OKLAHOMA CITY (USA) - Everyone knew that the Oklahoma City Thunder were going to be good after winning last season's NBA title.
But this good, and this dominant?
The Thunder, who boast an array of FIBA ball players, have won 20 of their 21 games so far!
The only team to beat them, Portland, did so by a slender 121-119 scoreline.
Maybe they will establish a new standard of regular season excellence, if it's a priority. But can it be, when winning championships is really the only thing that matters?
There is a lot to like about the Thunder. Talk of hunting down Golden State's legendary record is fun, too, so let's examine the evidence.
Let's first highlight their FIBA ball players which everyone knows is a positive, since so many have won NBA MVP awards and become the focal points of their teams.
The last to win the honor was OKC point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder have a one-two punch from Canada in Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort. The former was a member of the All-Star Five at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and Dort was also a major factor in the team reaching the World Cup podium at the first time ever.
The two national team stars have been leading lights in an Oklahoma City team the past few years. They bring continuity to the court in this team.
The Mark Daigneault-coached side also has Germany's Isaiah Hartenstein, USA's FIBA U19 World Cup MVP Chet Holmgren, France's Ousmane Dieng and Nikola Topic of Serbia.
Now, are there any comparisons to this Thunder team and the Warriors in 2015-16?
Golden State won 73 games in the 2015-16 season, which surpassed the previous mark of 72 that had been set by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1995-96 season.
That team also had some FIBA ballers in two-time Olympic champion Jordan of USA, USA's Steve Kerr (the coach of the Warriors team that now holds the record), Croatia's 1992 Olympic silver medalist Toni Kukoc, Australia's legendary center Luc Longley and Canada big Bill Wennington.
The Warriors team that set the record had a full complement of FIBA ballers in USA stars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes, along with Australia's recently inducted FIBA Hall of Fame center Andrew Bogut and Brazilian national team duo Leandro Barbosa and Anderson Varejao.
So having a handful of players with international basketball experience is clearly a good thing. Like Golden State, Oklahoma City have a point guard (SGA) that was crowned MVP two years after his first All-Star selection.
The Thunder have a dominant defense that applies constant pressure.
They could set the record if they wanted to. I don't think that's a priority for them
They also have a late-lottery shooting guard in Ajay Mitchell who is the perfect wingman.
Dort, who wasn't drafted, is a defensive juggernaut like Golden State's star on defense, Draymond Green, was.
Green was drafted, however, although in the second round.
Dort has been one of the most consistent players for OKC since his arrival.
And like Kerr was, Daigneault is a first-time head coach.
There are other reasons to expect the Thunder to be even better. Like the return of Jaylin Williams.
He had an operation on a torn right scapholunate ligament in his wrist in July 2025 and then had a follow-up procedure last month but will eventually be back.
Golden State did win their first 24 games and the Thunder have lost once already, yet it's impressive how they have set out to prove their championship season was no fluke, just as Golden State did when some wondered after their Finals win over Cleveland if they were really that good.
Oklahoma City are not in to comparisons, especially so early in the season. It's really the type of thing the players and coaches would wait comment on after the season.
But NBA legend Reggie Miller, another FIBA star back in the day, with USA, has waded in.
"They could if they wanted to," Miller said. "I don't think that’s a priority for them. Again, and they’re doing this without J-Dub (Jaylin Williams), by the way... Just like last year, they did that hot start without Chet. Chet played the first game, got hurt and missed, you know, like 50 games after that or something and they continued to win. So, they’re only going to get better once Jalin Williams gets back."
Yet Miller doesn't think it's a priority.
"Could they win 50 or 70 and maybe go for the Golden State Warriors record?" he said.
"Perhaps, but I don’t think that’s a priority. Being healthy, playing well, going into the playoffs is, probably, and getting overall number one seed because, as we saw last year, you want a game seven in your building and having the overall best record allows you to do that."
Oklahoma City needed a Game 7 to beat Miller's old team, the Indiana Pacers, in the Finals.
Next up in the quest for the record, at least for the fans, is Saturday when Oklahoma City host the Phoenix Suns.
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