Mar 13, 2019; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates after scoring against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2019; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates after scoring against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma City Thunder have had some of the best superstar talent in NBA history. Kevin Durant, James Harden, Paul George, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Russell Westbrook have all helped put the franchise on the map.
But there is a distinction between being a great player and being an all-time great Thunder. No doubt, Westbrook was the latter.
Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA yesterday, and after recapping his greatest moments with the OKC Thunder, we have to dive into how critical Russ was for the Thunder.
Before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned Oklahoma City into a championship powerhouse, Westbrook was the heart of the franchise. He wasn’t always easy to watch, and he certainly wasn’t always easy to defend. But for 11 seasons, he made the Thunder feel like his team.
He arrived in Seattle in 2008 as the No. 4 overall pick, moved with the franchise to Oklahoma City and grew from an athletic and raw rookie into an MVP, nine-time All-Star, and one of the most statistically dominant players basketball has ever seen.
Westbrook left Oklahoma City as the franchise’s all-time leader in scoring with 18,859 points, while also accumulating 6,897 assists and 5,760 rebounds. More importantly, he stayed when the Thunder’s roster was slowly dismantled around him.
Kevin Durant left. James Harden had already been traded. Serge Ibaka eventually departed. But Westbrook remained.
And then, in 2016-17, he had one of the most outrageous individual seasons in NBA history, averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists and becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season, eventually winning MVP for it.
So where does that leave him in Thunder history? Let’s find out.
*Note that we are only including players who have played for the OKC Thunder franchise starting in 2008-09.
Honorable Mentions
Alex Caruso
Years in Oklahoma City: 2 (2025-2026)
Thunder’s Stats: 6.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Honors With Thunder: NBA Champion (2025), NBA Finals Appearance (2025)
Alex Caruso‘s Oklahoma City tenure has been relatively short, but it has been incredibly impactful. He became one of the smartest, most disruptive players in Mark Daigneault’s system from his first game.
Caruso never needed the ball to make his presence felt, because he came up with timely shots and did the dirty work to win games. Make no mistake, Caruso is a big-game player.
What makes Caruso’s case particularly interesting is that he became part of a championship team in Oklahoma City. His defense and willingness to do the dirty work perfectly complemented Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.
Ultimately, two seasons aren’t enough to crack a top-10 list that includes players who spent nearly a decade in Oklahoma City. But Caruso’s impact on the Thunder’s championship era deserves recognition, and by the time his career is up, he just might be in the top 10.
Luguentz Dort
Years in Oklahoma City: 7 (2020-2026)
Thunder’s Stats: 11.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Honors With Thunder: NBA Champion (2025), All-Defensive First Team (2025), NBA Finals Appearance (2025)
Luguentz Dort is another player who won’t show up near the top of an all-time Thunder statistical leaderboard, but that doesn’t tell the story of his importance to Oklahoma City.
Dort went from an undrafted rookie to one of the NBA’s most respected perimeter defenders. He became the guy Oklahoma City could throw at the opposing team’s best scorer, eventually making the All-Defensive First Team in 2025.
His offensive development also mattered. Dort eventually became a legitimate three-point threat (35.8% for his career), allowing him to remain on the floor without demanding possessions from the team’s stars. During the Thunder’s championship run in 2025, Dort averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks on 34.4% 3-PT FG in the playoffs.
The most impressive part of Dort’s Thunder story is how closely it mirrored the franchise’s rebuilding process. He was there when Oklahoma City was rebuilding around young players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he eventually became part of the team’s return to championship contention.
He doesn’t have the longevity of Nick Collison after he was unfortunately traded this offseason, nor the talent of Shai, Durant, and Westbrook. But Dort helped bridge two Thunder eras and was the starting shooting guard for the Thunder’s only championship.
10. Nick Collison
Years with Thunder: 10 (2009-2018)
Thunder Stats: 4.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Honors With Thunder: N/A
Some players fill the box score, and then there are players who become part of the identity of a franchise.
Nick Collison was everything that embodied the OKC Thunder. Collison spent his final 10 seasons with the Oklahoma City franchise after playing his first five years in Seattle.
He never made an All-Star team, never averaged over 8.2 points per game, and was never the player who would dominate a highlight reel.
But he was Mr. Thunder.
He played 602 games for the franchise and became one of the most respected locker-room figures in team history. Collison was the veteran presence around Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and the rest of the young core as Oklahoma City transformed from a rebuilding operation into a championship contender.
His importance was never about offensive production. It was about doing the dirty work, defending, screening, rebounding, and setting the tone.
The Thunder retired his No. 4 jersey in 2019, making him the first player in franchise history to receive that honor.
That’s a pretty good way to summarize what Collison meant to Oklahoma City.
9. Steven Adams
Years with Thunder: 7 (2014-2020)
Thunder Stats: 9.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Honors With Thunder: N/A
If you watched those early Thunder teams, you understand why Steven Adams is higher than his scoring numbers suggest. Adams was the ultimate enforcer.
He set brutal screens for Westbrook, absorbed punishment around the rim, and became one of the best offensive rebounders in basketball.
