Oklahoma City Thunder Are Chasing History - But on Their Own Terms
LAS VEGAS - The Oklahoma City Thunder may have dropped a high-profile game to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup, but don’t mistake that for a stumble. At 24-2, this team is still charging forward at a blistering pace - one that puts them squarely in the conversation with the best regular-season teams in NBA history.
That record? It’s a 76-win pace.
And yes, that’s ahead of the 73-win mark set by the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors. Only the Warriors themselves got off to a faster start, opening that season at 25-1.
The Thunder are right behind them - and closing fast.
So, does that historic mark matter to this squad?
“Absolutely,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Winning matters, and no matter what form it looks like to me. So absolutely.”
That’s not just talk. The Thunder have the ingredients to make a serious run at 73 - or more.
Start with the mindset. This isn’t a group that’s brushing off the possibility or playing coy.
Several players made it clear in Vegas: if the opportunity is there, they’re going for it. But they’re not going to force it.
The chase has to come naturally, as a byproduct of growth, health, and consistency.
And when you look at the numbers, it’s not hard to see why they believe. The Thunder boast the league’s top-ranked defense - not just good, but dominant - and a top-five offense to match.
Their +16.4 net rating isn’t just elite; it would be the best in NBA history if sustained over a full season. That’s the kind of two-way balance that turns a hot start into something historic.
There are echoes of those record-setting Warriors in this Thunder team. The parallels are striking: both squads coming off their first titles and hungry to build a dynasty, both led by young MVPs (Stephen Curry then, Gilgeous-Alexander now), and both surrounded by deep, selfless supporting casts that know how to win.
And just like those Warriors, these Thunder aren’t shying away from the spotlight or the pressure. They’re talking openly about the record - but they’re also aware of the cautionary tale.
The 2016 Warriors, after all, went 73-9 but fell short in the Finals, blowing a 3-1 lead and walking into history with a bittersweet taste. Fatigue from the record chase was part of the postmortem.
That’s not lost on this group.
“Yes, because we’re competitive, you know what I mean,” said Jalen Williams when asked if the Thunder are chasing the record. “You could say that we’re chasing it, but it’s also one of those things that we are not going out there to lose, either. So if it happens organically, then it does.”
Williams laid it out with refreshing honesty. The team isn’t going to sacrifice health or postseason readiness just to chase a number - not when the ultimate goal is another championship.
But that doesn’t mean they’re backing off. Every night, the goal is the same: be the best version of themselves.
If that leads to wins - and a record - so be it.
“Obviously, down the road, whenever that gets there, it’s like, all right, do we sacrifice health when we’re already solidified at the No. 1 or whatever the spot is?” Williams said. “You get into those questions, we can answer those down the road.”
In other words, this isn’t about chasing ghosts. It’s about chasing greatness - game by game.
Even the recent loss to the Spurs, on a national stage, wasn’t seen as a derailment. If anything, it was fuel.
“What are we, 24-2?” Williams said.
“I mean, we can go home and just hang our hat on that, or we can look at it as a way to get better and understand that we played against a playoff team that beat us and gave us a two [second loss] on our thing. So that’s how we’ll look at it from a competitive standpoint.”
And the Thunder won’t have to wait long for a shot at redemption. They’ll face the Spurs twice next week - once on Tuesday night on Coast 2 Coast on NBC and Peacock, and again on Christmas Day in a marquee matchup. Two statement games, two chances to reassert themselves against a rising Western Conference rival.
If they take both, the conversation around 73 wins will only get louder. But don’t expect this team to flinch. The Thunder aren’t running from history - they’re running toward it, just on their own terms.