The 2014-15 Golden State Warriors came up with a title after a long rebuild. After that, they set off the best season in league history. They beat the 72-10 Chicago Bulls set by Michael Jordan‘s squad, and went 73-9. However, it seems that another team is closing in on that feat just a decade later. We are seeing the rise of a historic OKC win record at this point. But does that spell a lot of concerns for the defending champions?
In case you forgot, the 72-10 Bulls remain the best team in history when it comes to arguments. That’s because Jordan led Chicago to a title in that same year. Stephen Curry and the Warriors, on the other hand, fell short after blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals. While none of those actually have a bearing on the Thunder, there’s a lot of discussion on that end.
The Thunder have matched the 2015-16 Warriors with the BEST start through 25 games 🔥
Can OKC beat Golden State’s 73-9 record this year? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/NELKiOqKdF
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 11, 2025
Setting a Historic OKC Win Record is Concerning
By now, we all know that there’s a chance for OKC to set another historic record this year. They are projected to eclipse at least 77 wins, which says a lot about how good this team is. But the last time a team broke the record for the most wins in NBA history, they ended up empty-handed in the Finals. Not to say much, but OKC is on the same track as the Warriors this time.
The Thunder’s Pace is Stunning
One could easily tell that Oklahoma City is gunning for the best record in the NBA. For starters, OKC has the largest point differential in league history. As of the time of writing, this Thunder team has a differential of +17.48. If you are not impressed, the next team on the list is no other than the same squad last season, with +12.87. See that impressive leap by the defending champs?
At this point, we have seen how OKC has emerged as a contender in a short period of time. From finishing with 68 wins last season, they have now matched the 2016 Warriors’ 24-1 start. The latter even went 29-1 before losing their second game. With the Thunder’s schedule looking good, it seems that they can even eclipse that.
OKC ON 🔥
The Thunder have posted the largest point differential through the first 25 games of a season in NBA history 🤯
(h/t @keerthikau) pic.twitter.com/eHqtmyBlu9
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 11, 2025
On top of that, their three main stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren are growing together. In the win versus the Suns, they played at a very efficient level. That’s considering that they are also in their respective bigger runs.
SGA dropped 28 efficient points, and Holmgren scored an easy 24. J-Dub, while he only scored 15 points, made five of his eight attempts and was brilliant on the floor. The Thunder bench was also stunning enough to cook up a 49-point win. That was also the worst loss that Phoenix has suffered all along.
The Path to OKC’s Win Record Mirrors the Warriors’
Back then, Golden State went for a 24-1 record. The Thunder did that after their quarterfinal win in the NBA Cup. But that’s not all there is to compare. For starters, Golden State also came off a championship when they set the historic record. Curry was also coming off a promising MVP campaign, and so was SGA.
NBA RECORD-TYING 24-1 START.
OKC RECORD-SETTING 16 STRAIGHT WINS.
TRIP TO VEGAS BOOKED.
THUNDER DOMINANCE CONTINUES. https://t.co/UuTEfbuik6 pic.twitter.com/7Pn00lObjF
— NBA (@NBA) December 11, 2025
Now, they have emerging stars. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green didn’t become legitimate stars overnight. Now it seems that Chet and J-Dub are starting to mirror that. Moreover, this current Thunder team is getting more comparisons to the Dubs’ dynasty than the previous era of OKC, which was led by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
The bench depth was also similar. We have seen how the Warriors can win games with their bench players back then, and OKC is doing it now. The all-time Thunder defense is also staggering. At this point everything falls the same as the Warriors did in 2016.
So, What’s the Concern for OKC?
Other than the fact that OKC is in a prime position to eclipse the all-time records set by Jordan’s Bulls and Curry’s Warriors, there’s really no concern needed for the defending champs. Moreover, it’s just that Oklahoma City following the pace of the 2016 Warriors may mean that they would also lose the incoming Finals.
OKC are on pace to win 78 games…
That's 5 more than the all-time record for wins in a season. pic.twitter.com/S1gnFQ7eHq
— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) December 3, 2025
No OKC fan would want that. Luckily, this team has a strong mentality of playing the next man up, and always going back to zero. Overconfidence isn’t going to be an issue, and they’ve already learned the hard truth about being complacent in a game.
So if there’s one thing concerning when it comes to the Thunder setting a historic record this season, it’s not for them. It’s for the rest of the league, as they will have to worry about OKC running the show for years to come.
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
