Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant won his championships with the Golden State Warriors and has starred for various teams, but the future Hall of Famer still looks back fondly on his early days with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He was asked what his favorite era of his career was during an appearance on Boardroom's Aux Money and highlighted playing on the Thunder alongside Russell Westbrook and James Harden (56-minute mark).

"It has to be the OKC time period because it was like the entry point into all of this," he said. "That's like the foundation of everything. We were young and we were playing against dynasties. We were competing against the Lakers with Kobe when they won it back-to-back, Dallas when they won a championship, Miami with LeBron and D-Wade. That was the start of it all."

Durant played his rookie season in 2007-08 for the Seattle SuperSonics and then moved to Oklahoma City with the franchise.

He ended up playing the first nine seasons of his career on the franchise and helped build the Thunder into one of the best teams in the league during that stretch. OKC reached the 2012 NBA Finals and the Western Conference Finals in 2011, 2014 and 2016.

Unfortunately for the Thunder, they never got over the hump and won a championship.

Durant left to join the Warriors after the 2016 Western Conference Finals loss to that same team and ended up winning two championships alongside Stephen Curry and Co. He has since played for the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns, while Westbrook and Harden have also played for multiple teams in the aftermath.

But they were all introduced to NBA fans as young playmakers on the Thunder and nearly took home the title on multiple occasions.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are clinging to a half-game lead at the top of the Western Conference, but they will be without their best player for Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Per Jared Greenberg of TNT Sports, Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will sit out with a quad injury.

Oklahoma City (52-22) is one of three Western Conference teams to have already clinched a playoff spot along with the Denver Nuggets (52-23) and Minnesota Timberwolves (51-23). The Thunder will be playing in the postseason for the first time since 2020, and Gilgeous-Alexander is a major reason for that.

The 25-year-old has firmly established his position in the MVP race, ranking third in the league with 30.3 points per game and leading the league with 2.1 steals per game. He's also averaging a career-high 6.3 assists along with 5.5 rebounds, and he's shooting a career-best 53.9 percent from the field. In addition to his stellar production, he's managed to stay healthy, as Tuesday's game will be just the fourth time he sits out this year.

While the absence of Gilgeous-Alexander is not something the Thunder look forward to, they still have arguably the league's most impressive group of young talent on their roster. Oklahoma City will rely on Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey and Luguentz Dort while the two-time All-Star is sidelined.

Despite their youth, the Thunder have a strong chance at making a deep playoff run, but they will need Gilgeous-Alexander to be at full strength. The team will likely be cautious with his recovery, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he gets a few more days off as the regular season winds down.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander propelled the Oklahoma City Thunder to clinching a playoff berth with a game-winning shot against the New York Knicks on Sunday night.

With the Thunder trailing 112-11 late, Gilgeous-Alexander hit a fadeaway shot off the inbound pass, leaving the Knicks with just one second to respond. Jalen Brunson's game-winning shot attempt came up short.

SGA GAME WINNER AT MSG 🔥 pic.twitter.com/N6TistCgHi

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 1, 2024

Gilgeous-Alexander had 19 points in the win, and the Thunder improved to 52-22, becoming the second team in the West to clinch a playoff spot along with the Denver Nuggets.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are you kidding me?!

— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) April 1, 2024

Oh my. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the baseline to remove Jalen Brunson from his glory.

— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) April 1, 2024

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 1, 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is cold. Man, what a shot.

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) April 1, 2024

What a shot by SGA.

Fun finish in Madison Square Garden!

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) April 1, 2024

SGA is ridiculous. I know that team has virtually zero playoff experience and a lot of people think that it makes them vulnerable in the playoffs, but I just don’t see him being remotely intimidated by any sort of big moment

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) April 1, 2024

Thunder beat the Knicks 113-112. SGA hits a game-winner with 1.8 seconds left.

