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Some NBA fans might not know this but the Oklahoma City Thunder have been in the league since 1967. The team started as the Seattle SuperSonics until they relocated in Oklahoma City in 2008. As respect to the fans of the Sonics and the people of Seattle, this list will not include players of the original. We are just going to focus on players during the Thunder Era.
In ten seasons in Oklahoma City, the Thunder have only missed the playoffs twice in their first year and in 2015. The Thunder already had Kevin Durant during their inaugural season in Oklahoma City and the front office built a great team around him.
The Thunder drafted Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka in 2008, James Harden in 2009, and Steven Adams in 2013. The team advanced to the NBA Finals in 2012 but fell to the Miami Heat in five games. They were also one win away from another NBA Finals in 2016 but they collapsed against the Golden State Warriors.
Durant was a free agent that summer and joined the Warriors. Now, the Thunder has a team consisting of Westbrook and Paul George. So, without further ado, here are the all-time starting five for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Center – Steven Adams
Selected 12th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, Steven Adams developed into one of the best big men in the NBA today. Adams has improved every season and he has been an enforcer down low for the Thunder. In his sixth season in the NBA, he is posting career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
Adams also has taken a larger role in the Thunder’s offense, being the third option behind Russell Westbrook and Paul George. He has also become a fan favorite in Oklahoma City and if he stays loyal to the Thunder, his No. 12 jersey will surely get retired by the Thunder once his playing career is over.
Honorable Mention: Center – Enes Kanter
Due to the short timeline of the Thunder’s existence in Oklahoma City, Enes Kanter gets the nod as an honorable mention at center. Kanter was acquired at the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline from the Utah Jazz. He spent two and a half seasons in Oklahoma City wherein he became one of the best sixth men in the league.
Forward – Serge Ibaka
A late first-round selection in the 2008 NBA Draft, Serge Ibaka was a key part of the Thunder’s early success as a franchise. Ibaka was one of the best defensive players in the NBA during his seven-year tenure in Oklahoma City. He was a three-time All-Defensive First Team and the league’s leading shot blocker in 2012 and 2013.
Ibaka ranks third in the Thunder’s all-time scoring list, third in rebounds, ninth in steals, first in blocks, and eighth in three-points made. He was traded to the Orlando Magic in 2016 for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and Domantas Sabonis. Ibaka now plays for the Toronto Raptors.
Honorable Mention: Forward – Nick Collison
An original member of the Seattle SuperSonics when he was drafted in 2003, Nick Collison stayed loyal to the franchise until his retirement in 2018. He ranks sixth in scoring despite not being a scorer, fifth in rebounds, fourth in assists, fifth in steals, and fourth in blocks. His No. 4 jersey will surely be retired by the team in the near future.
Forward – Kevin Durant
Currently hated in Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant left the team in the summer of 2016 to join the Golden State Warriors. Durant became one of the greatest players of his generation while with the Thunder wherein he was an NBA MVP, a Rookie of the Year, and a seven-time All-Star.
Durant also ranks second in the team’s all-time scoring list, as well as in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He is the Thunder’s all-time three-point king with 1,084. If Durant ever returns to the Thunder and win a title, all the things he did will be erased just like what happened with LeBron James in Cleveland.
Honorable Mention: Forward – Jeff Green
Along with Durant, Jeff Green is one of two active players in the NBA who played for the original SuperSonics franchise.
Green spent three and a half seasons with the franchise until he was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2011. He ranks fifth in the team’s all-time scoring list, ninth in rebounds and assists, eighth in steals, tenth in blocks, and fifth in three-points made.
Guard – James Harden
Before he became an MVP with the Houston Rockets, James Harden was the Thunder’s primary scorer off the bench during his three seasons in Oklahoma City. Harden was drafted third overall and immediately became the Thunder and NBA’s, premier sixth man.
“The Beard” won the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2012 after averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 steals while starting just two games. Harden was traded to the Rockets in that same summer after turning a four-year, $50 million contract extension.
Honorable Mention: Guard – Paul George
Just in his second season with the Thunder, Paul George has taken the reigns from Russell Westbrook as the team’s primary option on offense. George is having the best season of his career after re-signing with the Thunder in the summer of 2018. If George continues like this until his prime, he will surpass Durant as the second greatest Thunder player ever.
Guard – Russell Westbrook
The greatest player in Thunder history, Russell Westbrook has been the beating heart of the franchise ever since he was drafted fourth overall in 2008. Westbrook became one of the best point guards in history, averaging a triple-double in 2017 and winning the NBA MVP. He also registered a second triple-double season in 2018.
Westbrook is a nine-time All-Star with the Thunder, winning the All-Star Game MVP in 2012. He also won the 2008 Rookie of the Year, and a four-time scoring champion. Westbrook holds almost all records in Thunder history including total career points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
He also owns the record for the most points scored by a Thunder player with 58 against the Blazers in 2017. Without a doubt, Westbrook will get his No. 0 jersey retired by the franchise and a bronze statue of him will be standing outside the Chesapeake Energy Arean once his career is over.
Honorable Mention: Guard – Thabo Sefalosha
One of the best defenders in franchise history, Thabo Sefalosha was acquired from the Chicago Bulls in 2009. Sefalosha played five and a half seasons with the Thunder. He ranks ninth in the Thunder all-time scoring leaderboard, seventh in rebounds, fifth in assists, third in steals, eighth in blocks, and fourth in three-pointers made.
