The Oklahoma City Thunder will have the chance to achieve something that only the most elite of elite teams in NBA history have been able to do this season. If the Thunder can win at least 63 games in the upcoming regular season, they'll become just the fifth franchise in league history to reach that mark in back-to-back seasons.
Coming off their dominant run to a championship not even four months ago, Oklahoma City is rightly viewed as the top power in the Western Conference, and nearly the runaway favorite to repeat as NBA champions in June 2026. There's a big target on their backs now, but it's well within the realm of possibility that they could reach this ambitious mark.
For some context, the only other four teams that have won 63 or more games in back-to-back seasons were Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors, Larry Bird's Boston Celtics, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Milwaukee Bucks. Clearly, there's a high bar to reach here. And if the Thunder can do it, it would put them among the most respected and revered teams to ever grace this league.
Thankfully for Oklahoma City, they are in an excellent position to run it back. They're just coming off a blowout preseason-opening win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night in Charleston, South Carolina, in a game where none of their starters even played. This team's depth remains off the charts.
The Thunder can make NBA history with at least 63 wins this season
And unlike a lot of championship teams, there has been no massive roster overhaul for the Thunder. In the coming season, they're going to be able to lean into continuity with all of their main contributors coming back.
Right now, we're supposedly in the era of parity in the NBA. And honestly, that's a valid descriptor of the current landscape. The fact that there have been no repeat champions in the past seven seasons in a row speaks to that. However, I would say that OKC is well-positioned to break that trend and go back-to-back.
It's clear that last season represented a big breakthrough for Oklahoma City. They got over the proverbial playoff hump, and proved they were worthy of the title champion. Now, the name of the game is going to be proving that last year wasn't a fluke.
Chasing after this kind of achievement is going to be an excellent goal for this group to pursue. We know that no one within the locker room is going to be mentioning this specific stat throughout the season. Everyone is going to be too focused on playing the best brand of basketball and being as good as they possibly can be. However, when things are all said and done, the Thunder reaching this mark would be an undeniable symbol of their dominance.