The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA Champions | HOOPS, 6/23/2025
Thunder win first title since relocating to OKC as Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton is forced out early with Achilles injury.
The Tip-Off: Players to Win MVP, Finals MVP, and the Scoring Title in the Same Season
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71)
- Michael Jordan (1990-91, ‘91-92, ‘95-96, ‘97-98)
- Shaquille O’Neal (1999-2000)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2024-25)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA Champions
The 2024-25 NBA season is officially in the books and I have got so many thoughts on everything that has happened over the course of this series so in the interest of keeping things as neat as possible, I’m going to break things down into separate sections. I don’t want all my thoughts jumbling together like they are in my notes so hopefully this is a bit better.
The Oklahoma City Thunder
It’s crazy that it’s been less than 12 hours and I’m already seeing people fire off takes online like “worst champion ever” about this Thunder team as if we didn’t just watch them put together an 84-win season. I think we’ve hit a point where we’re conflating success and dominance, so the Thunder can’t be referred to as this record-setting team but then also struggle in games or look human and I think that’s a huge mistake.
I understand the foul stuff is frustrating, I understand the physicality of their defense feels excessive at times or officiated one-sided at times but I think we’re missing the bigger point here: this Thunder team is a victim of their own success in this moment.
Three years ago they won 24 games and finished dead last in their division. SGA was getting shut down for the season with months left and there were more talks about him being traded because he didn’t fit the team’s timeline than there were talks about him as a potential MVP candidate. That was 2021-22 and now this season they just won their first title since moving to Oklahoma City and have stamped one of the best seasons we’ve ever seen. I just think we need to re-frame how we look at these things.
That’s also part of why I think they’ve looked inconsistent at times in these playoffs. I mean, it’s not like they’ve been going on deep playoff runs. They missed the playoffs two years ago, got eliminated in round two last year by the Mavericks, and then ran the table this year to win it all. We haven’t seen them go through as many bumps and bruises in this iteration so I think we forget how young so much of this team is. In the fourth quarter of Game 7, they looked like a team that was trying to lose at points as the Pacers somehow put together one more improbable run but instead, OKC was able to slam the door shut and clinch the title. I’ve seen it joked about that this team may be the worst version of the Thunder we see for years to come given all of the talent on the roster and all of the assets they have in the form of draft picks but honestly, there’s a lot of truth in that.
SGA leveled up in ways that have to have Clippers fans feeling absolutely sick as he became the 11th player ever to win NBA MVP and Finals MVP in the same season and now as the Thunder poised to contend for years to come. Around him, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will likely continue to improve as well while the factory of talent they can surround these guys with will only get more experienced as well.
This was an incredible Finals series up until Game 7 and I want to remember the accomplishments of this Thunder team because they definitely earned it.
Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers
All that said, I feel so bad for Haliburton and the Pacers man. What an absolute shame that one of the most-fun post-season runs I’ve ever seen comes to an end with a gut-punch like that. Seeing Haliburton go down in the first quarter and instantly crying and yelling in frustration was absolutely gutting. And the worst part is I don’t even think it was in pain, I think it was the frustration of realizing he wouldn’t be able to compete with the team in a Game 7 for the title, which is likely something that every single person reading this used to fantasize about in the driveway or the park or the backyard. I can’t lie, I had a tear in my eye thinking about it and watching him pound on the court. I need to give huge props to Pascal Siakam as well because after Tyrese went down, they showed him repeatedly bringing the team together and trying to keep everyone focused and motivated and for the first half, it looked like somehow they could possibly make magic happen one more time but unfortunately, a 34-20 OKC third quarter put the game out of reach.
Even still, their run in the fourth quarter was the embodiment of what this playoff run has been: their backs couldn’t have been more against the wall but there was not an ounce of fear in their eyes. They simply refused to quit no matter how stacked the deck seemed against them and that’s something I’m going to remember forever.
