Yesterday, the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA championship, many articles stating their first in franchise history when in fact the franchise won the 1979 championship as the Seattle Supersonics. [Some seemed to have updated their articles to include since moving to Oklahoma City after my initial read.]
In my eyes, franchises are hesitant to acknowledge/promote their legacy if it potentially dilutes their brand. It’s only in the last few years that the Minnesota Twins claimed their Washington Senator roots by adding a pennant at Target Field for their 1924 World Series championship. I doubt the Milwaukee Brewers acknowledge their solitary year as the Seattle Pilots before the franchise was bought out of bankruptcy and relocated. How about the Carolina Hurricanes and their unsuccessful years in Hartford? Connecticut Sun‘s four seasons in Orlando? The Sacramento Kings’ website does mention the 1945-46 NBL and 1950-51 NBA championships, though many sites do not mention 1945-46. And how many casual fans know that the most expensive US sports team originated in Minneapolis?
There are exceptions. The San Francisco Giants have some New York City displays at Oracle Park. Tennessee Titans’s history proudly/loudly includes their years as the Houston Oilers. Perhaps how the leagues evolved change the narrative: the NFL incorporated the All-American Football Conference records and statistics into the official records in 2025, impacting the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49’ers, and the Indianapolis Colts. Conversely, the NBA record books do not include NBL statistics, the WNBA record books do not include ABL statistics. Concerns about diluting records seems likely though unacceptable, as MLB now recognizes Negro League records as official.
This probably requires more research than I have time for now, but an interesting topic nevertheless.
