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From Hardship to Hero, Malcolm Tubbs Revs Up the Crowds

By Heide Brandes | Photos Provided by Zach Beeker/OKC Thunder Photos

If you are any kind of fan of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, you know Malcolm Tubbs, even if you don’t think you know him.

 

You see him at every home game, holding a microphone on court and jazzing the crowd. As an on-court MC for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Malcolm is entertainment personified. His energy and enthusiasm feeds the massive screaming crowds that fill the seats at the Chesapeake Arena. In turn, those screaming crowds energize Malcolm until the whole place becomes a sea of excitement, noise, cheering and laughter.

At 22 years old, Malcolm wins at getting you excited. With his short dreadlocks, open and friendly face and million-dollar smile, he’s an easy guy to like. He admits to having the most fun job in the world, and he wants you to have the best time you can at every game.

 

“I feed off the positive energy of the fans,” said Malcolm. “As ‘Master of Ceremonies,’ I own that. I’m the hype guy who’s out there pumping up the fans so they can pump up the players. It’s the most fun job in the world.”

 

However, for this master of zest, life wasn’t always fun and games. In fact, at one point, Malcolm’s life was as unstable and frightening as it gets.

 

But when you have faith, passion and an undefeatable spirit, great things are possible.

From Loss To Family

“I was born in California, but raised here,” said Malcolm. “Things went bad in early high school.”

 

A student at Putnam City West, Malcolm and his two sisters lived with their grandmother. During his freshman year over Christmas break, grandmother died, leaving Malcolm and his two sisters with an uncertain future and no home.

 

“It was tough for me. My mom wasn’t really in our lives and dad wasn’t either,” he said. “I stayed with a cousin, but I was out of the PC West district, so it was hard for her to drive me back and forth to school.”

 

Malcolm was a likeable kid who was admired by fellow students and teachers alike. One particular teacher, Tammy Johnson, started noticing how much school the young man was missing.

 

“I knew her from student council and as a student counselor,” Malcolm said. “Her husband was my football coach. They started taking me to school in the mornings, because they lived nearby. As months went on, the conversations in the car got deeper and more intimate about my life. We grew very close.”

 

Like those in the future, the Johnsons saw something very special in Malcolm. One thing led to another, and the family legally adopted the homeless youth into their own family.

 

“They are the most loving, most caring and generous people I’ve ever met,” said Malcolm. “For them to do something like that for me… We’re family. Blood is one part of family, but loving people really make a family.”

Suddenly, Malcolm was part of family dinners, big holiday gatherings and vacations and the older brother to Mac and Hannah.

 

“Coach was always there for me. I could always rely on him for guidance, and I really needed guidance at that time,” Malcolm said. “I really feel God put them in my life.”

 

The Johnsons have always gone above and beyond. While teaching at PC West, the couple started a food pantry to help students and families who struggled. With an 85 percent free and reduced lunch rate at the school, the need was great.

 

“Growing up, I had a lot of instability,” Malcolm said. “Once I moved in and became family, it was different. It took awhile for me to adjust. Normal family stuff was abnormal to me. But once I embraced it, I was all in. I love my family.”

 

Malcolm graduated in 2011 and began working part time for Young Life Youth Ministry. What he didn’t see coming was an opportunity of a lifetime.

 

To Be A Star

In early fall 2014, a coworker told Malcolm about auditions at the Thunder to become a “Storm Chaser,” the professional hype squad for the team. As a Storm Chaser, Malcolm would be required to get the crowds riled up, throw the t-shirts and keep energy going.

 

“They get all crazy and get the crowds pumped up,” Malcolm said. “I had to work that day and didn’t think I could do it. At the last minute, I was able to, so I grabbed my only Thunder shirt and went down there.”

 

Auditions themselves were fun. The candidates had to dance, perform, do improvisation and more. Part of the audition was a talent portion.

 

“I didn’t really have a talent prepared, but I wanted to be remembered. So I said, ‘Maybe just hand me the mic?’” he said. “I pretended I was introducing the players. I said, ‘Let’s give it up for Kevin Durant! He’s so strong, he doesn’t push himself up, he pushes the earth down!’ I just had fun with it.”

 

John Leach, director of Events and Entertainment, saw something in Malcolm immediately.

 

“When Malcolm showed up for the Storm Chasers audition, he just had a commanding presence. His energy was very strong, and he definitely stood out,” Leach said. “We didn’t have any intention to audition anyone for emcee that night. But while we were doing an ice breaking exercise, he just looked like he was having so much fun and had so much charisma, I thought I’d put him on the spot to see how he would react.”

 

Leach called him out and gave him some simple instructions.

 

“I handed him the mic and said, ‘You’re the emcee for the next 60 seconds. Work the crowd!’  He pretty much nailed it.  Turns out he had previous emcee experience at his high school and he is very comfortable on the mic,” Leach said.

 

He impressed the coordinators so much with his fervor, he received a call the next day saying he nailed the audition. But then, he was offered an audition to become an on-court MC.

 

“I was blown away,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was doing, so I just went out to have fun. They gave me a mic and a script, and I just did me.”

 

Malcolm’s first real performance was a pre-season game in October 2014.

 

“I was so nervous, I was shaking,” he said. “It was my first time in front of thousands of people, and I had some stage fright. But, I decided to be as good an MC as I could by being energetic and having fun. It was so surreal. You don’t think about being in front of 18,000 people, and you have to keep yourself humble.”

 

Since that day, Malcolm performed at 42 home games last season and is starting his second season on court. Besides his passion for Youth Life Ministry where he works, the games are a dream come true.

 

“I can do this, have fun with it and it’s crazy that they pay me,” he said. “It’s the coolest job in the world.”

 

Malcolm, who is also enrolled as a professional media major at The University of Central Oklahoma, says it’s tough to juggle two jobs and school, but he wants to remain with the Thunder forever.

 

“I want to do this until I’m old and can’t dance around or scream anymore,” he said.

 

Next time you’re at a home game, when Malcolm tells you to scream, go ahead and scream!