The Oklahoma City Thunder are wearing the crown, and they’re not giving it up anytime soon. After storming through the league last season with a 68-14 regular season record and grinding out two grueling seven-game playoff series - including a Finals victory over the Indiana Pacers - the defending champs have picked up right where they left off. At 25-2 to start this season, the Thunder aren’t just winning games - they’re dominating the league.
But as the wins pile up, so do the comparisons. Are we watching one of the greatest teams in NBA history? That’s the conversation starting to bubble up, especially after Thunder forward Jalen Williams confidently said he’d take his squad over some of the most iconic championship teams of all time - including the 2017 Golden State Warriors, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, and the 2019 Toronto Raptors.
"I'm always going to say my team," Williams said when asked to choose between the current Thunder and those legendary squads. And you know what?
That’s exactly what you want to hear from a guy in the locker room. Confidence like that isn’t just bravado - it’s belief, and belief fuels championship runs.
But not everyone’s ready to put the Thunder in that rarefied air just yet.
Channing Frye, who knows a thing or two about title teams from his time with the 2016 Cavaliers, pushed back on the idea during an episode of the Road Trippin' podcast with Kendrick Perkins, himself a former Thunder big man.
“We all know like the 2017 Warriors would have mopped him up. The ’95-’96 Bulls would have gave him the business,” Frye said, pulling no punches in his assessment.
And look - Frye’s not exactly out on a limb here. The 2017 Warriors were an absolute juggernaut, blending Kevin Durant’s scoring with Steph Curry’s shooting and Draymond Green’s versatility in a way that felt borderline unfair.
The ’96 Bulls? That was peak Jordan, surrounded by elite defenders and high-IQ role players.
Those teams didn’t just win - they crushed souls.
Still, the Thunder aren’t trying to win debates in December. They’re chasing banners, not barbershop arguments.
And while the chatter around their place in history is heating up, Williams made it clear that chasing the 73-9 regular season record set by those 2016 Warriors isn’t what’s driving them.
“Is there a chance? Yeah, there’s a chance,” Williams said when asked about the possibility of eclipsing that historic mark.
“I don’t know if that’s a goal. I’m not going to say we can’t do it, either.
Nobody likes to lose. We’re not going into these games losing.
Obviously, there’s a bigger goal than the record."
That bigger goal? Another ring. And the Thunder are built to chase it.
Even with Williams limited to just eight games so far this season due to a wrist injury, OKC hasn’t missed a beat. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to play at an elite level, orchestrating the offense with surgical precision and scoring in bunches.
Chet Holmgren, the versatile big man with guard-like skills, has been a revelation on both ends of the floor. And when Williams is healthy, his two-way impact adds another layer to an already deep and dangerous roster.
So no, they’re not chasing 73-9. They’re chasing something bigger - sustained greatness.
And while the comparisons to the all-time greats may be premature, they’re not unfounded. This Thunder team is young, hungry, and already battle-tested.
Whether or not they could take down the ’17 Warriors or the ’96 Bulls is a debate for another day.
What’s clear right now? They’re the team to beat - and they’re just getting started.