Thunder Media Policies Believed To Be Effort To Help Keep Players

In an excellent longform piece about the local media's relationship with the Oklahoma City Thunder, longtime columnist Barry Tramel suggested the organization attempts to shield their players from the press as "a simple calculation."

“They got a plan,” Tramel said.

“What the Thunder’s doing is, within league policies, ‘Let’s make everything as good as it can be for the players.’” 

The Thunder have rarely made players available for one-on-one interviews with even the most prominent local reporters.

“[Players] will want to come here, they’ll want to stay," said Tramel. We don’t have a beach. We don’t have Hollywood. But we sure can make things easy on them.”

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have been increasingly at odds with the media this season.