Draymond Green was asked if OKC will break the 73-win record

The Golden State Warriors‘ record for most wins in a single season — 73 — set in 2016, is a mark many thought would not be broken for a long time. However, with the way the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder are trampling through the league, there is a sense of impending doom for that record.

Draymond Green, one of the main pieces in the Warriors’ historic 73-win season, recently commented on the possibility of the Thunder surpassing their feat. Speaking to the media after the Thunder beat the Warriors, 124-112, for their 13th straight win and 21st in 22 games, the fiery power forward emphasized how capable the Thunder are of making history this season.

However, he cautioned that the Thunder must think long and hard before deciding whether this is something they really want to see through, considering how much it will demand of them physically.

Getting to 74 wins won’t be easy

If there’s anyone who knows how taxing it is on the mind and body to chase the wins record, it’s Draymond. During the 2015-16 season, the Warriors got off to a scintillating start, winning their first 24 games. However, they still needed to win five of their last six games, clinching their 73rd win with a 125-104 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on the final day of the regular season.

Draymond still remembers the hard push that they made to get that record and said it took a lot out of him and his teammates.

“I think 73 wins took some years off my life,” Green said. “It’s hard, man. But I do think they’re capable.”

Green explained that while skill is one thing, maintaining the tricky balance between ensuring the key players are well-rested for the playoffs and still chasing a record is another.

“You just need so many things to go right, though — health, which they kind of plow right through. Health really doesn’t matter, it seems,” Green stated. “You need a lot of breaks to go your way, but they’re on the right track and like I said, they’re more than capable.”

The Warriors paid a heavy price

In a separate interview, Green admitted that he did urge the Warriors to push for the wins record. Given how close they were to mark that stood for nearly two decades, it’s hardly a surprise.

“I did want to,” Green asserted. “I pushed the streak, pushed the record. I did. But looking back on it, I never want to try that again. S—t’s hard. Stressful. Really stressful.”

“It’s crazy when you look back at how hard it is to do, how many things gotta go right,” he continued. “There were a few nights where things were going wrong, but we’d come back to win. That’s tough.”

It may not seem given how the Warriors came within a win away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2016. However, that late-season push to get to 73 wins took its toll on them, as Stephen Curry suffered a foot injury in their playoff opener.

They also had to rally from a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference finals to return to the Finals.

And when the going got tough, it seemed like the Warriors simply ran out of gas to fall short of the finish line.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 3, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Draymond Green was asked if OKC will break the 73-win record

Tags: