{"id":120690,"date":"2025-06-24T10:20:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T10:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/120690\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T10:20:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T10:20:10","slug":"michael-jordan-matched-can-sgas-competitive-thunder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/120690\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Jordan Matched: Can SGA’s Competitive Thunder\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Oklahoma City Thunder have capped off an incredible 2025 NBA season with a championship and a combined 84 wins, mirroring the legendary mark set by Michael Jordan’s 1995\u201396 Chicago Bulls. As fans and analysts draw comparisons between the two historic teams, the question arises: could Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder be the closest the NBA has seen to that iconic Bulls squad?<\/p>\n

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2024-25 campaign was nothing short of historic, as they amassed a combined total of 84 victories<\/a> \u2014 68 in the regular season and 16 in the postseason \u2014 matching the legendary 1996-97 Chicago Bulls’ win total. This milestone firmly places the Thunder among the NBA’s all-time elite teams.<\/p>\n

Statistical Parallels Between the Thunder and the ’96 Bulls<\/p>\n

Both squads demonstrated remarkable balance and dominance on both ends of the floor. The Thunder finished the regular season ranked top five in offensive rating (114.3) and top 1 in defensive rating (105.7)<\/a>, mirroring the 1995-96 Bulls’ balanced excellence (offensive rating 115.2<\/a>, defensive rating 101.8<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Despite the evolution of the game \u2014 with a faster pace and increased emphasis on three-point shooting \u2014 both teams excelled at controlling tempo, executing efficient ball movement, and applying relentless defensive pressure.<\/p>\n

SGA Stats: Finals-Level Performance<\/p>\n

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander elevated his game on the biggest stage, posting Finals averages of 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game<\/a>. These numbers place him in rarefied company alongside Michael Jordan, whose Finals averages during the Bulls’ championship runs hovered around 33.6 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds per game<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dominance Reflected in Historic Team Stats<\/p>\n

The Thunder’s point differential of +11.8 per game<\/a> across 105 total games (regular season and playoffs) ranks as the fourth-best in NBA history.
\nThey recorded 12 regular-season wins by 30 points or more, the highest ever in a single season.
\nIn the playoffs, they secured 4 victories by at least 30 points, setting a new NBA record.
\nDefensively, the Thunder led the league by holding opponents to a 43.6% field goal percentage and forcing 17 turnovers per game.<\/p>\n

Jaylin Williams and the Rise of Unsung Heroes<\/p>\n

While SGA garners the headlines, role players like Jaylin Williams have played a critical part in the Thunder’s success. Williams, known for his gritty defence and timely rebounding, stepped up in crucial moments throughout the Finals.<\/p>\n

His impact draws comparisons to Dennis Rodman and Luc Longley, players who complemented Jordan’s greatness with hustle and chemistry. Alongside Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, Jaylin formed part of a young but remarkably mature core that thrived under pressure.<\/p>\n

This supporting cast, much like that of the ’96 Bulls, played a vital role in securing the title without overshadowing the star.<\/p>\n

A Different Era, but a Similar Blueprint<\/p>\n

Of course, context matters. The NBA today is vastly different from what it was in the 1990s. Defensive rules, the three-point revolution, and social media scrutiny all shape how teams are built and remembered.<\/p>\n

The Bulls had established stars and championship experience, while this is the Thunder’s first major triumph. The question now is whether Oklahoma City can sustain this level and build a lasting legacy.<\/p>\n

The Beginning of a New Dynasty?<\/p>\n

The Thunder’s 2025 season has undeniably earned a place in NBA history. Whether they become the next great dynasty remains to be seen, but the comparisons to Michael Jordan’s Bulls are well deserved.<\/p>\n

With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way and Jaylin Williams solidifying his place as a key contributor, Oklahoma City might just be building the modern answer to the ’96 Chicago Bulls.<\/p>\n

Only time will tell if this is a singular high point or the start of a legendary era.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Oklahoma City Thunder have capped off an incredible 2025 NBA season with a championship and a combined…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120691,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3771],"tags":[7,4500,920,919,329,3824,6807,6811,6805,6,67,6808,6806,6809,6810,447],"class_list":{"0":"post-120690","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago-bulls","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-breaking-news","10":"tag-bulls","11":"tag-chicago","12":"tag-chicago-bulls","13":"tag-chicagobulls","14":"tag-daily-news","15":"tag-global-news","16":"tag-inkl","17":"tag-nba","18":"tag-news","19":"tag-news-app","20":"tag-news-headlines","21":"tag-news-today","22":"tag-today-news","23":"tag-world-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120690\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}