The Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t just winning games; they are destroying the league’s will to compete. Sitting at an absurd 24-1, the defending champions look even more terrifying than the squad that lifted the trophy last June. That level of dominance does things to a team’s confidence, pushing it from “healthy belief” into “historic swagger.”
Jalen Williams clearly feels that shift, because he just dropped a take that will have basketball fans debating for weeks.
How Bold Are Jalen Williams’ Claims About the Thunder?
Winning creates belief, and right now, nobody believes in themselves more than the Oklahoma City team. After tearing through the start of the 2025-26 campaign, the Thunder look miles ahead of the competition. That dominance has fueled conversations that go way beyond current standings, placing this young core alongside the greatest teams ever assembled.
That mindset took center stage during the NBA Creator Cup festivities in Las Vegas recently. While chatting with Twitch streamer and content creator Agent 00, Williams faced the ultimate hypothetical. The host asked him to pick between his current squad and some of the most legendary lineups in basketball history.
When the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors came up, Williams didn’t blink. “I’m always going to say my team,” he said. Then came the real test: a comparison to Michael Jordan’s 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Williams didn’t back down there either, responding, “I’m gonna say our team again.”
Jalen Williams says this year’s Thunder team would beat the 1995 Bulls, 2017 Warriors, and 2019 Raptors. 👀
(h/t @NBA__Courtside)pic.twitter.com/OCInAilPzp
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 13, 2025
Williams explained that people are already mentioning the Thunder in the same breath as those dynastic Bulls and Warriors teams. From his perspective, failing to back his own group makes zero sense, especially when they are dismantling opponents on a nightly basis.
The résumé supports confidence. Oklahoma City went 68-14 last season and survived the playoffs to beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals. This year, they have leveled up, consistently blowing teams out and positioning themselves as a legitimate threat to the Warriors’ all-time regular-season wins record.
Still, history is tough to beat. The 1996 Bulls went 72-10 and secured the championship, led by Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. The 2016-17 Warriors were just as ruthless, losing only one playoff game on their way to a ring.
Measuring up to those standards is a tall order, but it speaks to the Thunder’s internal mindset. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Williams leading the charge, they truly believe they belong in that conversation. Whether they could actually topple the Bulls’ Jordan is hypothetical, but the confidence driving this team is very real.