- On June 6th, 2012, the Oklahoma City Thunder
eliminated the Spurs in Game 6
of the Western Conference Finals.
After falling behind two games to none,
the Thunder rallied on their home court
and headed back to San Antonio, tied 2-2.
With a 103-101 lead, and under 30 seconds to play in Game 5,
James Harden drilled a dagger three
to push the Thunder's lead to five.
OKC left the building with a 3-2 series lead.
In Game 6, the Spurs led by as much as 18,
but a huge third quarter from the Thunder,
including this lead-grabbing three from Durant,
helped Oklahoma City set a date with Lebron James
and the Miami Heat in the Finals.
It was their first NBA Finals appearance since 1996,
when they were known as the Seattle Supersonics.
This 2012 OKC squad was led here
by a core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook,
Serge Ibaka, and sixth-man of the year, James Harden,
all under the age of 24.
At the helm were the man that drafted these stars,
General Manager Sam Presti,
and former Coach of the Year, Scott Brooks.
But this trip to the finals began in Seattle back in 2007,
when the Supersonics drafted Kevin Durant second overall.
Durant went on to be named rookie of the year,
but the Sonics weren't done showcasing their eye for talent.
In 2008, they selected Russell Westbrook
with the fourth pick, and Serge Ibaka 24th,
via a pick they acquired from the Phoenix Suns.
But less than a week later, the Sonics,
a beloved team in the Pacific Northwest,
packed their bags and headed to Oklahoma City,
adopting the name Thunder on the way.
A 23 and 59 record in the first season in their new city
landed them the third overall pick in the 2009 draft.
A draft in which the Thunder
selected Arizona State guard James Harden.
In 2010, they locked up Durant
with a five-year, 86 million dollar extension.
In return, he helped deliver the Thunder
a 55 and 27 record, and a four seed in the playoffs.
OKC then advanced to the Western Conference Finals,
before falling to a Mavs team
that would go on to defeat LeBron
and the Heat in the Finals.
The following year, the Thunder handed Westbrook
a five-year extension of his own, before securing a two seed
in the lockout-shortened 2011-2012 season,
behind Durant's third consecutive scoring title.
A thrilling playoff run put them within arms reach
of an NBA Championship, as the basketball world
appeared to have its next dynasty
coming together before its eyes.
The Thunder had home court advantage and momentum,
as they entered a series against a Heat team
that was proven to be vulnerable the year before.
Could this young gun team
delay King James' crown one more year?
No.
(inspiring instrumental music)
After taking Game 1 at Oklahoma City,
the Thunder fell silent as Miami's big three
turned up the heat.
LeBron and company won four straight
to give the City of Miami its second NBA Championship.
The off-season became one of big decisions
for GM Sam Presti, as both Serge Ibaka
and James Harden entered the final year
of their rookie contracts.
In August, Ibaka signed a four-year,
48 million dollar extension,
casting a sudden shadow of doubt
over OKC's ability to re-sign Harden
without diving head-first into luxury tax hell.
What the Thunder didn't know was that a new TV deal
was going to help the salary cap explode
in a couple years, providing aloe
for those luxury tax burns.
But with an inability to predict the future,
they did what they thought was right.
They offered Harden a deal worth
about $5 million short of the max.
They asked their budding star,
who had already sacrificed a starting role to help the team,
to sacrifice a little bit more to help their bottom line.
Harden understandably felt he had sacrificed enough already,
and with neither side budging,
Presti decided to flip him to the Rockets
for a haul including Kevin Martin,
Jeremy Lamb, and draft picks.
The max deal they couldn't afford to pay him
worked out to about $16 million a year.
Essentially chump change
compared to some of the contracts signed
after the salary cap spike.
But that's the tragedy of the situation.
As the stars began to align, the timing was just a bit off.
Or they blew it.
The choice is yours.
(soft electronic music)
Even without Harden,
the Thunder dismantled the rest of the league,
en route to the Western Conference's best record,
becoming the fourth-youngest roster ever to win 60 games.
A top seed in the conference
set up a first round playoff matchup
against a familiar face, The Beard himself
and his eighth-seeded Rockets.
It was the Rockets' first playoff appearance since 2009,
and it's all thanks to Harden flourishing
in his newly acquired starring role.
But as is customary in the first round,
the one seed prevailed,
as the Thunder closed out the Rockets in six.
But the most consequential moment of the series
came in Game 2, as a timeout was called
in the second quarter,
Rockets guard, Patrick Beverly, lunged at the ball,
connecting with Westbrook's knee in the process.
An MRI revealed a torn meniscus,
and surgery would sideline him indefinitely.
Game 3 would be the first game Westbrook ever missed,
including college and high school.
He was sorely missed the following round
as a rematch of the 2011 Semi-Finals
handed the Memphis Grizzlies an opportunity for revenge.
An opportunity they seized,
sending the Thunder packing in five games.
In the off-season, one part of the Harden trade left,
while another one was cashed in.
With the 12th pick in the 2013 draft,
Toronto's pick that they acquired from Houston,
OKC selected future All-Rookie second team center,
Steven Adams.
Then, shortly after the draft, Kevin Martin,
who proved not to be
the scoring replacement for Harden the team had hoped,
was flipped to the Timberwolves via a sign-and-trade.
A second knee surgery
prior to the start of the '13-'14 season,
only cost Westbrook the first two games.
And after filling the Knicks' stocking
with a 29 point loss on Christmas day,
the 23 and five Thunder looked primed for another title run.
