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Brianna Williams, ESPN
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the season as the NBA’s second youngest and least experienced team with an average age of 24.12 years and 2.22 seasons.
Despite that, they have competed with the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves for one of the best records in the NBA. The Thunder, who face the Celtics on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN), lead the league in blocks while maintaining top-five status in points, field goal percentage and points differential.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 25, Jalen Williams, 22, and Chet Holmgren, 21, have led Oklahoma City’s quest to the top, which has come with entertaining and viral off-the-court moments.
From the celebratory postgame interviews to antics with the “J. Williams twins” (aka Jalen and Jaylin Williams), the team’s chemistry is nearly palpable.
Here are some of the squad’s top moments.
‘Woof’
The Thunder’s postgame interviews may start with one or two players, but they don’t take long to become a team affair.
On March 26, after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 119-112, the chat started with Josh Giddey and Luguentz Dort. Then, Aaron Wiggins arrived with a vocal Jaylin Williams. Before the end of the clip, Jalen Williams and Holmgren were also in the mix.
❝We just had to come out here and compete and play hard, and that’s what we did.❞
Lu and Josh caught up with @NickAGallo postgame 🎤 pic.twitter.com/WHSTT5bzs9
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 27, 2024
Less than a week before the latest instance of interview crashing, SGA did all of the barking after Holmgren’s 35-point performance.
❝The answer is being together and playing hard.❞@NickAGallo checks in with @ChetHolmgren post-game 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ejfVc6gKnq
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 21, 2024
‘Momma I’m a trendsetter’
In his first All-Star Game as a starter, Gilgeous-Alexander threw himself an alley-oop. After the game, it was brought to his attention that it was reminiscent of a play Holmgren made against the LA Clippers on Dec. 21.
“Ever since Chet did it, everyone else followed,” Gilgeous-Alexander jokingly said. “… Mine was better than Chet’s though. Mine was in traffic too.”
J. Will shows love for J-Dub
Kyrie Irving is known to have one of the NBA’s top layup packages, so blocking the Dallas Mavericks star is a tough feat.
Jalen Williams managed to do so in the Thunder’s 126-119 win over the Mavs on March 14.
On the opposite end of the court, Jaylin Williams was the first player to rise from the bench to celebrate the shot rejection.
Jaylin and SGA praise Chet’s putback
Holmgren’s putback bucket wasn’t his flashiest dunk, but it still brought his teammates to their feet.
Jaylin and Gilgeous-Alexander were elated in the Thunder’s 105-101 victory on Jan. 31 over the Nuggets.
OKC is in sync
OKC’s coordination extends off-court, as shown by Giddey’s Eurostep and finish at the rim.
A trio of Thunder stars had a synchronized celebration that mimicked Giddey’s moves.
‘Good night, Chet’
There’s a time and place for everything.
Following Gilgeous-Alexander’s 43-point performance in a 128-120 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Holmgren figured that the postgame news conference was the perfect time and place to ask his teammate a hard-hitting question.
Rookie Thunder reporter Chet Holmgren made his debut tonight
Chet asked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, “How does it feel to know nobody can guard you?”
Shai:”Next question.”
Tough first question experience for the rook pic.twitter.com/uPzkMG1qXS
— Michael Martin (@MichaelOnSports) November 9, 2023