- Dub: 33-4-8 (14-18 shooting)
- SGA: 19 and 3 assists
- Giddey: 16-13-12

Thunder officially clinch a playoff berth, only spending three seasons out of the playoffs.

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 1, 2024

SGA 😮‍💨

— Trill Withers (@TylerIAm) April 1, 2024

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER.

In his first game back from injury, SGA hits a long turnaround 2 from the baseline to give OKC the 113-112 lead.

1.8 seconds to go.

— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) April 1, 2024

Now having clinched a playoff spot, the Thunder will try and clinch the top seed in the West. Oklahoma City holds sole possession of first place now, but the Nuggets are just behind at 52-23. If the Thunder can ride the momentum of an exciting win on Sunday, they could close out the season strong and earn the No. 1 seed.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is likely to join the NBA's elite with his own signature shoe deal.

Gilgeous-Alexander "is the next star in line" to land a signature shoe deal after his contract with Converse expires, The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported Wednesday on FanDuel TV's Run It Back.

Charania added that Gilgeous-Alexander is in conversations with multiple companies about a signature shoe deal.

🚨 SNEAKER UPDATE 🚨

"Industry sources tell me [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is the next star in line to receive a signature shoe deal."@ShamsCharania on SGA becoming a sneaker free agent 👀

📺: https://t.co/oxMs3CA6QW pic.twitter.com/0j8FXHSUcx

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 27, 2024

Gilgeous-Alexander's contract with Converse expires in September and he'll become a sneaker free agent.

The 25-year-old signed a multi-year agreement with Converse in July 2020 after beginning his career with Nike.

Gilgeous-Alexander put together a breakout 2022-23 season with the Thunder and has followed it up with an MVP-level 2023-24 campaign. Through 70 games, he's averaging 30.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists while shooting 54 percent from the floor and 36.7 percent from deep.

Thanks in part to Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City sits second in the Western Conference with a 50-21 record and is primed to make a deep playoff run for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

A number of the NBA's top stars already have signature shoe deals.

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant and Devin Booker all have signature shoes with Nike.

Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Zion Williamson, Luka Dončić and Jayson Tatum are Jordan Brand Athletes with signature shoes, while Adidas athletes with signature kicks include James Harden, Damian Lillard, Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell and Anthony Edwards.

Stephen Curry has a signature shoe with Under Armour, and Kawhi Leonard has a signature shoe with New Balance.

Gilgeous-Alexander will have no shortage of options, and it'll be interesting to see which brand he chooses.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has bigger goals than the MVP.

But he still wants it.

"It's a surreal feeling," the Oklahoma City Thunder guard told Bleacher Report when discussing being in the MVP race. "You dream about it as a kid. I certainly have, wanting to be in the NBA my whole life. It's something that I try not to put too much thought or emphasis on and let the chips fall where they may, but it's something that I definitely want. If I achieve it and am blessed enough to get the award, I'll be very happy."

Gilgeous-Alexander was a first-time All-Star just last season but is now unquestionably one of the best overall players in the league who is averaging 30.5 points, 6.3 assists, 5.6 rebounds and a league-best 2.1 steals a night while shooting 54.1 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from deep.

His quickness off the dribble makes him impossible to stay in front of, but he can also extend his game beyond the three-point arc if given too much space. Combine that with being unstoppable in transition, a willing facilitator when double teams come his way and able to take over in crunch time, and there is nothing he can't do on the floor.

As a result, he is right in the middle of that MVP race alongside Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić.

He is also a primary reason his team has been so dominant this season.

Oklahoma City is 49-21 and just a half-game behind the reigning-champion Denver Nuggets and a half-game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the battle for the Western Conference's No. 1 seed.

"We're super focused on winning games," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Obviously with the top seed, we'd get home-court advantage the entire time we're in the West in the playoffs. But for the most part, we're just focused on taking it day-by-day and winning games. That would be some icing on the cake, for sure."

