“Gunning for You”: Udonis Haslem Reveals Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-Led Thunder’s Biggest Challenge Defending Their NBA Championship
No one really slept on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 24/25 season. They were always one of the favorites to win the championship, but now that they’ve won, and in dominant fashion — with the best regular season record — at that, they have a target painted on their back. That will be one of the biggest hurdles this exciting team will have to pass in the coming campaign, according to Udonis Haslem.
Haslem, who has won three championships with the Miami Heat, praised the Thunder team for being “mature beyond their years” in a recent ESPN segment. So, when they take to the court in a couple months’ time, they’ll be ready to defend their crown.
The problem is, the rest of the NBA knows just how good OKC are. Every time they lace their boots before a game against MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co., it will be like a “championship” game for them. Is it a curse? Well, it can also be a blessing.
“What they’re gonna get from other teams is gonna be different. Every single team in the NBA is gonna be gunning for you, every single night you walk in, that’s gonna be the other team’s championship game,” Haslem opined. He then looked back on his own career and from experience, recalled what playing as a defending champion in the NBA meant.
“There were so many games that we were down in the fourth quarter against teams that weren’t as good as us,” he said. “They didn’t have the talent that we had, they didn’t have the experience that we had…” Haslem then shed light on a particular game against a much worse Cleveland Cavaliers side, where they were down by 27 points. They pulled that game back and won it. But doing it week in and week out was mentally exhausting, the Heat legend suggested.
It’s fair to assume that the Thunder will have an even tougher time, because with all due respect to Haslem, today’s era appears to have far more competitive teams. The Western Conference in particular is stacked. And the Thunder will have to fend off multiple teams who will be eyeing that top spot and ultimately, playoff glory.
At the same time, Haslem feels that those battles will help the Thunder get battle ready, because, unless something catastrophic happens, they’re surely getting into the playoffs with ease. “It will help them in the long run, because they’ll be battle tested throughout the whole season going into the playoffs.”
The Thunder pretty much have the same team that won the championship heading into 25/26. They’ve even extended Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams’ contracts. Could they go back-to-back? They’ll surely be the first choice for many.
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