Through these first few months of action, many are buzzing about whether or not the OKC Thunder will have the ability to become both the first team in nearly a decade to win back-to-back championships as well as the third team ever to eclipse the 70-win mark in a single regular season.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps seems to have taken the conversation another step further, however, as he's now publicly begging the question of whether Oklahoma City can realistically "stake a claim to be the best team we've ever seen."
Thunder gunning for GOAT status, not just single season accolades
During a recent edition of the Hoop Collective Podcast, the senior writer said that it's not a matter of "can" they win 70 games but, rather, "will" they win 70 and, more specifically, will they rattle off, say, 74, which would be the new all-time mark, surpassing the 73-win Golden State Warriors of 2015-16.
Now, of course, the case for the Thunder being considered the greatest team of all time won't be decided on mere record alone.
As Bontemps alluded to, the main pushback against viewing the aforementioned Warriors team in such a light is that they ultimately lost that year's NBA Championship.
Clearly, surpassing this win-total wouldn't be enough on its own for OKC to enter their name into this proverbial chat -- taking home their second consecutive Larry O'Brien Trophy would be a must.
Fortunately, through these first 24 games played, it appears the Thunder are well on their way toward accomplishing both feats.
With a record of 23-1, not only have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company become just the third team in history to boast a record of this or better during a 24-game span to start a season, but they are also on pace to win a ridiculous 78 games come year's end.
Most importantly, they are currently the far-and-away favorites to win the 2026 NBA Finals, with their current odds registering in at +130.
After winning their first title of the Sooner State era last year, it was hard to believe that the Thunder could find a way to get better. Fast forward to December of 2025, however, and not only does it appear that they've done just that, but they are doing so in one of the most dominant ways imaginable.
Move over the 1996 Chicago Bulls and the 2017 Warriors -- the 2025-26 Thunder are on their way!