Stephen A. breaks down how SGA winning it all shifts the Thunder legacy rankings: "It makes him the greatest player in the history of the franchise"
Stephen A. breaks down how SGA winning it all shifts the Thunder legacy rankings: "It makes him the greatest player in the history of the franchise" originally appeared on Basketball Network.
This could be the closest the Oklahoma City Thunder has come to winning a championship. Relocating from Seattle to Oklahoma in 2008, the Clay Bennett organization has enjoyed reasonable success over the years. Home to some of the finest talents and former MVPs in the NBA.
Advertisement
The architect behind assembling the Thunder roster, GM Sam Presti, has helped the franchise draft standout players like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. However, the people of Oklahoma have yet to call themselves champions.
Making their second Finals appearance since 2012, OKC is not far away from capturing the elusive title. Finishing as the top seed in the West for the last two seasons, the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander team is on the verge of creating history for the franchise.
Recently, appearing on Patrick Bet-David's "PBD Podcast," Stephen A. Smith shared his honest assessment of OKC winning the 2025 championship. The ESPN personality also addressed how Shai could impact the legacies of Durant, Westbrook and Harden.
Advertisement
"It makes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander clearly the greatest player in franchise history. Harden, it doesn't affect at all cause he was a reserve playing behind Russell Westbrook. He was young at that time, and they moved him to Houston. Russell Westbrook, I don't want to say, it hurts him because he was a star player, Mr. Triple-Double, three years in a row, but never delivered a championship," stated Smith.
"The one that really does hurt is KD because if KD stays, you likely win a championship. Remember, they were up 3-1, they let Golden State come back. Golden State eclipses them, wins the series 4-3, and then three weeks later, he goes and signs with Golden State," he highlighted.
Durant's 2012 Finals run with OKC
A young Thunder team showed a lot of promise by finishing as the second seed in the West during the 2011-12 season. Punching their ticket to the Finals, the Oklahoma-based franchise was battling it out against the Miami Heat's Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
Advertisement
The Heatles dominated the series, crushing the Thunder's title aspirations in five games — a heartbreaking moment for the OKC trio. The roster underwent significant changes after the 2012 Finals loss, but continued with the KD-Russ duo as its core.
Making the WCF in 2014 and 2016, the Thunder were handed elimination in both cases. Exercising his free agency, Durant signed with the Warriors, who had just overcome a 3-1 deficit against him. Joining the Dubs in 2016, "The Slim Reaper" won two titles in the Bay Area and pushed OKC out of the title contention.
Related: "Hey, Duke boy, shut the fu*k up and sit in the corner!" - Battier reveals what really happens during players-only meetings in the NBA
The face of the franchise: SGA
Suppose Shai manages to bring the city of Oklahoma its first-ever championship, his name will be etched in history. The 6'6" guard has been instrumental in the franchise's newfound success. Recently crowned 2024-25 MVP and scoring champion, winning a title would make for one of the greatest individual seasons of all time for the 26-year-old.
Advertisement
SGA has been a game-changer for the Thunder. His numbers have been off the charts. The three-time All-Star has a certain poise and craftiness to his game. Traded from the Clippers in 2019, the Canadian native's career graph has only displayed an upward curve. Making a case for one of the greatest scorers of all time in only his seventh year in the league and the championship would be icing on the cake.
