The Oklahoma City Thunder have arrived. Against the resilient Indiana Pacers, Sam Presti’s meticulously crafted team secured the franchise’s first NBA championship since relocating to Oklahoma City, clinching the 2025 NBA Finals in a decisive Game 7 victory at home, 103-91. But this triumph feels different from the organization’s previous Finals appearance in 2012. This isn’t just the culmination of a rebuild; it’s widely speculated to be the potential start of an NBA dynasty, fueled by a dynamic young core built around MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, breakout star Jalen Williams, and versatile big man Chet Holmgren.
Lessons Learned: Building a Foundation for Sustained Success
For Thunder General Manager Sam Presti, this championship moment is the result of years of deliberate planning and tough lessons. Hanging in his office, next to a photo of legendary coach Bill Walsh embodying calm preparedness, are constant reminders – magnets with sayings like “CHARACTER IS FATE” and “TO BUILD IS IMMORTAL.” Presti himself found peace before the biggest game of his life not in quiet contemplation, but by rocking out on his drum set, accessing “a different part of your brain.”
That “different part” is how this Thunder team is fundamentally distinct from the promising but ultimately fleeting trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden that reached the Finals in 2012. While both teams featured young, immensely talented stars, the 2025 champions possess a quality Presti prioritized this time: humility over swagger.
The previous stars, competitive with each other as much as opponents, eventually grew too large for one team, leading to the trade of James Harden shortly after the 2012 Finals due to financial constraints and conflicting ambitions. Presti, perhaps too wedded to the idea that success would come when stars hit a certain age (like the Spurs with Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker), didn’t leave room for an alternate reality where a young team could mature quickly.
This time, led by Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Holmgren, the core players delight in sharing the spotlight. Their on-court chemistry and genuine enjoyment playing together are palpable, often bringing the entire team into post-game interviews. SGA’s heartfelt moment pulling Jalen Williams into his Finals MVP presentation, declaring JDub “a one-in-a-lifetime player” and stating the award was “just as much my MVP as it is his,” perfectly encapsulates this ethos of shared success.
The Power of Culture, Youth, and Assets
Presti’s belief that “Maturity is a characteristic. Age is just a number” proved prescient. This Thunder squad was the youngest team to win an NBA title in nearly 50 years. Players like Williams, just 10 during the 2012 Finals, were too young to fully grasp the historical parallels, experiencing their first taste of champagne during the locker room celebration and needing a veteran like Alex Caruso to show them how to open bottles.
This youth, however, is paired with a crucial readiness that the 2012 team didn’t possess at that exact moment. At 26, Gilgeous-Alexander is already firmly established as an MVP-caliber superstar, a level Durant, Westbrook, and Harden hadn’t quite reached during their initial Finals run at age 23 or younger. Supported by the rapidly developing Williams (24) and Holmgren (23), this core is hitting their stride now.
Furthermore, the circumstances surrounding this team offer a far better outlook for sustained success. The 2019 trade that sent Paul George away brought back Gilgeous-Alexander and a massive treasure trove of future draft picks, often cited as the fuel for this rebuild. Combined with rising NBA salary caps fueled by new media rights deals, the Thunder ownership appears to have the financial flexibility to invest heavily in their core, including an expected supermax extension for SGA and future deals for Williams and Holmgren, while using their unprecedented draft capital to continually replenish the roster with cost-controlled talent. This contrasts sharply with the financial bind that contributed to the breakup of the 2012 team.
The Finals Journey: Defense, Dominance, and Defining Moments
The Thunder’s path to the title wasn’t without its challenges, but their regular season dominance (a league-leading 68 wins) and top-rated defense provided the foundation. Known for their ability to force turnovers and stifle opponents, the Thunder’s defensive identity, cultivated under head coach Mark Daigneault (who honed his craft developing players with the Thunder’s G League affiliate), proved crucial.
While the Pacers pushed the series to a Game 7 with a resilient Game 6 victory in Indianapolis, showcasing the youthful Thunder faltering slightly with turnovers and poor shooting in that contest, OKC responded emphatically at home. In the decisive Game 7, the Thunder’s defense was overwhelming, forcing 23 Pacers turnovers leading directly to 32 points. While a significant factor was a heartbreaking non-contact injury suffered by Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton in the first quarter, leading to him being carried off the floor and not returning, the Thunder maintained their focus.
Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a Finals MVP performance, leading all players in Game 7 with 29 points and 12 assists – a stat line that places him among elite company in Finals history. He became the first player since Stephen Curry in 2015 to win both regular season MVP and the championship in the same season. Jalen Williams solidified his status as a critical second option with 20 points in Game 7, averaging 23.6 points for the series alongside SGA. Chet Holmgren also contributed significantly, overcoming previous injury concerns to post 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the clincher. The depth of the roster was also evident throughout the playoffs, with key bench players like Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins providing crucial scoring and defense.
Is This the First Banner of Many?
The question now shifts from “Can they win a championship?” to “How many can they win?” The Thunder’s blend of youthful superstars, significant future draft assets, improved financial outlook under a rising salary cap, and a culture emphasizing humility and shared success positions them uniquely. They are seen by many around the league as the team best equipped to end the NBA’s recent streak of different champions and establish the league’s next dynasty.
Of course, challenges remain. Injuries, which derailed opportunities for the 2012 core, are an ever-present threat. The emergence of rivals, such as the San Antonio Spurs with Victor Wembanyama or improving Western Conference contenders like the Mavericks, will test the Thunder’s longevity.
Yet, Sam Presti’s vision, guided by lessons of the past and executed by a talented, selfless young team, has already delivered the ultimate prize. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, this 2025 NBA championship feels less like an ending and more like the opening chapter of a potentially historic run. As Presti might glean from his music documentaries, everything that went into building this team now serves to “inform the music” of what could be a multi-championship symphony.
