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By Matt Levine
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Oklahoma City Thunder took down the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. This win saw the Thunder win its first-ever NBA title, and they finished off the storybook season.
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By many numbers, Oklahoma City was the best team in the NBA all year long. The Thunder won 68 games and clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
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However, there are still those who don't view them as a truly great team. Longtime ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith seems to be one of those people and took aim at Oklahoma City after the NBA Finals win.
"I think that they're an all-time great defensive team, but overall, I look at their offense and they would've had trouble with a lot of teams," Smith said.
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Smith goes on to reveal some of the best teams of all time that he believes would have beaten this Thunder team. This includes the Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant, the San Antonio Spurs with Tim Duncan, the Miami Heat with LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, to name a few.
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Oklahoma City may not have beaten those teams in a hypothetical head-to-head, but they are still worthy of being called a great team. From start to finish, Oklahoma City dominated opponents, and they found a way to win the title.
It wasn't always pretty, but the Thunder were able to overcome different injuries and adversity. They won two Game 7s during the NBA Finals run, and they knocked off some of the better players in the league.
The Thunder will now look to repeat as champions next year, and they should have a very similar core group. Most of the players on the roster are locked into current contracts, so Oklahoma City should be seen as the favorites to win again.
The West will be even tougher next season, but Oklahoma City has proved itself. They now have the championship experience, and they still have the MVP on their side.
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