Date: May 23, 2026

By: Mr. Fat Hat

One might apply the famous (sports) phrase, “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings” to the 2026 NBA Western Conference Playoff Finals between San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

“It ain’t over till the fat lady sings” is a classic proverb meaning that you should never presume the final outcome of an event until it is completely finished.

It cautions against prematurely giving up hope or jumping to conclusions.

The phrase stems from an old stereotype in opera where productions were presumed to be complete before the final stage act, specifically Richard Wagner’s epic opera:  ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’, also known as -Das Rheingold, which took him 26 years to write. The Opera explores timeless themes of greed, power, and corruption through a mythical saga of gods, heroes, and a cursed magic ring … … …  . The Opera concludes with a lengthy closing aria sung by a heavyset soprano (typically portraying the character Brünnhilde). The audience mistakenly presumes the conclusion within a long ending dramatic stage act.  Nevertheless,  only once the main character completes her singing performance of the last note of the final song, does the audience know for certain that the show is definitively completed.   Thus, ‘it ain’t over until she sings‘.

After last nights third 2026 NBA Western Conference Playoff game, the question now at hand is, will the ‘Fat Lady’ sing ‘Oklahoma’!

‘Oklahoma’  is a landmark musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, which premiered on Broadway in 1943 revolutionizing musical theater with its integrated story, song, and dance, and its focus on a realistic American setting. Set in Indian Territory around 1900, it tells the love story of cowboy Curly and farm girl Laurey, amidst a rivalry between farmers and cowboys, culminating in the excitement of Oklahoma’s upcoming statehood. The show was a massive success, breaking Broadway records and leading to a famous 1955 film adaptation, and its title song became the official state song of Oklahoma in 1953.

Sports Origins:

While rooted in opera, the idiom was popularized in American sports journalism.

The Philadelphia Flyers Connection:

The phrase is often associated with iconic singer Kate Smith. She famously sang “God Bless America” before Philadelphia Flyers games as a good-luck token beginning in 1969. While she sang at the beginning of games, her performances became synonymous with the team’s relentless, fighting spirit during playoff battles, making a statement that the hockey team would win the next hockey game and return home for additional matches before submission to defeat, despite being behind in the playoffs.

Broadcaster Dan Cook made the sports reference famous to basketball fans during the 1978 NBA playoffs to remind fans that a trailing team could still make a comeback.

Yes, indeed,  “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings” regarding the 2026 NBA Western Conference Playoff Finals between the Spurs and Thunder.

Nevertheless, after last nights game three, one should ask, is the ‘Fat Lady’ warming up her singing voice to perform the famous epic theater song ‘Oklahoma’?

San Antonio and Oklahoma City have battled on the basketball court 8 times in the 2026 NBA season.  The Spurs won four of five games during the regular season, all completed months ago.  Recently, the Thunder  have now won two of three games in the NBA Western Conference Finals.

History has proven,  the playoffs are NOT the regular season.  The playoffs  are different in many manners, shapes, and forms.  There is an increased competitive nature and the complete focus on a single opponent during a best of seven game series.  Injuries and schematic adjustments weigh heavily in the outcome of the games.  These factors have been magnified in the completion between the Thunder and the Spurs.  Both teams are dealing with important players injuries. Game Schematic adjustments have been implemented rapidly.  Both teams are desperately trying to exercise their strengths and deter the opponents.  This process has facinating to watch in this series.

Each team has exploited their opponent.  Many regular season unseen and unrecognized player, team, coaching, and organizational weaknesses come out as common knowledge during the NBA playoff competition.  Those who know the game of basketball well, now, after last nights game,  have observed the Thunder expose the weakness of the Spurs in all the above categories.  Most apparently, the OKC Thunder have found a method of play to neutralize Victor Wembanyama’s (a.k.a. Wemby ) unusual talents and regular season dominance.

After last nights Oklahoma City Thunder road game victory against the San Antonio Spurs by the score of 123 – to – 108, in the third game of the best of seven series, the fat lady’s song must be changed by the Spurs in their home playoff game four scheduled May 24th , on Sunday, if they are to avoid standing on the brink of elimination.  Otherwise, the Thunder will be on their home  court in Oklahoma City on May 27th, on the verge of winning  the playoff  series and listening to the Fat Lady Sing Oklahoma.