Won For the City: OKC Thunder Clinches First NBA Title in Program History

For the very first time, the Oklahoma City Thunder are champions. The Thunder managed to hold off the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 to clinch their first title as a rebranded team.

For the first time since relocating to Oklahoma City, the Thunder are champions. Courtesy of ABC7NY.com.

While they are well-known now as Oklahoma’s only major professional sports team, the Thunder haven’t been around for long. The team relocated and rebranded from the Seattle Supersonics to the OKC Thunder in 2008.

The NBA Finals this year was one to remember, as it marked the first Game 7 since 2016. The finals also featured two small-market teams, showcasing that building a roster and acquiring good players doesn’t depend on a large market.

There was no clear answer going into Game 7 as to who would take the crown, as both teams had shown their strengths and weaknesses throughout the first six games. Both teams have strong fan bases, and even in the Paycom Center, there was a good amount of gold mixed in with the sea of blue.

Following Tyrese Haliburton’s devastating game-ending injury in the first quarter, Pacers fans were rightfully worried. Having to end a season with an injury is never the way fans or players want the game to go, especially in the finals.

Following his injury in game 7, Haliburton was out for the rest of the game and will be out for all of the 2025-2026 season. Courtesy of Uristocrat.com.

However, Indiana’s momentum didn’t seem to slow, as the team managed to gain an advantage by the end of the second quarter. It was back-and-forth for most of the first half of the game, but the Thunder began to pull away by the third quarter.

While Oklahoma was the team to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy, both teams played their best games on the court. Showcasing two smaller teams with huge fan bases is something that hasn’t been seen in a few years. 

With a final score of 103-91, the Oklahoma City Thunder got to end one of the greatest seasons in the NBA’s history. The team tied for fifth place for the most-won regular season games at 68, ending an incredible run for the team this season.

Jalen “J-Dub” Williams, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are just a few of the standout performers from Game 7. The four players scored a combined total of 87 points for the team alone. 

However, SGA’s performance in both the regular season and the finals will be remembered as one of the greatest. After already being deemed regular-season MVP, he also clinched the same title for the NBA Finals, an award that many fans were excited to witness.

Gilgeous-Alexander made his own history in the team’s season to remember, clinching both the regular season and finals MVP awards. Courtesy of ESPN.com.

He is the first player in 25 years to receive both MVP awards, as well as the NBA scoring title, in a single season. He averaged 32.7 points per game, and only time will tell what he can do in future seasons.

With the 2025-2026 season set to begin in October, the OKC Thunder will now have to defend their title. The team will have its first home season opener in seven seasons, ending a long streak of starting the season on the road.

The spotlight will be on the team, along with a lot of expectations. However, with a young and impressive roster and a prospective draft class, Oklahoma City seems to be set for success. They could very well become the NBA’s next dynasty if they continue on the path they are on.

Won for the city. Courtesy of Oklahoman.com.

For decades, Oklahoma City's recognition stemmed from tragedy. Now, with a championship title on their backs, the city gets to be recognized for something worth celebrating: making history for the program.

Edited by Reese Dlabach