Kevin Durant’s former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate has explained why he didn’t win an NBA championship with the Thunder.
Durant, a two-time champion with the Golden State Warriors, was part of a super team in Oklahoma City alongside fellow MVPs Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
They made one NBA Finals appearance, losing to LeBron James’ Miami Heat in 2012, and were a game away from beating the 73-9 Warriors in 2016 before Durant joined them.
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The Thunder were favourites to win the 2012 title going into the Finals. They remain one of the biggest “what if?” stories in NBA history. And a member of that team said they could have won at least two championships.
Serge Ibaka said the Oklahoma City Thunder could have won at least two NBA championships with Kevin Durant
Serge Ibaka, NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors and three-time All-NBA Defensive team player, explained why the Durant-led Thunder didn’t win an NBA title.
Speaking to TMZ, he said, “Right now, when you look back, it’s easy to say. We could have won at least two or three. At least. It’s easy to say, but it’s not easy to do it. There are a lot of things that can happen on the way to a championship.
“Sometimes it’s not always about talent. We had all the talent. But those things go with luck too. Sometimes people from the outside can’t see it, but behind closed doors, there are a lot of things, a lot of work that needs to be done. We could have won minimum two.”
Harden and Westbrook have fallen short of championships at every stop of their careers, and Durant’s teams have disappointed in the postseason since he left Golden State.
Meanwhile, the 2025 Oklahoma City put together one of the greatest seasons in league history. The Thunder won the championship after winning 68 games in the regular season, and their superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won MVP.
Ibaka, after failing to win with the Thunder, said you have to take your hat off for the teams that are able to climb the mountain.
“It’s not easy. So when you see people do that, you have to give them credit.”
Serge Ibaka said the Oklahoma City Thunder can win three championships
After paying Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, the Thunder’s young core has stayed together. That gives them a run at the next few championships as the league’s dominant team.
Ibaka spoke about their chances of winning multiple rings, saying, “They have a lot of potential. The game now is very different. This generation has a chance to be one of the best, but it’s always easy to say but hard to do. On paper, they have a chance.
“Many things can happen on the way there, but on paper, they have the chance to win three. They’re young, they’re going to keep getting better and better. Sam [Presti] has done a great job of putting the team together, and now they have confidence. It’s their moment.”
In a stacked Western Conference, they’ll have to battle through the NBA’s elite.
Durant now plays for the Houston Rockets, who were the two-seed last season. The Lakers re-signed Luka Doncic, keeping their elite duo with him and LeBron James. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP, led the Denver Nuggets to a seven-game series against the Thunder in the last postseason.
They should be favourites in the West, but the Thunder’s competition next season demonstrates exactly why it is so hard to win one title, let alone repeat.