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Plane Carrying Oklahoma City Thunder Suffers Major Dent After Bird Collision

Delta Airlines officials say a charter flight carrying the NBA team apparently encountered a bird when it was landing.
Image: The front of the Delta plane that was damaged on descent to Chicago-Midway Airport from Minneapolis on Oct. 27, 2017.
The front of the Delta plane chartering the Oklahoma City Thunder team that was damaged on descent to Chicago-Midway Airport from Minneapolis on Oct. 27, 2017.@realstevenadams / via Twitter
/ Source: The Associated Press

CHICAGO — Delta Airlines says a charter flight carrying the Oklahoma City Thunder from Minneapolis to Chicago apparently encountered a bird early Saturday when it was landing, causing damage that prompted some players to post photos on social media showing the caved-in nose of the plane.

Carmelo Anthony, Josh Huestis, and Steven Adams all posted photos of the plane shortly after it landed around 12:45 a.m.

Image: The front of the Delta plane that was damaged on descent to Chicago-Midway Airport from Minneapolis on Oct. 27, 2017.
The Delta plane that was damaged on descent to Chicago-Midway Airport from Minneapolis on Oct. 27, 2017.@realstevenadams / via Twitter

Anthony wrote on Instagram, "What possibly could we have hit in the SKY at this time of night? Everyone is Safe, Though."

Adams' Twitter post said, "We had a rough flight to say the least."

And Huestis tweeted, "I guess we hit something? 30,000 feet up..."

Delta Airlines spokeswoman Elizabeth Wolf said maintenance was evaluating the situation and that the damage was likely caused by a collision with a bird. She said the Boeing 757-200 landed safely without incident at Chicago's Midway International Airport.

A spokesperson for the team told The Oklahoman newspaper that all of its players, staff and coaches were safe. The Thunder lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-116 on Friday night. Oklahoma City plays the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.