Are the Thunder the NBA’s Next Dynasty? They’re Starting to Look the Part
The Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t just winning games - they’re sending a message. At 21-1, they’ve launched into the 2025-26 season like a team with something to prove, and so far, they’re proving plenty. The reigning NBA champs have picked up right where they left off, and if you're getting flashbacks to the Golden State Warriors' dominant run in the 2010s, you're not alone.
Let’s be clear: comparing any team to the Warriors’ dynasty - the 73-win season, the MVPs, the titles, the revolution in pace-and-space basketball - is no small thing. But the parallels with this Thunder squad are starting to get harder to ignore.
They’ve got the superstar point guard who controls the game with surgical precision. They’ve got two rising stars who can swing a game on any given night.
They’ve got a head coach who’s not just keeping up with the league’s evolution - he’s helping lead it. And most importantly, they’ve got the wins to back it all up.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Leading Like a Vet, Playing Like an MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the engine behind it all, and he knows exactly what kind of legacy the Warriors left behind. After OKC’s 124-112 win over a veteran-laden squad, he reflected on what made that Golden State team so special - and what it means to be mentioned in the same breath.
“It’s pretty clear as day they changed basketball forever,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “The small ball, the shooting, the pace, the possessions, the types of actions - all of it.
They not only won. They dominated and reinvented the wheel.”
That’s high praise, but it’s also telling. Shai isn’t just aware of the history - he respects it.
And that kind of perspective from your franchise player matters. It’s the mindset of someone who’s not satisfied with just one ring.
He’s thinking bigger.
Jalen Williams: From Watching the Warriors to Playing Against Them
For Jalen Williams, the comparisons hit on a more personal level. Like many of his teammates, he grew up watching the Warriors’ dominance from afar - and now he’s sharing the floor with the very players he once idolized.
“You look back like I’m watching them when we were stuck in Santa Cruz for COVID,” Williams said. “My whole college career, you watch them, and now we’re kinda emulating something that they were doing. It’s really cool and special.”
That surreal feeling? It’s real.
And it’s a reminder of how young this Thunder team still is. They’re not just playing against legends - they’re learning from them in real time.
The respect for guys like Draymond Green and Stephen Curry is there. So is the hunger to carve out their own legacy.
Chet Holmgren: Staying Grounded in the Hype
Chet Holmgren, the Thunder’s unicorn big man, isn’t running from the comparisons - but he’s not chasing them either. His focus is on building something new in Oklahoma City, not recreating something from the past.
“Comparison is a lot of times a disservice to both parties,” Holmgren said. “We’re just tryna be our own team.
We’re tryna accomplish our own things over here. We’re still young.
We have a long ways to go.”
That’s the kind of maturity you want from a cornerstone player. Holmgren knows the Thunder haven’t earned dynasty status yet. But he also knows they’re on the right path - and that the only way to get there is to keep grinding, keep improving, and keep winning.
The Bigger Picture: A Team on the Rise, Not a Finished Product
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype when a team starts 21-1. It’s even easier when that team is coming off a championship and playing with this kind of swagger. But what makes this Thunder group so intriguing isn’t just the wins - it’s how they’re winning.
They’re unselfish. They’re deep.
They defend. They shoot.
They play fast, but they play smart. And they’re doing it all with a roster that’s still years away from its collective prime.
No one’s ready to crown them the next Warriors just yet. But if they keep this up? If Shai keeps playing like a top-five guy, if Jalen and Chet keep leveling up, if the supporting cast keeps doing their job - then yeah, we might be watching the early chapters of something special.
For now, the Thunder aren’t trying to be the next anyone. They’re trying to be the first version of themselves. And through 22 games, that version looks a lot like a team built to last.