All summer long, fans and media pundits alike have been talking ad nauseam about how the OKC Thunder are the overwhelming favorites to become the first repeat NBA Champion since the 2018 Warriors.
All-Star Jalen Williams, however, recently revealed that he and the rest of the team aren't as focused on such an achievement.
At least, not yet.
Thunder star says team is prioritizing the 'journey' of title follow-up
During a sit-down with Complex News, the All-NBA forward was asked by interviewer Mike DeStefano if Oklahoma City has already set its sights on "running it back" with the regular season's tip-off now less than a week away.
To much surprise, Williams admitted that, at this point in time, he and the rest of the Thunder are not all that invested in their end-of-season projections. Instead, they're more excited about the "journey" along the way.
"Our team has done a really good job of not focusing on trying to run it back. Because then you lose a little bit of the fun part of the journey, which is like... the struggle of January when you're playing in all these games in a row," Williams said. "I think if you focus on trying to run it back right away, you lose a lot of the cool stuff that comes with it."
Regardless of the sport, a championship hangover is real.
To Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, the pressures to run things back are so immense that the term "repeat" is viewed as "an off-limits word" in 2025.
Charles Barkley, who may have never won a title in the NBA but was the leader of the NBA Finals-bound Phoenix Suns back in 1993, attributed the phenomenon to the changing mentality of both players and staff after going on such a successful run.
Oklahoma City, however, could very well prove to be the antithesis of these typical reactions and assessments.
Throughout the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Williams-led era of Thunder basketball, this team has regularly shown that, along with winning, they aim to have fun on a regular basis.
It's why they go shopping together in their spare time and partake in things like their now-famous group huddles in post-game interviews.
Now, even after taking home the franchise's first Larry O'Brien Trophy, it appears that, instead of making it all about business and being fixated on repeating, they're still trying to enjoy the ride of not only being in the NBA but also striving to achieve the highest of successes in it.
As Williams noted, heading into the 2025-26 season, the Thunder are more concentrated and animated about how "we're going to get our rings on opening night" and that the ball club will be playing in their first Christmas Day game since 2018.
Of course, this is not to say the Thunder aren't invested in winning another title. In fact, as Williams would go on to say, it's more about finding out how they can get better than they were last year.
"How can we improve and make the league adjust to us throughout the year," Williams said.
Frankly, Oklahoma City taking everything with a "one game at a time" mentality is something that not only should have them viewed as the clear favorites to win the 2026 NBA Finals, but also to become the game's next great dynasty.