That day-by-day focus has allowed the Thunder to avoid prolonged struggles even if there are occasional slips like Sunday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. In fact, they haven't lost more than two games in a row all season and are well-positioned to notch the franchise's first playoff-series win since the 2015-16 campaign when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were leading the way.

It wasn't necessarily supposed to be this way, at least so soon.

The playoffs were a realistic goal at the start of the season since Oklahoma City reached the play-in tournament in 2022-23, but much of the narrative surrounding the team was still focused on the future given its collection of upcoming draft picks and young players.

Gilgeous-Alexander is just 25 years old but is something of an elder statesman considering Chet Holmgren is 21 years old, Jalen Williams is 22 years old, Josh Giddey is 21 years old and Luguentz Dort is 24 years old.

But the Thunder aren't interested in outside opinions that suggest they are still a year or two away from being serious championship contenders.

"We don't really worry about outside noise at all," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We don't pay attention to it, we don't listen to it. We do a great job of just focusing on what we're trying to accomplish with every day, every game and every opponent. I think that's why we've had so much success because we're just focused on getting better and winning games in the moment."

Winning enough games would allow the Thunder to avoid the No. 3 seed in the West, which is exactly where the guard's Kentucky Wildcats were seeded in the South Region of the 2024 NCAA men's tournament when they lost a first-round shocker to Oakland.

While Gilgeous-Alexander's school is no longer in the Big Dance, he is still involved in March Madness thanks to his partnership with AT&T for the company's "Connect To The Madness" campaign that also features stars such as Jalen Brunson, Draymond Green, Sabrina Ionescu, Candace Parker, Carmelo Anthony and JuJu Watkins in various commercials that have aired during games.

Gilgeous-Alexander is in the "What A Pro Wants" ad alongside Holmgren, which gave them an opportunity to show off their singing skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PhpVQBb7Zw

"It's been great," he said of the partnership with AT&T. "Obviously a really big and powerful brand and a brand that I've been around for most of my life. You see them everywhere, and their people have been great. It's been fun.

"They've been super collaborative with me. They understand my passions both on and off the court. I can't wait to keep building the relationship moving forward."

Teaming up with Holmgren was natural for Gilgeous-Alexander given the on-court chemistry that already exists.

The No. 2 overall pick of the 2022 NBA draft missed what would have been his rookie season with a foot injury but is arguably exceeding the sky-high expectations that were already in place coming into the 2023-24 campaign.

Holmgren has played all 70 games and is averaging 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.4 blocks a night while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from deep. He anchors the interior defense and cleans up mistakes from perimeter defenders all while working in pick-and-pops and extending the floor with his shooting on the other end.

His athleticism at 7'1" makes him a matchup nightmare for opponents and an ideal running mate for an explosive guard like Gilgeous-Alexander.

"It's super fun," Gilgeous-Alexander said of playing alongside Holmgren. "It's where the NBA has gone today, it's positionless basketball. Any position can do anything, pass, dribble, shoot. He's such a versatile player, he brings so much to the game and makes it so much easier for myself and the rest of my teammates."

While the ultimate test of that easier basketball will come in the playoffs when the Thunder look to parlay their regular-season success into a championship run, the future couldn't be brighter in Oklahoma City.

And it will likely stay that way as long as Gilgeous-Alexander is running the show.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren is experiencing a major rise in his first NBA season, so it should come as no surprise that his memorabilia is fetching record numbers at auction.

A one-of-one autographed rookie card of Holmgren solid at an auction for $144,000, which beats the previous sale for a Holmgren card at $36,000, per The Collectibles Guru on X.

🏆 RECORD SALE 🏆

This Chet Holmgren Logoman Rookie Patch Autograph 1/1 just sold at auction for $144,000.

This *demolished* the previous Chet Holmgren record sale of $36,000.

Only 25 players in NBA history have EVER had a card sell for more money.

