For the second time since moving to the Sooner State, the OKC Thunder find themselves heading to the NBA Finals in search of the franchise's first title since 1979.
Since breaking onto the scene last season with their 57-25 record and second-round playoff excursion, many have been quick to draw comparisons to this iteration of Oklahoma City basketball and their 2010s version.
From their overall youth matched with ahead-of-schedule success to their respective big threes, it's reletively easy to see similarities.
However, throughout the past few years, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has consistently shown disinterest in such chatter, even going on record to state that comparing this group to the Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden squads of old "doesn't help us or do anything for myself and us as a group."
Clearly, the superstar has grown tired of the topic as a whole, and, directly following Wednesday's Finals-clinching win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, he dropped perhaps his bluntest statement yet on the matter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander puts an end to OKC Thunder comparisons
On the nine-year anniversary of Kevin Durant's final game in a Thunder uniform and, sadly, the team's gut-punch Game 7 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked during his post-game presser how it feels to "give this day new meaning" and to be "part of the second mountain" for the franchise.
In response, with a straight face and stern voice, the recently anointed MVP (both regular season and Western Conference Finals) seemingly put an end to the long-standing comparisons once and for all.
"There's no correlation at all. We didn't even think about that coming into the game. That's something that, like you said, nine years ago we have no control over. Unfortunate event, obviously. All we can do is come here tonight and control our energy and our effort and our focus level to give these fans what they deserve," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
While some may be fixated on this Thunder team resembling others from throughout history, in truth, they're far from just repeating -- they're resting.
During this magical 2024-25 campaign, Oklahoma City has etched its name into the record books in a multitude of areas, including:
* Youngest team to clinch back-to-back number one seeds
* Most double-digit wins in a single season/ postseason (61)
* Most playoff wins by 30 or more points (four)
* First team to have three separate 30+ point halftime leads in a single postseason
* Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied Michael Jordan and Amare Stoudemire for the most consecutive 30+ point games in a single postseason (seven)
Now, with just their fifth Finals berth as a franchise (second since migrating to Oklahoma City), they'll be looking to further separate themselves from all the Thunder clubs that came before them by actually getting over the hump and winning an NBA Championship.