The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2012, and many around the NBA believe they are the favorites to win. After finishing the regular season with the best record, the Thunder have coasted through the NBA playoffs to get to this point.
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The team is led by young star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the NBA MVP trophy this season. Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged in recent years as one of the better players in the NBA, and he established himself even more this season.
With the NBA Finals berth and him winning the MVP honor this year, Gilgeous-Alexander could match some impressive feats. If the Thunder were to win the NBA title this season, Gilgeous-Alexander would become the first player since Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry to win both a championship and MVP in a season.
Additionally, if he were to win the NBA Finals MVP, he would match LeBron James. James is the only player to win the MVP of the league and Finals MVP since the 2012-13 season.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been special all year, and getting a title from this would put the cherry on top of everything. For the season, the Thunder star averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.
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Oklahoma City has dominated the rest of the league all year long, and could go down as one of the better teams in recent memory if it can cap the year with a title. The Thunder thrive defensively and are seen as one of the more historic teams, based on numbers alone.
Much of this has to do with the leadership of Gilgeous-Alexander, and he has energized the entire unit. The Thunder still have four more wins to go before they can call themselves champions, but the entire organization has come a long way in a very short time.
Oklahoma City is now awaiting the winner of the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks playoff series. During the regular season, the Thunder went 4-0 against the two teams, giving them an early edge against whichever side advances to the NBA Finals.
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This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 11:29 AM.