Joe
The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA champions for the first time in franchise history, sealing a remarkable season with a 103–91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Sunday night.
In a historic season of dominance and redemption, the Thunder overcame early adversity and capped a franchise-long journey with a title, 17 years after relocating from Seattle.
Led by newly crowned Finals MVP and regular-season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City delivered a commanding second-half performance after a tense first half. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points and 12 assists in the clincher, securing a rare quartet of accolades: scoring champion, league MVP, Finals MVP, and NBA champion — a feat matched by only a handful of legends in the league’s history.
“This is a win for everyone who believed in us — my family, my friends, this city,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “We put in the hours. We earned this.”
A Dominant Season, a Dream Realized
The 2024-25 Thunder had one of the most impressive seasons in NBA history, winning 68 regular-season games — tied for the seventh-best mark ever — and finishing with an 84-18 overall record (including playoffs), equaling the 1996–97 Chicago Bulls for the third-most wins in a single season.
They also set the all-time record for point differential in the regular season, a mark that had stood for over 50 years.
The championship is the crowning achievement for long-serving general manager Sam Presti, who has helmed the franchise since its final season in Seattle. It comes 13 years after the Thunder’s first Finals appearance in 2012 and follows near-misses in the Western Conference in 2014 and 2016.
“This team is young, humble, and hungry,” head coach Mark Daigneault said. “They root for each other. They compete for each other. They’re uncommon — and now they’re champions.”
Game 7: Drama and Decisiveness
The decisive Game 7 was not without heartbreak. Indiana’s star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a left Achilles injury just five minutes into the first quarter. Despite the emotional blow, the Pacers battled on, even holding a 48–47 lead at halftime.
But the third quarter belonged to Oklahoma City. The Thunder outscored Indiana 34–20 in a dominant stretch led by Gilgeous-Alexander, and never looked back. Indiana, true to their playoff identity, mounted a late push — cutting a 22-point deficit to 10 on an Andrew Nembhard three with under two minutes left — but could not conjure another comeback.
Building the Foundation
The title validates years of rebuilding under Presti, who reshaped the team by trading Russell Westbrook and Paul George in 2019 — the latter deal bringing Gilgeous-Alexander to OKC. Luguentz Dort, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams have since emerged as franchise cornerstones.
Williams, who found form in the Finals, poured in 40 points in Game 5. Holmgren, though limited offensively after returning from injury, provided critical defense and floor spacing throughout the postseason.
At just 25 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander leads a roster that is now the second-youngest championship team in NBA history — younger than any since the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers.
A New Era of Parity
Oklahoma City becomes the ninth different franchise to win a title during NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s 12-year tenure — a stark contrast to the dynasties that defined earlier eras.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points in the regular season and 30.3 in the Finals, becoming the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to win a scoring title and a championship in the same year. According to ESPN Stats & Info, his regular-season scoring average is the highest ever by a player who went on to win the title that season.
Looking Ahead
Even as the Thunder celebrate their triumph, Sunday’s victory may mark only the beginning of a new era. With Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, Williams, and Dort all set to be locked into long-term deals, Oklahoma City appears well positioned for sustained success.
Ironically, the title came on the same day former Thunder superstar Kevin Durant — a pillar of their first contender era — was traded to the Houston Rockets, a team that may now become OKC’s primary rival in the West.
Still, for now, the moment belongs to Oklahoma City — a franchise, a city, and a fan base that can finally call itself champion.
— The Associated Press
