How good are things in the world of the Oklahoma City Thunder right now?
Imagine a world where both the number 7 and the number 13 are lucky, or even more fortunate when paired together.
That’s how it is with the NBA’s only remaining undefeated team – the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder – these days, as they are in phenomenal company after their 7-0 start to the 2025-26 season, a year in which the team is defending their one and only NBA title (so far …)
Only three teams in NBA history that have ever started with seven wins and no losses in back to back seasons:
- The 1963-65 Boston Celtics
- The 1993-95 Houston Rockets
- The 2024-26 Oklahoma City Thunder
And why is that more than just another statistic for people to tweet and retweet?
The Celtics are arguably, even unanimously, the best team to ever dominate the NBA. In 1963-65, the won two titles – two of their 11 over a 13 year reign over the NBA. Their record in 1963-64 was 59-21 with Red Auerbach coaching and Bill Russell averaging 15 points and an astounding 24.7 rebounds per game, and the next season was three games better at 62-18, with Russell at 14.1 points and 24.1 boards a night.
And Russell wasn’t even the scoring leader on those teams: it was John Havlicek and Sam Jones neck and neck in ‘63-64 at 19.9 and 19.4 ppg, respectively. Heck, even Tommy Heinsohn averaged more than Russell at 16.5 points a night. The next year, Jones set himself apart averaging 25.9 ppg to lead Havlicek, Heinsohn, and Russell to another championship.
Titles No. 7 and No. 8 were in those two seasons. Those were some special teams.
The 1993-94 Rockets won their first NBA Finals in the team’s history, behind Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and All Star center Hakeem Olajumon and his 27.3 point and 11.9 rebound averages. Otis Thorpe (14 ppg, 10 reb), Vernon Maxwell (13.6 ppg), Kenny Smith (11.6 ppg), and Chris Jent (10.3 ppg), along with Sixth Man of the Year Mario Elie. Two others from that team are on NBA benches today – Scott Brooks and Sam Cassell.
The next year, the Rockets ran it back with the additions of Clyde Drexler (who did the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” lonnnnnnng before Kevin Durant did it) and Robert Horry. Drexler brought 21.4 points a night, while Horry brought three point shooting and defensive intensity to get the Rockets ring No. 2 in as many years.
They won 58 games in 1993-94 and 47 games in 1994-95.
Now let’s examine this Thunder team:
They’ve not imported any coattail riders, building this team from the ground up, through years of growing pains after the departures of Durant, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, and eventually, Russell Westbrook.
It’s not that they didn’t try the big name route – potential Hall of Fame legends like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George have donned the Thunder Blue and Sunset Orange. For four years, from 2016-20 – with those names in the start lineup(s) – the Thunder were sent fishing after the first round each year. 47-, 48-, 49-, and then 44-win campaigns … average at best.
Once the torch was handed to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, doubters had serious questions about general manager Sam Presti and the direction of the franchise. 22 wins in 2020-21, 24 wins the next year, and 40 wins in Year Three of the SGA era.
But who are we to question Presti? Arguably the greatest GM of this modern era, with his poker face, Presti never flinched – and with good reason. He knew exactly what he was doing and what cards/draft picks he had in his suit pocket. Intuition is a greater genius than we are, and geniuses see the answer before the questions arise. It’s how they remain calm in the eye of the storm/
One could say the young team leaned on adages from the likes of Michael Jordan or Henry Ford, but they exemplified that coming together honestly was a beginning, that keeping together was indeed progress, and working together was absolutely a success (see June 2025 and the follow up of October 21, 2025 pre-game). They went together, and went as far as they could – an NBA championship – in an NCAA football town.
They have started off undefeated, though tough, double overtime games against the Rockets (with former Thunder icon Durant now in Rocket red) and their NBA Finals opponent Indiana Pacers, tested their mettle from the first tip(s) of the season.
Since then, there will be those that have called their schedule a cake walk, but remember that this team won a whopping 68 games the last time they started 7-0, and many think they can reach seven-oh (70) or more this season:
- October 21st – Houston Rockets 124, Oklahoma City Thunder 125 (2OT)
- October 23rd – Oklahoma City Thunder 141, Indiana Pacers 135 (2OT)
- October 25th – Oklahoma City Thunder 117, Atlanta Hawks 100
- October 27th – Oklahoma City Thunder 101, Dallas Mavericks 94
- October 28th – Sacramento Kings 101, Oklahoma City Thunder 107
- October 30th – Washington Wizards 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 127
- November 2nd – New Orleans Pelicans 106, Oklahoma City Thunder 137
Neither Boston team won 68 games (Doc Rivers’ team won 66 in 2007-08 and won a championship) and Joe Mazzullo’s 2023-24 squad won 64 and also won a championship. And neither did the two Houston teams (Mike D’Antoni’s 2017-18 came the closest, winning 65 before losing in the conference finals to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors).
The Thunder may get challenged tomorrow night in L.A. versus the Los Angeles Clippers, but that depends on which James Harden shows up. The Portland Trailblazers are 4-1 under interim coach Tiago Splitter, who has helped shape the team’s defensive intensity. And they play Sacramento and the Memphis Grizzlies on the road before heading home to face the Golden State Warriors.
The youngest roster in the NBA versus the oldest roster in the NBA.
That game will be on 11/11 … and if you’re a lucky numbers person, that’s even better than 7 and 13.
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Tracy ‘T-Money’ Graven is the Senior NBA Analyst for BackSportsPage.com owner of TMoneyMedia.com and also has his posts on SubStack at allballs.substack.com
He has written the NBA, appeared as a guest on NBA Radio, and the last 25+ years for HoopsWorld, Swish Magazine, HoopsHype, the Coach Scott Fields Show, NBARadioShow.com, and also tackles the NFL and NCAA. He’s spent 25+ years in locker rooms in Orlando, Boise (CBA, G League), San Antonio, Phoenix, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta.
He has raised five kids, and now currently resides in the heart of SEC Country near Knoxville, Tennessee – home of the 2024 Men’s Baseball World Series Champion Tennessee Volunteers.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
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