Oklahoma City outlasted the Pacers to win the 2025 NBA title — the franchise’s first since moving from Seattle... and maybe the league’s last before a new dynasty takes hold.
I'll need to dig up some receipts but I'm pretty sure that after the Nuggets won it all, everyone was like "this is the new dynasty" then last year everyone said "the Celtics are set up to win the next 4 championships". I agree that, in this moment, the Thunder are set up to be a dynasty. We'll see if they go through the same defending champion malaise every other team has faced recently...
I'll need to dig up some receipts but I'm pretty sure that after the Nuggets won it all, everyone was like "this is the new dynasty" then last year everyone said "the Celtics are set up to win the next 4 championships". I agree that, in this moment, the Thunder are set up to be a dynasty. We'll see if they go through the same defending champion malaise every other team has faced recently...
Fair point, though the Thunder are FAR younger, as I get into here: https://neilpaine.substack.com/p/be-afraid-of-the-oklahoma-city-thunder
The Thunder are young and good and should be the favorites. I'm still taking the field ;)
48% of ESPN panelists choose Denver to repeat https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/38251851/our-picks-eastern-conference-western-conference-nba-champions
"Boston has everything it needs to become the NBA's next dynasty" https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/40951335/nba-predictions-2024-25-picks-eastern-conference-western-conference-nba-champions
ESPN does that every season. That said OKC is going to win more chips in the next 5 yrs. I'd say this core will win at least 2 more.