Oklahoma City Thunder Finals Appearances

Formerly known as Seattle SuperSonics, the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City and was renamed as the Thunder in 2008. The Thunder had a young roster including the future MVPs, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. They enjoyed playoff success, missing only one playoff in an entire decade.

The Thunder dominated the early 2010s, making three conference finals, including one NBA Finals in 2012. Kevin Durant won the 2014 MVP and the scoring title. After Oklahoma City’s loss to the Warriors, despite leading 3-1, a lot of things changed. Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 free agency and the team traded for Paul George in 2017. Russell Westbrook had an MVP season in 2017, averaging a triple double. He formed a dominating partnership with Paul George, taking OKC to three playoffs.

The Paul George trade to the Los Angeles Clippers brought fruitful rewards for the OKC Thunder. They got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a record collection of first-round draft picks. The 2022 first-round draft pick turned into Jalen Williams. Shai became the franchise player after Russell Westbrook was traded and led the rebuild.

Currently the OKC’s roster is full of young and skilled players led by SGA. He has formed a trio with Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, and the team’s rebuild was executed to perfection by GM Sam Prestl. They still have loads of first-round picks acquired during trades.

How many championships have the Oklahoma City Thunder won?

The Oklahoma City Thunder have not won an NBA championship as of April 2024. They lost to the Miami Heat in their only NBA Finals appearance in five games. They faced the ‘HEATLES’, consisting of prime LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Thunder had a young and inexperienced roster, despite that KD and Westbrook showcased their potential. The duo of KD and Westbrook combined for 57.6 points per game in the Finals.

However, before rebranding to the OKC Thunder, the franchise won the 1979 NBA Finals as the Seattle Supersonics. They defeated the Washington Bullets in five games.

Oklahoma City Thunder Finals Appearance History

The OKC have been to one NBA Finals as of April 2024, where they were defeated by the Miami Heat in five games. The young core of KD, Westbrook and Harden faced the experienced and prime LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

In 2016, despite being 3-1 up in the western conference finals, OKC failed to make the Finals. They lost the next three games to the Golden State Warriors, which changed the landscape of NBA history. Kevin Durant joined the Warriors and went on to win two NBA championships and two Finals MVPs.

However, the Seattle SuperSonics reached the Finals in 1978, 1979 and 1996. They won the championship in 1979, and ended as runners-up in 1978 and 1996.

What teams did the Oklahoma City Thunder lose the Championship Finals against?

The Oklahoma City Thunder have lost one NBA Finals. They lost to the Miami Heat in five games. LeBron James dominated the series and averaged a double-double, winning the Finals MVP. The series was a close fought one, as three games were decided by a single digit difference.

OKC’s young roster was part of a western conference which was stacked, with Tim Duncan’s Spurs and Curry’s Golden State Warriors. The Spurs made the Finals in 2013 and 2014, the Warriors made the Finals from 2015 to 2019.

Formerly known as Seattle SuperSonics, they lost the 1978 Finals to Washington Bullets in seven games. They lost the 1996 Finals to the Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan in six games.

Oklahoma City Thunder Last Finals Appearance

OKC’s last final appearance came in 2012, where they were defeated by the Miami Heat in five games.

In Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Miami Heat 105-94. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 36 points, dominating the scoring while Russell Westbrook contributed 27 points, guiding the Thunder to a strong start in the series.

In Game 2, despite a valiant effort, the Thunder fell short, losing 100-96. LeBron led the charge with 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists, guiding his team to victory despite a late surge from the Thunder.

In Game 3, the Miami Heat edged out the Thunder with a 91-85 victory. Despite another strong performance from Kevin Durant, who scored 29 points. LeBron led the Heat with 29 points and 14 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade added 25 points, helping the Heat gain momentum in the series.

In Game 4, the Thunder fought hard, but ultimately fell short, losing 104-98 to the Heat. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook showcased their offensive prowess once again, combining for 71 points.

Despite another stellar performance from Kevin Durant in Game 5, who scored 32 points, the Thunder's season came to an end with a 121-106 loss to the Heat.