Even if what the Oklahoma City Thunder did this past season won’t be appreciated in the moment, there’s no denying the simple fact that they had one of the greatest campaigns the NBA has ever seen in its history.

The Thunder lapped the rest of the league in about every measurement. They had a historic 68-14 regular-season record and tallied a record plus-12.9 point differential. They blew teams out left and right. To the point it’d be a surprise if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was even on the floor in the fourth quarter.

Entering the playoffs, the Thunder carried that dominance over. They were nearly unbeatable at home. That helped them eventually capture an NBA championship to write the final chapters of one of the best teams in league history.

Now that they’ve reached the mountaintop, it’ll be interesting to see how the Thunder move forward. They’ll be the title favorite in the 2025-26 season as they run it back with mostly the same roster. To see how their championship reign could play out, let’s see what NBA history suggests.

The 2024-25 Thunder are one of nine teams in NBA history to have a 10-plus Simple Rating System and win a championship that same year. In fact, they have the highest mark ever with a plus-12.70. The SRS is one of Basketball Reference’s better tools. It is a rating that takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule. The rating is denominated in points above/below average, where zero is average.

Let’s look at the other eight teams that accomplished the same feat to see how they did in the following season. That way, we have a clearer picture of what the 2025-26 regular season could look like for the Thunder as they try to be a rare repeat winner:

1. 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks66-16 regular-season record; 11.92 SRS

What happened the following season? The Bucks were similarly dominant with mostly the same roster. They had a 63-19 regular-season record in 1971-72. They lost to the Lakers in the 1972 Western Conference Finals, though. A young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and veteran Oscar Robertson headlined this era.

72-10 regular-season record; 11.80 SRS

What happened the following season? The Bulls were once again the best team. They had a 69-13 regular-season record in 1996-97. They went on to win another championship in the 1997 NBA Finals over the Jazz. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman cemented their spot in league history as a dynasty.

69-13 regular-season record; 11.65 SRS

What happened the following season? The Lakers took a slight step back. They had a 60-22 regular-season record in 1972-73. They went all the way to the 1973 NBA Finals before they lost to the Knicks. It was an older squad that saw Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain decline with their ages.

67-15 regular-season record; 11.35 SRS

What happened the following season? The Warriors went through cruise control but turned it up when it mattered the most. They had a pedestrian 58-24 regular-season record in 2017-18. But they still dominated in the playoffs and swept the Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Finals. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were unstoppable at the apex of their powers.

5. 2023-24 Boston Celtics64-18 regular-season record; 10.75 SRS

What happened the following season? The Celtics were among the best teams, but weren’t the clear top squad. They had a 61-21 regular-season record in 2024-25. But they came up short in the playoffs with a Round 2 exit against the Knicks. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown couldn’t recapture their magic from the previous season despite the same roster.

6. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls69-13 regular-season record; 10.70 SRS

What happened the following season? The Bulls continued to be the NBA’s best team. They had a 62-20 regular-season record in 1997-98. They went on to win their third straight championship. They beat the Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals. Jordan won his sixth ring, which helped him be viewed as arguably the greatest player of all time.

7. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls67-15 regular-season record; 10.07 SRS

What happened the following season? This was the final ring of the Bulls’ first three-peat run. They had a 57-25 regular-season record in 1992-93. They beat the Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. Jordan was once again the best player and took home one more championship before he famously retired the first time in the middle of his prime.

8. 2014-15 Golden State Warriors67-15 regular-season record; 10.01 SRS

What happened the following season? The Warriors had arguably the greatest regular season ever. They had an all-time best 73-9 record in 2015-16. Alas, all that for naught. They famously blew a 3-1 series lead in the 2016 NBA Finals and lost to the Cavaliers. Curry couldn’t seal the deal with three tries to get one more win.