Oklahoma Thunder Isaiah Hartenstein may not headline highlight reels, but he embodies the essence of a modern big man.

A city that didn’t exist a century and a half ago, a town off the major-sport grid when this century began, is sports' latest magnetic north

A hype video played, the Thunder mascot—Rumble the Bison—waved a huge flag to pump up the crowd and massive cheers roared as Oklahoma City's starting five was announced. And whether you were inside the arena or not, you could feel the buzz: