After the Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA championship, many wondered if they would have a championship hangover. A few weeks into the 2025-26 NBA season, they have proved they most certainly don’t. The Thunder are putting to bed any doubts regarding their youthful age. As a result, Draymond Green finds similarities between this team and the Golden State Warriors squad that went 73-9.
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The Thunder were the last undefeated team remaining until the Portland Trail Blazers handed them their first loss last night. The defending champs hold an 8-1 record on the season, which is the best in the league.
OKC knew their path to winning back-to-back would be much more difficult with a target on their back. Their success formula isn’t a secret. Plus, many teams across the league have improved drastically.
Nonetheless, Green has been impressed with the Thunder’s maturity and composure. He couldn’t help but compare this OKC team to his Warriors team, which set the record for most wins in a season.
“When I look at this team, 8-0, you start thinking of our 2016 team that won 73 games,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show. “They just have it figured out, and you’ve got to give them credit.”
Green recorded this episode of his podcast before the Thunder picked up their first loss, yet the sentiment remains the same. Although their start to the season has been dominant, it’s far from how great that Warriors group was. Golden State began the 2015-16 season 24-0. However, Green’s comparison isn’t strictly regarding the Thunder’s success but their attitude in their games.
Green highlighted the glaring similarities he sees between this year’s Thunder and the 73-win Warriors. “Great depth on both teams. When you compare their team to our 2016 team, both have a great, incredible numero uno in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander like Steph Curry.”
“Chet [Holmgren] playing both ends of the floor, anchoring the defense. When J-Dub comes back, having an incredible number two. Hartenstein, think about Andrew Bogut and what he brought to the team. A lot of similarities,” he continued.
At the same time, he’s also impressed by the depth and the talent coming off the bench. “Aaron Wiggins coming off the bench. Caruso coming off the bench. Reminds me a lot of Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston coming off the bench.”
The regular season can become mundane, but the Thunder understands the importance of every game. More impressively, they’ve maintained their dominance while Jalen Williams has been on the sidelines with a right wrist injury. However, at full health, Green is unsure he can find much fault in this team.
“When you look at both teams, do they have any holes? I don’t know that they have many holes. I think they have the ability to put together an all-time regular season when you talk about their championship experience, pedigree, and their youth,” Green proclaimed.
The scary aspect of Green’s comments is that this year’s version of the Thunder may not even be the best rendition we see in the coming years. Their core will only get better, similarly to the Warriors of the 2010s.
Despite Green’s high level of praise, he doesn’t view OKC as unbeatable. He will certainly do his best to dethrone the reigning champions, as the Warriors look to return to the NBA’s mountaintop. That matchup between those two teams will come soon, as they will face off on November 11 in Oklahoma City.
