The Oklahoma City Thunder have their first NBA championship after beating the Indiana Pacers 103–91 in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. In doing so, they joined an elite group.
The Thunder were the NBA's best team all year, winning 68 games during the regular season. When adding the 16 wins it took to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy, Oklahoma City had 84 wins on the season. Only two teams in NBA history have won 84 or more games while winning a title. Both had Michael Jordan.
Jordan's Chicago Bulls won 84 or more games twice, and it came in back-to-back seasons. The Bulls won the 1996 championship after winning 72 games in the regular season and 15 in the postseason, for 87, which is the record for a team winning a title. During the 1996–97 season, Jordan and the Bulls won 69 regular-season games, then added 15 in the postseason, for 84 total, matching the Thunder.
It's worth noting, the Golden State Warriors won a record 73 games during the 2015–16 season, then added 15 wins in the playoffs. That's a total of 88 wins, which is the most ever. But the Warriors failed to win a title that season, disqualifying them from the list.
That is rarified air. Oklahoma City accomplished something that hadn't been done in 28 years.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Thunder Match Michael Jordan's Bulls With Rare Achievement En Route to NBA Title.
