A scorching 20-1 start ignites talk of history. Can the young Thunder chase the unthinkable 74-win NBA record?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have stormed into the 2025 m-26 season with a near flawless 20-1 start, and what began as an exciting opening stretch is starting to look like something far more serious.
When a team starts this hot, the natural question arises: can they actually chase history? Specifically, can they do what no team in league history has done and win 74 games?
At first glance, it sounds mythical. But with the Thunder, it’s becoming a real conversation. They have the ingredients to do so just like the Golden State Warriors a few years ago when they won a NBA record 73 games.
A superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is playing at a level where efficiency, poise, and three level scoring feel routine, rising stars in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren who support him with elite two-way versatility, depth pieces who know their roles, and a coaching staff whose identity is built on discipline, development, and adaptability.
Everything, from roster construction to internal chemistry, aligns with what historically dominant teams have looked like.
The Thunder’s talent level isn’t just high, it’s balanced. They defend at a top tier level, they have multiple playmakers, they can win fast or slow, they close games with maturity beyond their age, and they don’t rely on one unsustainably hot shooting stretch to win.
Teams that have challenged the upper 60s and low 70s in wins, the 2016 Warriors, 1996 Bulls, mid-2010s Spurs, shared those traits. The Thunder mirror many of them.
Their 20-1 start isn’t fluky, either. They’ve beaten elite teams, survived scares, scheduling pockets, and shown the ability to respond to adversity within games. When a group combines this kind of talent with consistency and nightly buy-in, 74 wins moves from hypothetical to mathematically realistic.
But, as with every historical pursuit, the obstacles are massive.
For starters, no team aiming at that mark avoids injuries, fatigue, or midseason slippage. The Thunder are built around young stars, which helps with durability, but expecting flawless health across 82 games is unrealistic.
Especially considering they’ve already dealt with a plethora of injuries to start this season. Even one 1-4 stretch though, thrown off by a minor injury or schedule crunch can end a record chase instantly.
Then there’s the mental toll. Chasing history requires a level of nightly focus most teams simply haven’t been able to sustain. It means avoiding trap games, resisting the urge to coast against weaker opponents, and playing through stretches of exhaustion late in the season.
Oklahoma City is mature, but they’re still a pretty young team. Maintaining that intensity when they’ve already locked up a top seed could be challenging.
There’s also the internal question every contending team faces: Is it worth it?
Chasing an NBA record 74 wins demands huge minutes, strict rotations, and emotional investment. The Thunder might instead prioritize health, development, and long term postseason goals.
Something we didn’t see with the Warriors and something that might’ve hurt their championship pursuit.
Mark Daigneault has consistently emphasized the marathon of the season, not the sprint. If the Thunder reach 63-65 wins with a month left, they might simply decide the record isn’t worth risking anything.
Finally, one big obstacle is the fact that the Western Conference will push them. The schedule tightens, road trips get harder, and teams adjust as the season progresses. Dominance isn’t static.
So can the Thunder win 74 games? Yes. They have the talent, structure, and early momentum. But will they? That depends on health, focus, and whether they truly commit to chasing history. For now, they’re at least making the impossible feel possible and that alone is remarkable.