NBA's massive snub proves it does not see the Thunder as a marquee team

The Oklahoma City Thunder won 57 games and had the top record in the Western Conference last season. No member of their starting five was over 25 years old, and they improved their roster this offseason. OKC has an MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and arguably the best young core in the league. The Thunder are here to stay and figure to be one of the league’s best over the next half decade-plus.

Oklahoma City even plugged two massive holes this offseason. They made arguably the best trade of the summer by flipping Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso. The Thunder also signed Isaiah Hartenstein to solve their rebounding and size woes inside. They are one of the deepest and most talented teams with a belief they will be a title contender.

The NBA clearly does not see them as an elite team with one of the faces of the league as it levied a massive snub on the franchise. Here is a look at what happened and why it matters.

NBA snubs the Thunder from Christmas Day slate

Shams Charania shared the Christmas Day slate for the 2024-25 season on Aug. 8. It is the biggest day of the regular season calendar with all of the league’s marquee franchises taking center stage. Getting a Dec. 25 game is massive and is reserved for the NBA’s best teams and biggest stars. See the full slate below.

The San Antonio Spurs were chosen, despite winning just 22 games and finishing 14th in the West last season. Victor Wembanyama is on pace to become a legend, but giving them a game over Oklahoma City was a wild choice.

The Knicks and Lakers are staples on Christmas Day. It is hard to argue against Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokic taking center stage. Even the Suns have Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, despite being bounced in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Putting a 22-win team over the young squad with three future stars coming off the best record in the Western Conference was a decision. Oklahoma City deserved that game, and the entire organization should feel the slight. The NBA does not see the Thunder as a marquee draw or viable title contender. SGA and company must prove them wrong.

The best is yet to come for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their three future stars are all still improving and no team wants to match up against OKC after their slam dunk offseason. The NBA snubbed them this Christmas, but it is likely the last one for a while that doesn’t feature a Thunder game.