Serge Ibaka believes Durant-Westbrook Thunder could've won at least 2 championships
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren accomplished what Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka couldn't. The former trio had one of the greatest seasons ever. After an up-and-down playoff trip, they were the last team standing to win a championship.
A ring makes it easier to reminisce on the Thunder's first championship window. Even though Durant and Westbrook couldn't win a championship, they gave fans a decade's worth of competitive basketball highlighted by two MVP winners, four Western Conference Finals trips and an NBA Finals appearance.
Still, there was a feeling of meat left on the bone. Two top-five players in their prime should've garnered at least one championship. Bad injury luck and inconsistent playoff performances stopped that from happening. Talking to TMZ Sports, Ibaka believes they could've won at least two championships if they stayed healthy and kept James Harden.
'Right now, when you look back, it's easy to say we could win at least two,' Ibaka said. 'It's easy to say, but it's not easy to do it. You know what I mean? Because there's a lot of things happen before you win a championship. On your way there, there is a lot of things can happen."
Ibaka was another key piece in the Thunder's first championship window. He finished top four in Defensive Player of the Year for three straight seasons in OKC. He also led the NBA in blocks twice during his time there. He finally won a ring with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
'Sometimes it's not always about talent. You can have all the talent like we had, but those things go with luck, too. Like I said, it's a lot of things," Ibaka said. "Sometimes people from outside, you cannot see it. Behind the door, there's a lot of things, a lot of work have to be done. So yeah, at least we could win minimum two.'
The Durant-Westbrook Thunder era never bringing home an NBA championship is one of the biggest what-if scenarios in recent league history. They had all of the talent in the world to win at least won. But injuries and roster decisions prevented that from happening.
Instead, it was Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren who finished the job. They had the greatest season in Thunder history. It's just funny how basketball and life can play out.
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