Red Dirt Diaries: 'Down To Dunk' Podcast Brings OKC Thunder Fans Together

Leading up to Thursday’s NBA Draft, many Thunder fans have turned to a popular podcast to get their breakdown of players who may end up in Oklahoma City.

As it turns out, starting the Down to Dunk Thunder podcast was a giant leap of faith for Andrew Schlecht and his friends.

“We started doing a Bible study at the Jimmy's Egg off Rockwell and Hefner. We would spend about 30 minutes talking about the Bible and about an hour talking about the Thunder and the NBA. Four to five weeks into that we thought, ‘Hey, why don’t we record this?’” Schlecht said.

This was in 2012. Schlecht, a teacher at the time with a Master’s degree in education, became a student of microphones, mixing boards and max contracts.

“We were four guys who had one clue what we were doing with a podcast,” adds Schlecht about the early years.

But Schlecht kept at it with dreams of covering the NBA.

The group would record once a week at 6 a.m. before they all had to do to work to their other paying jobs.

The long hours paid off. Schlecht now covers the Thunder for The Athletic, a sports website. He records three Down to Dunk podcasts each week from his home.

Down to Dunk is the longest-running Thunder podcast.

Around 8,000 to 9,000 people listen to each podcast, but the numbers have been higher lately with the NBA Draft.

A regular contributor and fellow Thunder fan, who lives in Italy, joins Schlecht about once a week to record. The two found each other through social media.

Over the past month or so, Down to Dunk podcasts have been dominated by NBA scouts and insiders breaking down the NBA Draft.

The Thunder has the No. 2 and No. 12 picks in Thursday’s first round.

Schlecht is hoping the Thunder come away with Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan.

Down to Dunk’s popularity can be seen in the parties they host during big NBA events.

Down to Dunk is hosting its own draft party Thursday at Fassler Hall in Midtown OKC. 

The original four friends who started the podcast will break down the newest Thunder players Friday morning.

“I really do feel like God has blessed this path for me and my guys,” Schlecht said.

You can also watch Down to Dunk podcasts on YouTube.