The 2024-2025 NBA season belonged to the Thunder. Not only did the OKC team finish No. 1 in the West with a dominant record, but they finished their story by winning the franchise’s first title. It easily catapults this Thunder team above ones of the past, pushing aside legends like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, who got the squad close in 2012, but not past the finish line.
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Robert Horry at least thinks so. The seven-time NBA Champion gave his thoughts on the Rockets‘ opening game being against the Thunder for the 2025-2026 season, and how Durant, now on the Rockets, will have to watch the banner be raised.
“It’s almost like, ‘See, if you’d have stayed here, you could have been the first to put up a banner, but you wanted to go on to greener pastures,'” joked Horry on his Big Shot Bob podcast. The Lakers legend was clearly poking fun at the fact that KD couldn’t get it done in OKC despite finding success elsewhere.
“He got his two,” stated co-host Rob Jenners, referring to the future Hall of Famer’s two rings with the Golden State Warriors. He’s not wrong either. Sure, KD didn’t get the job done for the Thunder, but he does still get to call himself a champion.
However, this led to an Horry rant about how important it is to be a part of a team that brings a city its first title. “It’s always something special when you get the first for a franchise that has never won anything. Because now, you got to think about it, you the first,” stated Horry, who gave an example of his time on the Rockets in the mid-90s.
“In Houston, they ain’t won a championship since we left in ’95. But the guys that were on that team, those eight main guys, are still loved by that city because you brought the first championship to that city.” It’s true. Ask any Rockets fans. The Texas basketball fans fondly remember the era of Hakeem, Vernon Maxwell, and Big Shot Bob.
Horry had more jokes. He implied that KD is now getting washed away in OKC’s history, but not just by superstars like SGA or Chet Holmgren, but also role players like Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Even before the title win, OKC fans already had bad blood with Durant, given how he left them for the Warriors in 2016. Sure, it was the best move for his career, but to the fans who loved and cheered for him every day for 8 years, it felt like a betrayal.
“Even though they probably loved Durant, he’s getting pushed aside by Caruso, SGA, and Hartenstein.” This made Horry’s co-hosts laugh since Caruso was mentioned over the league’s reigning MVP.
That’s not to insult Caruso. The defensive fiend, like Durant, is also a two-time champ. Obviously, KD is a little bit more proficient scorer than Caruso, but at the end of the day, a ring is a ring.
Horry’s point does sort of make sense, though. When looking at the history books, everyone will likely pinpoint the first Thunder title in 2025 and overlook the Thunder team that featured Harden, Russ, and Durant. It’s sad, but it’s the truth. Regardless, we’ll see if Durant can continue to cement his own legacy in 2026.
