OKC Thunder Has Arrived in New Territory

After achieving a franchise record on Thursday, the Oklahoma City Thunder has gotten into unmarked territory.

Mar 25, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) throws a pass up the court against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

It felt that this moment had been brewing for months, but as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night en route to a franchise-setting 61 wins, it wasn't any less historic than it was.

Even beyond the years of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder has reached a level of dominance not seen since the franchise was established in 2008. It has ran through the entire Western Conference all season long — making it a clear favorite for its second NBA Finals run.

Every statistic, the talent on the roster and the impressive wins Oklahoma City has picked up throughout the year points to it doing just that. Being this much of a contender certainly puts the pressure on come playoff time, but from where it is now, that hasn't seemed to bother its personnel.

It is too early to say that this season's Thunder is better than the 2012 and 2016 squads, but it is on a trajectory to accomplish what those teams didn't. That's easier said than done, but if it does pull it off, the debate becomes pretty simple.

Neither of those years had MVP winners — though Durant and Westbrook won in Oklahoma City separately — but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to be just that this season. Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic has put up an impressive resume himself, but Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder have been on a different playing field.

When Westbrook and Paul George were dealt away back in 2019, some hope from the franchise seemed to go away. Quickly, however, Gilgeous-Alexander and the astounding amount of draft picks changed the tune of the direction the Thunder was heading in.

A couple of seasons at the bottom of the West might've been tough to endure for Oklahoma City faithful, but it's paying off now. All of the pieces have come together at the right time — with plenty of years left to grow and develop together.

The Thunder isn't a stranger to the playoffs or contending for championships, but this particular team?

The sky is the limit.

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