Believe it or not, the… pic.twitter.com/ElBUeSSrWb

— The Collectibles Guru (@ericwhiteback) March 22, 2024

Holmgren's sale puts him in some elite company, as only 25 players in NBA history have ever had a card sell for more money than that figure.

The card has a "logoman" patch on it, but Holmgren reportedly didn't wear the jersey the patch was sourced from.

Holmgren missed the 2022-23 season with a foot injury he suffered ahead of that season. This set him up to have his true first season in 2023-24 and he has been an extremely positive presence for the Thunder.

Holmgren is averaging 17.1 points, eight rebounds and 2.5 blocks across 68 games this season. His efforts have helped the Thunder catapult up to the top spot in the Western Conference standings at 48-20.

At 21 years old, he has plenty of room to improve and grow with a young core in Oklahoma City that includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. The Thunder are currently poised to make noise in the playoffs as they get set for their first postseason appearance since 2020.

The 2024 Olympics in Paris is quickly approaching, and Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is confident in Canada's chances against any other squad, including Team USA.

While speaking to Zion Olojede of Complex, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked if he is worried about the way the Team USA roster is shaping up and he answered with conviction.

"No, I don't worry at all," he said. "At the end of the day, they're basketball players. Now, they may be some of the best in the world but our team has some of the best in the world as well and we don't fear any of them."

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Canadian team defeated Team USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but the Olympic team will look vastly different. USA Basketball announced a player pool stacked with All-Stars and former MVPs like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum and many more.

However, Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't look at them any differently than he does now, as he's undaunted by the bright lights of the Olympics.

"We play them all year. They're the same basketball players," he said. "They sweat and bleed just like us and the ball's gonna tip and at the end of the night and you're gonna find out who's a better team. It's whether you play USA or you play Lithuania, whether you play Spain, that's what it comes down to. So for us, there's no difference."

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault provided a reassuring update on Bismack Biyombo after the big man appeared to collapse near the team's bench during Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

"He's fine. He just fainted, basically," Daigneault said, per ESPN. "He was in the locker room at halftime laughing and joking."

ESPN noted Biyombo was helped off the floor and went to the locker room, although he never used the wheelchair that was brought out for him.

The incident happened as the team was heading to the sideline for a timeout.

Oklahoma City signed Biyombo last month after the Memphis Grizzlies waived him earlier this season. While he appeared in 30 games with 27 starts for Memphis, he has been a secondary depth piece for the Thunder.

Biyombo has averaged 5.8 minutes in the four games he has played for Oklahoma City.

The veteran big man entered the league in 2011 and has played for the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Grizzlies and Thunder throughout his career.

He has averaged 5.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his 13 seasons.

As for Wednesday's game, the Thunder notched a 128-120 victory to improve to 43-19 on the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 37 points, five assists and three rebounds, while Jalen Williams (31 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals) and Chet Holmgren (21 points, 14 rebounds and five assists) impressed as well.

Oklahoma City is tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are adding 6'10" big man Mike Muscala, who was available after he agreed to a contract buyout with the Detroit Pistons.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Muscala plans to sign with the Thunder for the remainder of the season after he clears waivers.

Over his 11-year NBA career, Muscala has averaged 6.0 points on 45.2 percent shooting (37.6 percent from three) and 3.2 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. He's suited up for 532 NBA regular-season contests, starting 45. Muscala has also come off the bench for 35 playoff games.

This season has been a tougher one for Muscala, who is shooting a career-low 35.8 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three. He posted 3.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG.

Muscala starred at Bucknell University from 2009-2013, earning Patriot League Player of the Year honors in 2011 and 2013. The Bison also made the NCAA tournament twice with Muscala leading the way.

Muscala has played for the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Pistons.

Detroit acquired Muscala in a four-player trade from Washington on January 14, but his Pistons career ended on Feb. 28 when the team bought out his contract, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

ESPN Sources: Detroit Pistons C Mike Muscala is finalizing a contract buyout, clearing the way for him to be eligible for the playoffs with his next team. Muscala has interest of a few contenders. pic.twitter.com/yeU1qldcXj

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 28, 2024

Now Muscala is aboard Oklahoma City, where he'll add more frontcourt depth and help spread the floor on offense.