Related: "Every game is a reset" - SGA doesn't think the Thunder have the momentum heading to Game 3
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How the Brooklyn Nets can help the Boston Celtics this NBA offseason
Can the Brooklyn Nets help the Boston Celtics this NBA offseason? As the team in the league with the largest payroll that is also over the second apron long enough to incur the worst penalties mandated by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the Celtics are staring at being hit with a potentially historic payroll and tax bill on top of the punitive team building penalties the CBA will dole out on Boston. Enter the Nets, who are the only team in the Association that is going to have the sort of cap space the Celtics would need to absorb the kind of salary necessary in single-team deals to get Boston out of being a second (and perhaps even first) apron ball club. There are other, more complex ways the Celtics could get cheaper -- and others that would take more time -- but if the Celtics want to get cheaper in a hurry, all roads lead to Brooklyn. Advertisement The cohost of the CLNS Media "Garden Report" podcast, Bobby Manning, sat down with the New York Post's Brian Lewis on a recent episode of the show to talk over the potentiality for a Nets-Celtics cap cleansing team up. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: How the Brooklyn Nets can help the Celtics this NBA offseason
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Commanders impressed with rookie Jaylin Lane's work ethic
The Washington Commanders made a big move at wide receiver this offseason, trading for former Pro Bowler Deebo Samuel to start opposite Terry McLaurin. Samuel would give the Commanders the legitimate No. 2 option they've lacked for some time. Washington also brought back Noah Brown and K.J. Osborn and signed former Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup. Brown was the Commanders' No. 2 receiver last year before an injury ended his season in Week 13. Osborn signed with Washington late last season, but rarely played. Gallup, a former starter for Dallas, is attempting an NFL comeback after retiring last year. Advertisement Another newcomer for the Commanders at receiver is fourth-round pick Jaylin Lane. We've seen videos of GM Adam Peters and his staff preparing to select Lane in the 2025 NFL draft, calling him the best punt returner (in the draft) and a top slot receiver. So, we know Washington is high on Lane's potential. What does his position coach, Bobby Engram, think? "Every aspect of being a better receiver, honestly," Engram said via Zach Selby of Washington's official website. Jaylin's a super smart guy. He's a coach's son, so he gets to exercise on a different level. Love his work ethic, but my job is to help him prepare just to kind of tap into every ounce of potential that he has, and he's willing to work and do that. So, I'm excited about that." Advertisement Heading into training camp, you can count Lane among Washington's locks for the 53-man roster at receiver. That means the Commanders have plans for him in 2025 that go beyond special teams. In college, Lane played in an archaic offense and didn't always have the best quarterback play, yet he proved he could deliver in many ways. Lane can beat you deep, work for the slot, get yards after the catch, or take handoffs. Don't be surprised if Washington gets Lane involved in Week 1 as it finds creative ways to exploit his blazing speed. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders impressed with rookie Jaylin Lane's work ethic
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
From Folsom to the pros: NFL players pay It forward
From Folsom to the pros: NFL players pay It forward FOLSOM, Calif. (KTXL) — Three former Folsom High School standouts returned home Saturday to host their third annual 'Bulldogs Back Home' youth football camp, giving back to the community that helped launch their football careers. Jake Browning (Cincinnati Bengals), Jonah Williams (Arizona Cardinals), and Josiah Deguara (Arizona Cardinals) welcomed local kids to Vista Del Lago High School for a free, half-day camp filled with drills, games, and mentorship. Advertisement 'What I like about this camp is I get to be around some of the up-and-coming younger kids for Folsom and also catch up with old friends,' said Browning. 'We bring the past, present, and future of Folsom football together in one camp.' The camp drew kids from third through eighth grade. While Browning and Deguara worked alongside participants on general skill development, Williams led an offensive line station that became an unexpected hit. 'We do some O-line drills, and it kind of takes a lot of kids out of their comfort zone,' Williams said. 'Not a lot of kids want to play O-line, but they always end up having fun. We get some good competition with the races at the end.' Deguara brought the energy, joking about a young camper who challenged him to a footrace. 'I was like, I don't know about that today,' he said with a laugh. 'And the kid goes, 'Yeah, you're too slow for me anyway.' These kids are pretty cocky nowadays, I respect that confidence.' Advertisement For the pros, the camp was less about fine-tuning technique and more about creating lasting memories. 'Just throwing the ball around with the kids that's what they want,' Deguara said. 'Teach them when you can, but the main thing is having fun.' Browning, who quarterbacked Folsom to a state title before starring at Washington and later reaching the AFC Championship Game with the Bengals, marveled at the talent in attendance. 'I'm always surprised,' he said. 'You ask a kid how old they are, they say nine, and I'm thinking, 'I don't think I was that good at nine.' These kids are really advanced.' Even some sideline banter reminded the players of how quickly time moves. Advertisement 'We were talking about touchdown celebrations,' Williams said. 'I tried to get them to do the gritty, and they told me that's not cool anymore. That's when I realized, I'm officially a grandpa.' The NFL trio plans to continue the annual tradition and keep inspiring the next wave of local athletes in Folsom. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News.
