Chet Holmgren isn’t pretending the Thunder’s latest run was anything other than a gut punch. Oklahoma City entered the 2025-26 season with one mission after winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy two seasons ago: become the first repeat champion since the 2018 Warriors. Instead, the Thunder ran into the rising San Antonio Spurs and fell in an epic seven-game Western Conference Finals.
That outcome stings, but Holmgren said the run still left something valuable behind. Speaking to media members at a recently held USA Basketball Foundation charity event, he said the playoff exit “was almost more of a reminder of just how hard it is to accomplish, and how much goes into it.”
He expanded on that point, saying, “We learned the same lesson [in 2026] as the year that we won it... There is no guarantee.
You can put in all the work and still come up short. At the end of the day, you have to be okay with putting in the work with no guaranteed outcome,” Holmgren said.
The Thunder know better than most that the road to a title is never clean. Their 2025 postseason run came with its own pile of obstacles, especially on the injury front. Jalen Williams was sidelined with a hamstring issue, and Ajay Mitchell missed extended and meaningful time because of a calf injury.
Even during the championship push, Oklahoma City had to work around a limited Holmgren after his multi-month absence with a right iliac wing fracture, while Williams was also dealing with a torn scapholunate ligament that eventually required offseason surgery.
This time, the breaks didn’t go their way. Williams made sure fans felt that difference right after the season ended, pointing out how much the team’s fate could have changed if health had tilted even slightly more in their favor during the 2026 playoffs.
Still, Holmgren’s message is that the process in Oklahoma City hasn’t changed. The Thunder, he said, understand that the result “doesn't change the process” they’ve built around championship pursuit.
That mindset is really the point. The Thunder aren’t trying to coast on what they already accomplished. They’re trying to keep sharpening the edge and avoid the kind of complacency that can sneak up on even the best teams.
Holmgren is already acting like someone intent on helping drive that next push. Months before opening night, he’s been posting images and video clips on his personal social media platforms showing him in the weight room and on the court, running drills and working on his game.
And there’s plenty to build on. Holmgren just finished a career-best season, averaging 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from 3-point range. Those numbers came with All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive honors.
But the conference finals also exposed where there’s still room to grow. Most glaringly, in Game 7, Holmgren managed just four rebounds and four points on two shot attempts. That kind of night is hard to ignore, and it’s exactly the sort of thing Oklahoma City will want cleaned up if this group is going to take another swing at the top.
For Holmgren, the work has already started. The Thunder’s next chapter will depend on whether that summer grind turns into a better ending in 2026-27.
In Other News...
SGAs Father Defends The Thunder Star Fans Love To Debate
Vaughn Alexander is not shy about defending the style that has made his son one of the NBAs most debated stars. The father of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recently spoke up in support of the Thunder guards approach, making the case for a game built on getting downhill, drawing contact and living at the line rather than chasing the kind of high-volume three-point diet that has come to define so much of the league.
For Oklahoma City, it is also part of the formula that helped fuel a breakthrough season. Gilgeous-Alexander won MVP after averaging 31.1 points per game and taking 9.0 free throws per game while shooting 87.9 percent from the stripe, a profile that has driven plenty of conversation around how he scores and why it works. The debate never really goes away, but the Thunder keep benefiting from a player who keeps forcing defenses to pay for every step toward the rim. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder May Have A Frontcourt Piece Fans Are Overlooking
The Thunders rookie class is drawing most of the summer attention, but Thomas Sorber is the kind of frontcourt addition that can quietly change the conversation once camp opens. The 2025 first-round pick is finally on track for his NBA debut after sitting out his first year with an ACL injury, and Oklahoma Citys roster churn has only made the path a little more interesting. In a system that values length, mobility and interchangeable defenders, Sorber gives the Thunder another young big worth tracking beyond the usual headlines.
What makes the situation worth watching is the blend of readiness and uncertainty around his role. Sorbers recovery is moving in the right direction for training camp, and his appeal goes beyond just being another body in the paint, with defensive versatility and possible offensive upside both part of his profile. Oklahoma City has plenty of options in the frontcourt, which means the competition for minutes will be real, but it also means Sorber could be one of the more intriguing pieces in the mix if he shows he is ready to hold his own. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Williams Just Reminded Thunder Fans What OKC Is Missing
Jalen Williams spent much of last season on the sideline, a frustrating follow-up to the breakout year that helped push the Oklahoma City Thunder to a championship. Injuries never really let him settle in, with two wrist surgeries and multiple hamstring strains limiting him to 33 regular-season games and just two full playoff games, a reminder of how much his presence matters when he is actually on the floor.
Even with the lost time, the expectation inside OKC remains the same: Williams is a cornerstone piece, and the Thunder are counting on him to get back to the form that brought All-NBA, All-Star and All-Defense recognition. If he does, it changes the ceiling for a team that already knows what a healthy, high-level Williams can mean in a championship chase, especially with 2026-27 circled as the next big window. [Read more 🡒]