tell the entire nation that is to have your team win it all.
SIATKOWSKI: Smith is a bartender at The Goose, a sandwich shop and bar in Oklahoma City. They've been hosting rooftop viewings during the Thunder's NBA Finals run, and The Goose is not the only business booming during the playoffs. There are plenty of tourists here, too. Michael Angelos (ph) is an Oklahoman who now lives in Texas, which has several major league sports teams. He came here to experience the magic of Game 7 on Thunder turf.
MICHAEL ANGELOS: I'm from Houston right now. Moved over to Houston, and it's just not the - I don't know. It's not the same feeling. Like, here, it's just like a - you feel like you're a part of the community. And I don't know. It really means a lot.
SIATKOWSKI: As Oklahoma City's only big four professional sports team, the OKC Thunder is a big deal not just for basketball fans, but for the entire city. Micah Leon (ph) was never a big basketball fan, but he is a big fan of his city and now cheers loudly for its team.
MICAH LEON: I think what is an amazing thing about the Oklahoma City Thunder is that we are one of the only teams in the league that chant our city, as opposed to the name of the basketball team. And I think that's a testament to the people, that we are - it's not just about basketball for us. It's about something more.
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UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) OKC. OKC. OKC.
SIATKOWSKI: He'll be cheering on his team and his city tonight. And if they win, he'll do one more thing - celebrate.
For NPR News, I'm Abigail Siatkowski in Oklahoma City. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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