His relationship with Westbrook also became one of the defining personalities of those teams.
Adams’ best statistical season came in 2018-19, when he averaged 13.9 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 59.5% from the field. The year before, he posted 13.9 points and 9.0 rebounds on 62.9% from the field.
But his impact went beyond the box score.
He was physical without constantly being reckless, played through injuries, and gave Oklahoma City a legitimate interior presence during the final years of the Durant-Westbrook era.
And Thunder fans absolutely loved him because Adams left a personality that is iconic until today.
8. Paul George
Years with Thunder: 2 (2018-2019)
Thunder Stats: 25.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Honors With Thunder: 2× All-Star (2018-2019), All-NBA First Team (2019), All-NBA Third Team (2018), 1× All-Defensive First Team (2019)
George’s Oklahoma City tenure lasted only two seasons, but his 2018-19 campaign was special enough to put him on this list. After signing a four-year extension to remain with the Thunder, George looked like a legitimate MVP candidate.
He averaged 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.2 steals, finished third in MVP voting, and was also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year (finishing 3rd).
That combination is what made peak OKC George so dangerous. He was an elite scorer and a shutdown defender. For stretches, he looked like one of the five best players in the league.
The problem was longevity. Oklahoma City was eliminated by Portland in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, including Damian Lillard’s infamous series-ending 37-footer over George.
George’s peak in OKC was outstanding, but his overall Thunder legacy simply doesn’t have enough chapters.
7. James Harden
Years with Thunder: 3 (2009-2012)
Thunder Stats: 12.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Honors With Thunder: Sixth Man of the Year (2012), NBA Finals Appearance (2012)
James Harden’s Thunder tenure was short, but what a three-year run it was. Oklahoma City drafted Harden No. 3 overall in 2009, and he immediately became an important piece of a young core that would eventually become one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference.
By 2011-12, Harden was averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 49.1% from the field and 39.0% from three. He won Sixth Man of the Year and became the offensive powerhouse coming off the bench for a team featuring Durant and Westbrook.
The 2012 playoffs were the peak. Harden averaged 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists during Oklahoma City’s run to the NBA Finals. The Thunder eliminated Dallas, then beat the Lakers and Spurs, before finally falling to LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
Harden eventually became an MVP and one of the greatest offensive players of his generation after his trade to the Houston Rockets, but his Oklahoma City resume is intact because the Thunder don’t reach the 2012 Finals without him.
Harden’s situation in OKC is also one of the biggest “what-ifs” in NBA history because had he stayed in OKC, it could have altered the history of the entire Western Conference of what was to come next.
6. Chet Holmgren
Years with Thunder: 4 (2023-Present)
Thunder Stats: 16.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.1 BPG
Honors With Thunder: NBA Champion (2025), All-Star (2026), All-NBA Third Team (2026), All-Defensive First Team (2026), NBA Finals Appearance (2025)
Chet Holmgren is already this high despite having only three seasons under his belt, which tells you just how unusual his talent is.
The No. 2 overall pick in 2022 entered the NBA with a skill set that looked almost unfair on paper: a 7-foot frame, elite timing as a shot blocker, three-point range, and guard-like mobility.
He has become the defensive backbone of Oklahoma City’s modern championship contender. Mainly due to Chet, the Thunder have been a top-ranked defense (#1 in defensive rating) for two straight seasons.
In 2025-26, Holmgren took another major step, averaging 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds while earning his first All-NBA selection. More importantly, he became the perfect frontcourt complement to Shai.
That’s the key to his Thunder legacy. His presence allows Oklahoma City to play small without actually being small.
The scary part? His Thunder career is still being written. Don’t be surprised if he climbs into the top five by the end of next season.
5. Serge Ibaka
Years with Thunder: 7 (2010-2016)
Thunder Stats: 11.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.5 BPG
Honors With Thunder: 3x All-Defensive First Team (2012-2014), 2× Blocks Leader (2012-2013), NBA Finals Appearance (2012)
For those who remember, Serge Ibaka was the defensive backbone of the original Thunder powerhouse. He arrived as an extremely raw athlete and developed into one of the league’s premier shot blockers.
Ibaka led the NBA in blocks in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and he made three All-Defensive First Teams during his Oklahoma City career.
Then his offensive game evolved. Ibaka became a legitimate midrange shooter and eventually developed three-point range, giving Durant and Westbrook more room to operate.
His 2012 postseason was particularly important. Oklahoma City needed his defense and athleticism to survive the Western Conference, and Ibaka averaged 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and a whopping 3.0 blocks during the playoff run to the Finals.
The Thunder’s core was often described as Durant, Westbrook, and Harden. But Ibaka was the guy protecting everything behind them.
4. Jalen Williams
Years with Thunder: 4 (2023-Present)
Thunder Stats: 18.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Honors With Thunder: NBA Champion (2025), All-Star (2025), All-NBA Third Team (2025), All-Defensive Second Team (2025), NBA Finals Appearance (2025)
Jalen Williams might eventually climb several spots. The No. 12 pick in 2022 initially looked like a tremendous value selection, and then he became a legitimate star.
Then he became Shai’s perfect running mate.
