Thunder fans swarm downtown to celebrate during the Champions parade

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Oklahoma City Thunder fans were stacked six rows deep near NW 10th and Harvey at the start of Tuesday’s Championship parade.

Many of them got up early to get a front row seat behind the barricades to witness the team up close.

“We've been looking forward to [the parade],” said Wendy Frederick, a long-time Thunder fan. “I kept saying, I know we're going to have a parade. I'm going to go to the parade and told my job there's no way I'm coming to work today. I'm going to the parade."

An expected crowd of half a million people were spread out across the two-mile parade route. Many of the teams’ smallest fans soaked up the chance to witness history.

"I'm just super happy that we finally won one," said Ford Hill, a young Thunder fan.

For Bill Bonagofsky, the parade was a special moment.

"This is history," said Bonagofsky.

He witnessed the Seattle Supersonics' championship season in 1979. A few years later, he moved to Oklahoma City, and now he has been savoring the team’s historic first title since moving to the Big League City.

"I'm sure he's a little bit more tame than ‘79, but it's a great experience to get to share this with him,” said Jordan Bonagofsky, Bill’s daughter.