As the Oklahoma City Thunder received their Western Conference champion shirts and hats, former ghosts reappeared throughout social media. From Serge Ibaka to Darius Bazley to Isaiah Roby, ex-players chipped in to congratulate the franchise for returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.
Celebrating the West Finals MVP trophy, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could make a serious argument for the greatest Thunder player ever if they win one more playoff series. One player that is seen as a popular answer to that question is Kevin Durant.
While the 36-year-old doesn’t have the best relationship with the fanbase after he controversially left OKC, he still showed love for the 2024-25 Thunder squad that set a franchise-best 68-14 record and had an all-time-best plus-12.9 point differential.
“This 2025 Thunder team, they are historically great. Great shooting all across the board, efficient go-to scorer in deuce, size and athleticism all across the board, versatility, shooting big and bruiser big, great coaching,” Durant wrote on social media. “Just a flat out perfectly crafted unit. I fuck with their approach to basketball. They are putting together great film to learn from.”
Durant was asked who’d win in a hypothetical matchup between his 2012 Thunder squad that went to the NBA Finals and this year’s version. He didn’t bite for the bait and instead pivoted to how historically dominant OKC has been this year. It cruised through the West playoffs with a 12-4 record and several blowouts in between.
Good to see Durant recognized that. Any bitter feelings he has towards the franchise or fanbase appear long gone. That happens when it’s been nearly a decade. I guess time does eventually heal most wounds.
