If you're an Oklahoma City Thunder fan, the truth is, you haven't been for long considering the franchise is less than a decade old. So to enjoy one final playoff series in 2016, should you choose the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers?

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Funny how the Oklahoma City Thunder's 3-1 Western Conference Finals series lead seemed like an insurmountable obstacle for the Golden State Warriors just a few days ago. Failure appeared as only a distant possibility for the young franchise.

Yet win by win, each one slightly more convincing than the last, the Warriors plucked their way back to the top.

Is superstar guard Stephen Curry finally back to full health?

Was he even hurt at all, or did the Thunder's incredible length poke holes in a normally lethal offense?

How does each playoff game's outcome affect forward Kevin Durant's plans during 2016's upcoming free agency?

So many questions, narratives and inevitable speculation arose during this particularly dramatic seven-game series.

And why not?

As if watching some of the world's most freakish athletes do things even our imaginations couldn't create wasn't enough, off-the-court subplots get us more involved on an emotional level.



As fans, we follow this game for entertainment. 

That also happens to be the bottom line for the NBA and the franchises involved. It's what generates revenue and helps sustain and grow a fan base.

Loyalty functions as a source of great pride for any type of sports fan. Weathering the good times and the bad.

But let's face it. The Thunder have been around for less than a decade. Despite what the name suggests, the team's disposition has always been mostly sunny.

Oklahoma City has always had the incredible duo of Kevin Durant and unstoppable guard Russell Westbrook.

The two stars get better and better every year they play together. The worst time in the franchise's entire history was probably when Durant had surgery on his foot and sat out for a season.

Let's use this opportunity to switch the scope to the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The city of Cleveland knows disappointment better than any other city with professional sports teams. It has been forced to put its arm around it like some kind of familiar friend.

One number. 1964. Otherwise known as the last year Cleveland won a championship.

Over five decades of hopes built up only to be torn down.

Then there's Golden State. The Bay Area is no stranger to success.

Home of the San Francisco Giants who have won three World Series since 2010 (2010, 2012, 2014). If superstition holds any weight, 2016 represents an even year, which means another one in the making.

The Warriors are the defending 2015 NBA Champions, and look poised to be contenders for years to come.

From a historical and cultural context, the 2016 NBA Finals features two cities, which in some ways are polar opposites.

It's time to hop on a bandwagon.

There's no shame in doing so, especially if you're a Thunder fan, or more fittingly, a basketball fan.