Dwyane Wade believes Westbrook is still the OKC GOAT despite Shai's historic season: "We are talking about a player who went and did something, and people said it will never be done again"
Dwyane Wade believes Westbrook is still the OKC GOAT despite Shai's historic season: "We are talking about a player who went and did something, and people said it will never be done again" originally appeared on Basketball Network.
We're just days removed from watching the Oklahoma City Thunder climb the NBA's mountaintop for the first time in franchise history. A young, hungry squad led by a calm killer who turned the entire league into his playground for eight straight months. If it wasn't one of the greatest individual seasons of all time, then it was easily one of the best we've seen in recent memory.
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Oh, to be completely honest, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't just lead — he dominated. He took home the scoring title, started in the All-Star Game, was All-NBA First Team, and ran through the Playoffs like a seasoned vet. He bagged Western Conference Finals MVP, followed it up with Finals MVP, and just for good measure, he added the league MVP to the trophy case. Then he topped it all off with a ring. That run right there doesn't happen often.
So it's no surprise the "Shai-for-Thunder-GOAT" conversations have hit another gear. It's only been six seasons, but with everything he just pulled off, fans are starting to wonder if we've already seen the best to ever do it in an OKC jersey.
But not everyone's ready to give him that crown. Dwyane Wade, a guy who knows a thing or two about being the legend of the franchise, still sees Russell Westbrook at the top of that list.
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"To me, I still think that Russell Westbrook is the best player in Oklahoma City history. Right now… Doesn't mean he is going to end up that way, but to me, I still believe that," Wade said in his recent breakdown after the 2025 Finals.
"You can tell me now that a player can come to Miami, win a regular season MVP, win a Finals, a Finals MVP and he just becomes the greatest player in Miami history like that," he added.
Westbrook embodied the OKC spirit for over a decade
D-Wade's argument isn't only nostalgia talking; it's about the whole body of work for over a decade. When he looks at Russ, he sees a guy who gave everything to that franchise, a walking highlight reel who never cheated the game.
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Westbrook won MVP in 2017 and made eight All-NBA teams and eight All-Star appearances during his 11 seasons with the Thunder. And, of course — he averaged a triple-double for three straight seasons in OKC, something most of us thought was impossible in this era.
"Wait a minute. We are talking about a player who went and did something (average a triple-double), and people said it will never be done again. He did it four times," the Miami Heat legend argued.
Sure, he didn't bring the Larry O'Brien title home. And yes, the team never made it back to the Finals after Kevin Durant left. But in terms of doing the heavy lifting night after night, carrying rosters, setting the tone and building a brand of basketball that was all heart, nobody embodied Oklahoma City more than Russ did.
Related: "We only needed one more guy" - Patrick Beverley says the Clippers lost SGA because Kawhi thought he needed more help
The narrative could shift soon
The Thunder have something real on their hands. A young core, a winning culture and a new face of the franchise who's already accomplished what Russ couldn't — and he's only entering his best career years.
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If the Thunder runs it back and Shai keeps performing at this level, the conversation is going to shift fast. Because when you start stacking rings on top of MVPs, Finals MVPs, and everything else he just pulled off, that's when legacy talk gets real.
Westbrook's impact in OKC will always be legendary, and there is no doubt about it. But if SGA keeps leading this franchise like he did in 2025, not even Wade might be able to keep Russ at the top of that mountain.
Related: Montrezl Harrell says Clippers gave up too soon on Shai: "All you had to do is let the kid develop"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
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