OKC Thunder vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Proves the Small Market is Marketable

The NBA is hyping up the matchup between the teams with the current two best records in the league — a good sight for two contenders in small markets.

Nov 8, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) passes the ball around Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half at Paycom Center. Oklahoma City won 128-120. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

If you've been scrolling through NBA social media over the last day, there's a good chance you've seen high amounts of marketing for the upcoming matchup between the top two teams in basketball: the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Not only have Oklahoma City and Cleveland been dominant in their respective conferences, but the game itself is making history before it's even begun. It's the first time in league history that a team on a 15-game winning streak (Thunder) is facing off against a team on a 10-game winning streak (Cavaliers), not to mention the several other historic notes

Obviously, when two surefire championship contenders are going at it, the NBA should present it on the largest stage and market it as a big deal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Mitchell have been household names at the guard position for years, and down the lineup of each roster there's talent in every place.

It's different for Oklahoma City and Cleveland, though. Both organizations are considered to be in some of the smallest markets across the NBA landscape, which means there's not as immediate of wide-scale fan support and notoriety. Typically, when an organization is in a small market, it's tough a lot of times for it to get the same marketing power as the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks.

Thanks to the Thunder and Cavaliers putting themselves on a completely different pedestal from the rest of the league, the NBA really had no choice but to put all the attention on this matchup. Despite it not appealing to the widest of crowds, these are the teams at the top, and they need to be exposed to the larger demographic.

There's heaping amounts of interest for this matchup because of the talent alone, and both teams have been able to prove themselves against other contenders throughout the season. Just because they aren't in a big market, doesn't mean that it's an immediate turnoff for viewers. The talent alone that will be displayed speaks for itself.

Once Oklahoma City and Cleveland tip off at 6 p.m. Wednesday, all eyes are going to be on who asserts themselves as the true No. 1 team in the league right now.

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