Siakam afterwards apologized to the city for coming up short, just one more example of the connection this team has to their city and the understanding of just how close they were to bringing Indiana their first ever NBA title.
One thing I can’t stop thinking about and was talking to a friend about, and I hate to be a downer here, is what happens next for this team. They haven’t confirmed it yet but by the time you read this it will probably be confirmed that it’s a torn Achilles’ for Haliburton and he will be out all of next season as he recovers. Earlier this season, the Pacers said they would be willing to go into the luxury tax, a rare move for them, in effort to keep this team together. Well, if Haliburton is out for the season already before it even starts, does that change ownerships’ willingness to shell out money to keep this group together? In today’s hyper-fast league, is one year simply too long to wait or will they try to earn a high draft pick and look to re-load for 2027? It’s insane how fast we’ve gone from “they’re one win away from a title” to “wow are they going to make big moves this summer?” but they definitely are an interesting team to watch as we head into the off-season.
Everything Else
If you read HOOPS semi-regularly then I’ve said this before and I apologize for repeating myself but outside of the on-court product and games, this NBA Finals has been absolutely atrocious. The presentation, the media coverage, everything about it felt half-assed and lackluster.
Nothing Distinguishing the Finals - If you turned the Finals on mid-way through a first quarter, you’d think it was a random January game with how plain the broadcast was. Nothing on the courts, underwhelming broadcaster chemistry, and an overall malaise permeated just about every single broadcast. Even when the league tried to do a trophy graphic on the court, the result was a blurry, digital embarrassment that did more harm than good. It felt like ESPN found out they had the rights to broadcast the NBA Finals like the night before Game 1 and had to scramble and cobble together whatever they could.
Lackluster Media Coverage - I’m so tired of so much of how the NBA is covered. I think this Finals may represent a bit of a breaking point for me if I’m being completely honest. I don’t even know where to start with this so I’m just going to start with Skip Bayless and his stupid tweets:
Just so much ignorance and carelessness on display here from someone who’s supposedly a veteran journalist. It’s sad to see what clickbait and hot take culture has done but it’s also not surprising.
Not to mention Stephen A. Smith who is getting paid $100 million from ESPN to fire off tweets about Republican talking points in the morning and then playing solitaire in the middle of NBA Finals games in the evenings. I can’t imagine the lack of self-awareness it takes to see a massive event like the NBA Finals and think “I gotta make myself a main character” but that’s exactly what he did. Not to mention the gross stuff he randomly started saying about Memphis instead of… you know…covering the NBA Finals?
Lack of Care From the NBA - And worst of all? I don’t get the impression the NBA gives one single shit about any of that.
“Fans are mad about the lack of graphics? Tell them it’s a slipping hazard and put a blurry projection down.”
“Players are complaining about lack of rest between Finals games? Nah, let’s keep it every other day.”
“Stephen A. Smith is saying players are scared to go to Memphis and that Tyrese Haliburton is lucky he’s hurt because now he has an excuse for playing bad? Eh it’s whatever.”
If the NBA can’t be bothered to pretend to care than why should fans? Honestly, the lack of attention to detail or special flourishes are just as much to blame for declining ratings as two “small market teams” are because anyone actually watching the games could tell you how much fun the first six were to watch. Do you know how sad I felt when I realized that on top of showing the Haliburton injury like 2000 times from every speed and angle possible, I was going to have to listen to Stephen A. and Kendrick Perkins react to Tyrese getting hurt? No one even asked former Warriors GM Bob Myers what it’s like to be experiencing a devastating injury like that to a key player in the middle of an NBA Finals game, something that happened to Myers LESS THAN FIVE YEARS AGO. HOW DOES NO ONE ASK HIM THAT?!
Also, not to mention that there’s a serious issue that’s going to be coming to the surface at some point here with the volume of games in the amount of time of a season. The regular season ended 70 days ago, and in the 70 day post-season we saw Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard all tear their Achilles’. Not to mention injuries to LeBron James, Ja Morant, Steph Curry, Aaron Gordon, and more impacting the playoffs as well.
