The Oklahoma City Thunder are just four wins away from forcing the basketball world to rethink what modern greatness looks like.

Their 68–14 regular season is already the fifth-best record in NBA history. This wasn’t supposed to be their time yet. They’re young, homegrown, and built through the draft. No splashy superstar signings. No shortcuts. And yet, here they are, four wins from the top of the mountain.

So now the question is worth asking: if the Thunder win the NBA title, where would they rank among the greatest teams of all time?

Let’s look at the usual suspects.

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1995-96 Chicago Bulls (72–10)

The gold standard. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman ran through the league and finished the job against Seattle in the Finals. This team played suffocating defense, executed like a machine, and set the benchmark for dominance.

2016-17 Golden State Warriors (67–15)

After the 73–9 heartbreak the year before, the Warriors added Kevin Durant and went 16–1 in the playoffs. They combined beautiful ball movement with overwhelming talent and crushed every challenge in their path.

2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers (56–26)

Their regular-season record was ordinary, but the postseason was historic. Shaq and Kobe flipped the switch and went 15–1 in the playoffs, blowing out almost everyone they faced.

1985-86 Boston Celtics (67–15)

Larry Bird led one of the most complete teams in NBA history. Undefeated at home and champions over Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets, they blended basketball IQ, toughness, and interior dominance in a way few teams ever have.

1996–97 Chicago Bulls (69–13)

Largely the same squad as the 72–10 version, just a little less dominant. Still, they took down Karl Malone and John Stockton in the Finals and made it five titles in seven years.

1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers (69–13)

This team had Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Elgin Baylor. They set the record for the longest winning streak in NBA history at 33 games and won the championship by defeating the Knicks. Their combination of star power, cohesion, and resilience makes them one of the all-time greats.

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So Where Do the Thunder Fit?

They don’t have a single Hall of Famer yet. No MVPs, up until a few weeks ago when SGA won via the “We can’t give to Jokic every year” rule. No prior playoff runs deep into June. What they do have is balance, chemistry, and one of the most mature young cores the league has seen in decades.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has elevated his game to MVP levels, even if I disagree with him winning it this year. He was a close second to best player in the league. Close enough to take advantage of Jokic Vote fatigue. Jalen Williams is a rising star who defends, scores, and makes winning plays. Chet Holmgren has been a difference-maker on both ends with rim protection and three-point range.

They swept the Memphis Grizzlies. They survived a grueling seven-game battle against the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets. Then they handled the Minnesota Timberwolves in five, ending the run of the league’s top-ranked defense.

They’ve done all this with no players over age 26 playing significant minutes. No proven championship veterans. No shortcuts.

If the Thunder win it all, they will have stacked a 68-win season with a dominant postseason and taken down serious contenders in the process. That resume deserves a seat at the all-time table.

At odds here is the “Shiny New Object” phenomena vs. Nostalgia. We tend to want to elevate the new thing on the block. The latest and greatest. But in sports, I would argue nostalgia is still undefeated.

Most of the teams listed above are remembered because they were part of longer runs. But if you looking at just a single season, this Thunder team is up. The only thing left for the Thunder is to finish the job. And who knows on the future. Youth is on their side.