The early 2010s Oklahoma City Thunder are regarded as one of the best NBA teams in recent history not to win a championship.
Led by a combination of James Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder fans have long been haunted by a case of ‘what might have been’.
Their promising core was broken up in 2012 when OKC traded the then NBA Sixth Man of the Year, James Harden.
All three of Harden and Westbrook and Durant have gone onto put themselves into the NBA record books one way or another, and there is a sense of regret still that the Thunder gave up on their young core too early.
Current Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George was asked a question on his podcast about the 2012 Thunder team.
George was asked who would win a finals between the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder team and the 2023 Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets.
The former Clippers star said he was sure a game would result in a win for OKC, arguing they had a player who could neutralize Nikola Jokic.
George explained, speaking to Reggie Jackson, a young part that OKC team: “I’m gonna go with that 2012 Thunder team. I think obviously how great Jokic is, I think Serge [Ibaka], a young Serge is probably the one individual that could guard Jokic.
“I think with his energy and athleticism it would’ve gave Jokic a little trouble. And then obviously you got Russ, James, KD, like you got a stacked solid core of stars on the floor.
“So I think the only reason that stopped that 2012 team from winning is LeBron and, just the inexperience and the youth of that team at that time.
“But I’m gonna go with, I’m gonna go with that 2012 team winning that.”
The Denver Nuggets won their first NBA Championship in 2023, after finishing top of the Western Conference during the regular season.
They 53 regular season games, in comparison to the 47 won by the Thunder in 2012. The Nuggets’ offensive rating was also the ninth highest in NBA history.
And crucially, they held their nerve in the play-offs, beating Miami Heat 4-1 in the finals.
This admittedly was a different Heat to the one OKC fell against in the 2012 finals, with LeBron James leading the team to their own 4-1 finals win.
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