The Thunder's lack of size has been cited as one of the biggest obstacles standing in their way going into the playoffs. There was speculation they could be targeting a big man leading up to the trade deadline, but nothing ultimately came together.

Muscala isn't the type of big man who is going to be fighting for space under the basket against someone like Rudy Gobert or Nikola Jokić, but he does give head coach Mark Daigneault another player with size who can shoot the ball.

Oklahoma City has had tremendous success already this season with a smaller roster. Adding a player like Muscala, who can add more punch to the offense, will only make them more dangerous as the team gears up for the postseason.

As the Rookie of the Year race continues, fans got another exciting battle between the two favorites for the award, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 132-118 Thursday night.

As expected, the matchup delivered as the two rising stars went at it. Holmgren put up 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Wembanyama had 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. The league's blocks leader also added five rejections to his impressive stat line.

The duel between Wembanyama and Holmgren had fans excited for the matchups to come between the two.

Chet vs. Wemby is the next LeBron vs. Curry rivalry 😤

(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/rJgJ7M4hBb

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) March 1, 2024

WEMBY BLOCKS CHET 😤

CLUTCH DEFENSE. pic.twitter.com/wZBh9Cqxoq

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 1, 2024

Chet vs. Wemby did not disappoint in the first half 👏

Chet: 19 PTS | 3  REB | 1 AST | 1 BLK
Wemby: 14PTS | 7 REB | 4 AST | 3 BLK

Spurs lead 69-64. pic.twitter.com/7QFnUpHace

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 1, 2024

Chet vs. Wemby is so damn good right now. Again.

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 1, 2024

Wemby and Chet restoring the rivalry feeling in the nba

— Michael G🇬🇷 (@Michael_Grigs26) March 1, 2024

oh man Chet vs. Wemby is DELIVERING right now.

— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) March 1, 2024

Chet vs. Wemby is going to feed families for at least a decade and a half pic.twitter.com/em9VJEBUyv

— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) March 1, 2024

Wemby Chet been a elite war

— year 23 (@johnrivers131) March 1, 2024

Wemby and Chet both hooping man

— 👑 𝓝𝓲𝓬𝓴 👑 (@neverbeenequal) March 1, 2024

Wemby v. Chet is a must see. I love that these dudes are as competitive as they are with each other.

— Nate Jones (@JonesOnTheNBA) March 1, 2024

With Wembanyama putting on the better performance, many fans declared this the end of the Rookie of the Year battle. Of course, there's still plenty of season left for Holmgren to try and make up for Thursday's game.

Omg. Wemby just ended the ROY race. It’s over pic.twitter.com/K5nci2D8Se

— Lore'n'Spurs (@Lore_spurs) March 1, 2024

Wemby just hit a logo 3, another 3 and then smothered Chet's stepback. ROY race is over.

— Nick "Single Issue Voter,M4A" Adams (@alsonickadams) March 1, 2024

Wemby showing y’all who the ROY is

— Mike Flowers, II (@miguelfloresdos) March 1, 2024

Spurs beat the Thunder, 132-118

Victor Wembanyama had 28 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks and 2 steals on 9/17 FG and 5/7 3P.

He becomes the first player in NBA history with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks and 5 3-pointers in a game.

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) March 1, 2024

Wemby just won ROY #OKCvsSAS

— i go by Ki (@kibirdie) March 1, 2024

Let’s go home. The ROY race is over. Wemby is a mad man.

— erc (@___EJM___) March 1, 2024

While Wembanyama and the Spurs took home the win on Thursday, the Thunder are enjoying a better season overall, sitting in second place in the West at 41-17 on the year while the Spurs sit in last place at 11-48.