In just three seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder have graduated from a small-market darling to the reigning NBA champions. Everything starts and stops with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s storybook ascension from a lottery pick to an MVP winner.

But underneath Gilgeous-Alexander’s gaudy production lies one of the best cultures in professional sports. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams have blossomed into some of the league’s best players. They’ve turned into the Gen Z San Antonio Spurs with their plug-and-play approach across all 18 roster spots.

If anybody knows how sturdy those OKC roots are, it’s Josh Giddey. He spent his first three seasons with the Thunder. And while it didn’t turn out to be the long-term fit he’d hoped, he still fondly remembers his time there. Now on the Chicago Bulls, he looks on the verge of being a first-time All-Star player.

Giddey recently appeared on “The Young Man and The Three” podcast. He talked about the Bulls’ hot start, but also reflected on the Thunder. There’s no hard feelings between the two sides, as the 23-year-old has said he was happy to see a bunch of his former teammates bring home a Larry O’Brien trophy.

“I think that’s one of the massive things about why they’re so good is because of how close they are on and off the court,” Giddey said. “One of the blessings is there’s nothing to do in Oklahoma, so we had to hang out with each other. That’s what we did a lot.”

Well, that’s a little bit of a backhanded compliment if you’re a proud Oklahoman. But hey, you’ll take it if it helps produce an NBA win machine. The Thunder have looked every bit the part of a team ready to go back-to-back. They’ve one-upped their historic 68-14 regular season by repeating the feats of owning the best record and point differential.

“They’re close and we spent a lot of time together. Whether it was locker rooms, planes, hotels or whatever it is,” Giddey said. “… When you love the people you get to work with every day, that makes a massive difference in how you play on the court.”

Postgame interview traditions have seen the Thunder flex their chemistry. Even if folks have antagonized the trivial activity. It helps that most of the roster grew up in the NBA together. Despite owning a ring, they remain with one of the youngest rosters in the league.

Giddey has helped the Bulls have a similar mindset. A good locker room and positive vibes are a couple of intangibles that the average fan might not see or appreciate, but important variables that help grow a winning situation.

“That stuff is so contagious,” Giddey said. “And I started seeing that in Oklahoma.”

“One of the blessings is there’s nothing to do in Oklahoma, so we had to hang out with each other” 🤣 — Josh Giddey speaks on how close OKC was as a team and how they’re replicating that in Chicago pic.twitter.com/l1R4vXohUU

— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) November 14, 2025