The Pacers & the Thunder each played 23 playoff games in 70 days, which averages out to about 1 game every 3 days (not including the every other day games) and that doesn’t include the wear and tear of daily travel on top of playing in games that are suddenly 100x more physical and officiated completely differently than they were all regular season. I don’t know what the league can do to help preserve player health aside from adding an extra week or two to the playoffs and letting players have 4-5 days in between games. I get no impression from Adam Silver that this is even a possibility for the league to consider so we’ll see what happens.
I will say too: all of this fumbled coverage has me 100% convinced that ESPN is going to ruin Inside the NBA next season and we’re going to have watch them pull up a fifth chair so Stephen A. can sit with the gang and make sure all eyes are on him. They also have the NBA Finals next year too so at least we have that to look forward to…
Suns Trade Kevin Durant to Houston
How fitting that on the day his former team won their first title, Kevin Durant was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets in a trade that’s massive but somehow doesn’t feel massive at the same time.
Houston receives: Kevin Durant
Phoenix receives: Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, No. 10 pick in this week’s draf, five second-round picks
The move is a strong one for Houston, who now push their chips in with the hope that KD can solve an issue they had offensively this last season. Despite being 36 years old, KD shot 50% from the field and 40% from three for the third straight season, averaging 26.6pts, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists this season.
That Houston was able to acquire Durant without giving up names like Jabari Smith, Reed Shepard, Cam Whitmore, and Amen Thompson shows that Phoenix may not have been getting too many great offers from around the league.
For Phoenix, what an odd place they find themselves in. Two years ago they had Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, multiple first round pick swaps, and looked like a team that was a slight re-tooling away from getting back to the Finals. Now, they have turned those assets and players into Brooks, Green, and five second-round picks to go along with #10 in this draft. When you consider the Nets were able to get five firsts for Mikal Bridges alone, it has to be a gut punch to Suns fans.
Now, we’ll see what else they can manage this off-season because a lineup of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Jalen Green doesn’t quite inspire long-term confidence.
The NBA Draft is This Week
This Wednesday is Round One of the 2025 NBA Draft. I’m not entirely sure why they’ve decided to do two rounds over two nights (Round Two will be Thursday) but we’ll see what the ratings look like and if the NBA was right to change their approach this way.
Outside of the top names (Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper) I’m not super knowledgeable on this year’s draft class. So if you need to do any last-minute prep for the draft or want to learn more about potential players your team could land, I cannot recommend No Ceilings enough.
Even if you don’t buy the $15 Draft Guide that they put together (that’s well worth it and extremely comprehensive), the free articles and mocks are more than enough to help bring you up to speed.
At the Buzzer
- KD completes the NBA uniform rainbow with trade to Rockets
- Tyrese Haliburton leads Game 7 with 3 made 3pt FG despite only playing 7 minutes
- KD trying to sign autographs at Fanatics Fest is pure comedy
- Bucks’ Pat Connaughton picks up $9.4M player option for ‘25-’26 season
- Pascal Siakam reacts to viral clip of him pregame for Game 6
The NBA Draft Starts This Wednesday
I still don’t know why they’re splitting it across two days but Round One of the NBA Draft will take place this Wednesday with Round Two happening Thursday. Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper are expected to be the top picks but there are plenty of rumors swirling about potential trades so we’ll see if this draft lives up to the hype.
Thank you to everyone for reading this, I hope you’ve enjoyed hanging out all season. I can’t believe the season is over and we have the Draft this week. It feels like the time flew by. I’ll be back Thursday with a round one Draft recap and reactions as well as any other news from throughout the week. In the meantime, thank you so much for reading this and continuing to read this, I hope you had a great weekend and can enjoy a good start to the week. Take care.