Newspaper Removes Opinion Piece Linking Oklahoma City Thunder to Israel

The Oklahoman, a daily newspaper headquartered in Oklahoma City, has removed an opinion piece that drew parallels between the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team and the state of Israel. The column, published by guest columnist Eitan Reshef, was taken down from the newspaper’s website shortly after it gained traction on social media.

Reshef, identified as a native Oklahoman and a Chicago-based entrepreneur, investor, and former advertising agency chief executive officer, argued that both the Thunder and Israel are underdogs facing disproportionate hostility due to their success. The piece, headlined “Like Thunder, Israel is an underdog that has become hated,” featured an image of a basketball bearing the design of the Israeli flag.

The article appeared at a time when the Thunder were competing against the San Antonio Spurs for the Western Conference title. The team had won its first NBA title in 2025 following its relocation from Seattle and subsequent renaming, but had lost Game 1 of the current series shortly before the op-ed was published.

Reshef cited the team’s rise from a small market and Israel’s status as a young nation surrounded by hostility as key similarities. He referenced the Oklahoma City bombing as a traumatic past for the city, drawing parallels to Israel’s historical struggles and describing both entities as having risen out of the ashes despite all odds.

The link to the op-ed on The Oklahoman’s website now returns a 404 “page not found” error, and the Internet Archive did not capture the content before its deletion. However, the article remains live on syndication partners, including MSN. The Oklahoman has not commented on the column or the reason for its removal.