Rising Stars: Oklahoma City Thunder Deserve Recognition in 2025 NBA Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a basketball team that deserves more attention than they currently receive. Despite their impressive record and talent, they are often overlooked by fans and the media. In this article, we will explore five reasons why the Thunder should be considered a true American sensation and why they deserve more recognition. Firstly, the Thunder are really good at basketball. Historically, they have had a 68-14 record in the Western Conference this season, which is equivalent to 78-4 in the Eastern Conference. They outscored opponents by 12.7 points every 100 possessions, the best net rating in the league and more than 10 full points better than the Indiana Pacers’ 2.1 figure. The Thunder’s Simple Rating System (SRS) stands at 12.70, which means they are nearly 13 points better than the average team. Even with Chet Holmgren out for the majority of its games during the regular season, OKC lapped the competition. In 2024-25, OKC had the best SRS in NBA history, with 54 of their 68 wins being by double-digits. Secondly, the NBA needs to invest in tomorrow. The NBA is still heavily invested in LeBron James and Stephen Curry, but there will come a day when these players are no longer in the league. The Thunder were not among the 10 teams picked to play on Christmas Day this season despite being the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season and upgrading their depth with Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. The NBA needs to start investing in young great teams like the Thunder to prepare for the post-LeBron and post-Steph era. The Thunder should be put front and center, and their national TV count of 23 games should be increased to match that of other top teams like Golden State (29), the Lakers (29), Boston (27), and New York (24). Thirdly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a star. He is not only skilled but also has a unique style that sets him apart from other players. He wears sunglasses at night, dons giant fur coats inside, and has a fashion sense that many can only dream of. But it’s his basketball skills that truly make him stand out. He averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent on 2s and 37.5 percent on 3s this season. He was once again among the league leaders in steals and a virtuoso in the open court. SGA is a throwback and the future at the same time, and he’s always there when his team needs him. Fourthly, the Thunder play defense like there’s no tomorrow. A common complaint about NBA basketball is that teams don’t play defense, but that’s not true when it comes to the Thunder. They are so fast and suffocating that it often feels as if they’re playing six-on-five. Of the top seven players in steals per game this season, three of them play for the Thunder: Cason Wallace (1.8 steals), Gilgeous-Alexander (1.7), and Jalen Williams (1.6). No other team prioritizes possessing the ball more than OKC, and they have registered 535 fewer turnovers than their opponents this season, playoffs included. The Thunder deeply understand the value of winning the turnover game, and they have a chance to smash the all-time record by 100 turnovers.