Williams brings a little bit of everything because he is a shot-creator, an unselfish passer, and an elite defensive stopper. That versatility matters enormously next to Gilgeous-Alexander.
Oklahoma City doesn’t need Williams to imitate Shai or steal the spotlight. They need him to complement him, and he has increasingly done exactly that as the second option.
Williams’ rise has coincided with the Thunder becoming a legitimate powerhouse, and his role in the franchise’s championship era gives him an enormous opportunity to climb this list.
3. Kevin Durant
Years with Thunder: 8 (2009-2016)
Thunder Stats: 28.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Honors With Thunder: NBA MVP (2014), 4× Scoring Champion (2010-2012, 2014), 7× All-Star (2009-2016), 5× All-NBA First Team (2010-2014), All-NBA Second Team (2016), NBA Finals Appearance (2012)
There is a legitimate argument for putting Kevin Durant at No. 2. In terms of raw superstar impact, he might even be number.
He was the greatest player Oklahoma City had ever seen before Shai came along, and his offensive peak in a Thunder uniform was absurd.
Durant won four scoring titles in Oklahoma City and became the franchise’s first MVP in 2014. That season, he averaged 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, shot 50.3% from the field, and became the first unanimous First Team All-NBA selection in NBA history.
He also put together the famous 41-game streak of scoring at least 25 points, one of the longest streaks in NBA history.
Durant led Oklahoma City to the NBA Finals in 2012 and four Western Conference Finals appearances.
That’s the resume of an all-time franchise great. But there is one issue.
Westbrook’s relationship with Oklahoma City simply ran deeper. And Durant’s decision to leave for Golden State created an emotional divide that still colors how many Thunder fans view his tenure.
Pure basketball skills? Durant was better.
Thunder identity and loyalty? That’s where the next man has the edge.
2. Russell Westbrook
Years with Thunder: 11 (2009-2019)
Thunder Stats: 23.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Honors With Thunder: NBA MVP (2017), 8× All-Star (2011-2013, 2015-2019), 2x All-NBA First Team (2016-2017), 5× All-NBA Second Team (2011-2013, 2015, 2018), All-NBA third Team (2019), 2× Scoring Champion (2015, 2017), 2x Assist Champion (2018-2019), NBA Finals Appearance (2012)
This is where the ranking gets really difficult. If you want to rank the greatest players purely by talent, Westbrook might land behind Durant.
If you’re ranking what a player meant to the Thunder, however, Westbrook has an almost unbeatable argument.
He became the face of Oklahoma City after Durant’s departure and responded by producing one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history.
In 2016-17, Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists, becoming only the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double over an entire season. He won MVP and led the league with 42 triple-doubles.
Westbrook had already become an elite superstar by then, though. He averaged 28.1 points in 2014-15, finished fourth in MVP voting that season, and again finished fourth in 2015-16 before finally breaking through.
His Thunder resume is massive: 18,859 points, 6,897 assists, 5,760 rebounds, eight All-Star appearances and eight All-NBA selections.
And then there’s the loyalty factor. Westbrook could have walked away after Durant left. Instead, he signed an extension and embraced the impossible challenge of carrying Oklahoma City by himself.
He didn’t win a championship, but when people talk about the identity of the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008 through 2019, it’s almost impossible to tell the story without Westbrook at the center of it.
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Years with Thunder: 7 (2020-Present)
Thunder Stats: 28.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Honors With Thunder: NBA Champion (2025), NBA Finals MVP (2025), 2× NBA MVP (2025-2026), 4x All-Star (2023-2026), 4× All-NBA First Team (2023-2026), Scoring Champion (2025, NBA Finals Appearance (2025)
Here is the part that would have sounded completely ridiculous five years ago: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already the greatest player in Thunder history.
It’s based on what he’s actually accomplished. SGA has transformed from the centerpiece of the Paul George trade into the face of the NBA and the architect of Oklahoma City’s second great era.
In 2024-25, Shai captured his first MVP award and scoring title by averaging 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from deep.
In 2025-26, he averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game and shot 55.3% from the field and 38.6% from three, and led Oklahoma City to a league-best 64-18 record. He also led the NBA in plus-minus at +788.
Shai won his second consecutive MVP, becoming just the 14th player in NBA history to win the award in consecutive seasons. He also won Clutch Player of the Year after leading the league in clutch scoring.
But the biggest difference between SGA and the great Thunder players before him is simple:
He finished the job, and the Thunder won the NBA championship at the expense of the Indiana Pacers.
That changes everything. Durant and Westbrook got to the Finals as those teams were incredibly close, but they never completed the mission.
Shai did, and he did it while leading a young, homegrown core that includes Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
His efficiency is also ridiculous. In 2025-26, Shai became the first guard ever to average at least 30 points while shooting 55% or better from the field in a season. He also scored at least 20 points in all 68 games he played and extended his streak of 20-point games to an NBA-record 140.
Westbrook gave Oklahoma City its soul, and Durant gave it its first true superstar. But Shai gave the franchise something neither of them could: a championship, and that is ultimately why Gilgeous-Alexander sits at No. 1.