Nov 30, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) stands with teammates during the singing of the national anthem before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn ImagesClemente Almanza, OKC Thunder WireMon, December 1, 2025 at 11:00 PM UTC·2 min readAny fears of a championship hangover have been soothed away one win at a time. The Oklahoma City Thunder have picked up right where they left off from last year's historic campaign that featured the Larry O'Brien trophy. They sit at a historic 20-1 record with an all-time point differential.
Running it back with mostly the same roster, the Thunder look primed to go back-to-back. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played like an MVP favorite. He's made Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant comparisons look reasonable with the stats he puts up.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo such thing as complacency in OKC. Seldom have you seen back-to-back champions, but the Thunder look ready to join that prestigious group. There's a reason why everybody expects them to repeat.
That's what separates the Thunder from previous reigning NBA champions. Most of the time, teams sitting on the throne need some extra motivation to really get competitive. Hard to blame those teams, either. Only human nature to slowly lift your foot off the gas pedal after you won a race. But not OKC. It continues to be a win machine filled with blowouts.
How have the Thunder avoided any serious road bumps despite juggling injuries? Chet Holmgren said the entire group returned hungry despite a short offseason filled with championship celebrations.
“We don’t have anybody on the team who’s sitting and reminiscing on what a great career they had. I think everybody on the team is still chasing and striving for more," Holmgren said. "The championship wasn’t the last check on their bucket list.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Thunder understand what's ahead of them. Perhaps no other team in NBA history has been best set up to contend in the short-term and long-term future. With one championship banner already in their home gym, they could add more if everything goes right.
It's still too early to utter the 'D' word with OKC, but the Thunder have the opportunity to have the same once-in-a-lifetime success other teams like Jordan's Chicago Bulls and Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors have had. They could define the NBA's 2020s.
"Guys just came out pumped and juiced to play basketball games. I know I did," Holmgren said. "It's a long season. We still got 60 games left. We got a long way to go, but we're enjoying it."
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Chet Holmgren on how Thunder have avoided championship hangover
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