How Oklahoma City “could logistically handle a crowd” as large as the roughly 500,000 at the 2021 championship parade for the Bucks “is being tackled by city leaders” ahead of a potential Thunder championship, according to Lackmeyer & Smith of the OKLAHOMAN. OKC Police Chief Ron Bacy “has reached out, asking at least one other police department,” the Yukon Police Department, for “help managing a crowd that large.” Yukon Police Chief John Corn said he expected the crowd to be “at a minimum, 600,000 people.” Veteran sports-business academic and consultant Rick Horrow said that the “look and feel of an NBA Finals parade are influenced by where an arena is located, the story being told by the team and city, and security concerns.” He said that teams and cities will “not discuss plans before the odds are high for a championship win.” Lackmeyer & Smith note there are “other reasons why city officials might be hesitant” to discuss the possibilities of a Thunder championship parade and “potential activity from terrorists is chief among them.” As the playoff atmosphere has ramped up, “so has security.” Efforts have included coordination between in-house security, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety and the FBI (OKLAHOMAN, 6/19).
Oklahoma City prepares for large crowds amid potential Thunder championship