But mere days later, it was announced
that Westbrook would undergo a third knee surgery,
sidelining him until late February.
In his absence,
Durant continued to do what Durant does, dominate.
OKC finished with the second best record in the NBA,
behind the Spurs, and for his efforts, Durant was named MVP.
But with the playoffs came another series
against the grit-and-grind Grizzlies,
this time in the first round.
In Game 2, a Mike Miller three put Memphis up two
with under a minute to play.
Then, down five, with the shot clock turned off,
Durant hit a shocker to set up a four point play.
(announcers shouting and crowd cheering)
A put-back at the buzzer by Kendrick Perkins
sent it to overtime.
It was the first of four straight games to head to OT.
But it was also the first of three of those games
to end in favor of Memphis.
OKC found themselves facing elimination in Game 6,
and came out swinging,
blowing out the Grizzlies in Memphis 104 to 84.
In the midst of that frustrating loss,
Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph
punched Steven Adams in the face while in transition,
leading to a suspension for the pivotal Game 7,
a game in which the Thunder won handily
behind Westbrook's triple-double and Durant's 33 points.
The grind continued,
as OKC battled through six games with the Clippers.
They prevailed to set up a Western Conference Finals rematch
with the Spurs, but lost Ibaka in the process,
as a calf strain in Game 6 would supposedly sideline him
for the remainder of the playoffs.
The Thunder struggled mightily in his absence,
missing his defense while being routed
in the first two games.
Then, much to everyone's surprise,
Ibaka returned for Game 3, bringing with him new life
to a Thunder team that managed
to string together back-to-back wins.
But a Game 5 loss put them on the brink of elimination.
With under 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter
of Game 6, Manu Ginobili drilled a three
to give San Antonio a one point lead.
Durant fell during the Thunder's ensuing possession,
putting the ball back into the hands of Ginobili,
who split two free throws and pushed their lead to two.
Westbrook would send it to OT with a couple free throws,
but it was there that the Spurs would pull away.
Oklahoma City's season ended short of the Finals once again.
Heartbreaking for Thunder fans?
Of course, but at least their core was perfectly healthy,
putting them in position to run it back.
(soft instrumental music)
In October, prior to the start of the 2014-2015 season,
Kevin Durant was diagnosed with a Jones fracture
in his foot.
He made his return in December, but in February,
he underwent a procedure to relieve discomfort in his foot,
and on March 27th, he was officially ruled out
for the rest of the season,
after electing to undergo another surgery.
Durant's absence, along with Westbrook's missed time
early in the season, due to a fractured hand,
put OKC in a hole that they never recovered from.
The Thunder were on the outside, looking in,
come playoff time,
finishing ninth in the Western Conference,
via a tiebreaker with the Pelicans.
It was the first playoffs without the Thunder since 2009,
and it cost head coach Scott Brooks his job.
In the words of Serge Ibaka, "Why would you fire him?
"What has he done?"
Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan
was hired in his place,
and with their core back at full strength,
the team turned their focus to the future.
Durant and Westbrook went on a tear,
and helped push the team to 55 wins,
good enough for a three seed in the 2016 playoffs.
After knocking off the Mavs in five,
the Thunder once again met with the Spurs.
But this time is was OKC's turn to finish the series in six,
advancing to the Western Conference Finals.
It was there that they met
the defending champion Golden State Warriors,
coming off a record-setting 73 and 9 regular season.
By beating the '95-'96 Bulls record of 72 wins,
this Warriors team had a legitimate case
to be remembered as the greatest team of all time.
But the Thunder were up to the task, for a bit.
OKC handed Golden State their first home loss
of the playoffs in Game 1, thanks to double-doubles
by four members of the Thunder starting lineup.
The Warriors bounced back in Game 2,
but upon returning to Oklahoma City,
the Thunder trounced the Warriors in back-to-back games.
OKC was in possession of a commanding 3-1 series lead
that had the greatest regular season team
in NBA history facing elimination.
Determined not to be eliminated on their home court,
the Warriors extended the series with a win in Game 5,
sending it back to Oklahoma City,
and giving the Thunder a chance to end it
in front of their hometown fans.
But with five minutes remaining in the fourth,
Warriors trailing by seven,
Klay Thompson hit a three from way beyond the arc.
It was his NBA playoff record 10th three pointer
of the night, and it cut the Thunder lead to four.
A three pointer a minute later
from the other Splash Bro, Steph Curry, cut the lead to one.
In the final minutes of the game,
the three point barrage continued, as Curry hit again,
this time tying the game at 99.
With the score locked at 101,
Andre Iguodala stripped Westbrook,
leading to Thompson's 11th three pointer of the game.
It gave the Warriors a lead they would retain
to force a decisive Game 7.
OKC entered half up 48-42,
in the do-or-die final game of the series.
But then, the Warriors did what the Warriors do,
and dominated the third quarter,
holding the Thunder to only 12 points,
and securing a double digit lead heading into the fourth.
Oklahoma City would never lead again,
as Golden State became the 10th team in NBA history
to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the playoffs.
An absolutely crushing blow to the OKC fan base.
The Warriors then went on to become
the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead
in the Finals, falling to LeBron and the Cavs.
But they were about to get some major help.
On draft day, the Thunder traded Serge Ibaka
to the Magic for a package that involved Victor Oladipo.
The plan was to give Kevin Durant,
who entered the off-season as a free agent,
additional scoring help.
But the salary cap spike
that would have alleviated the Thunder's contract woes,
had they given James Harden a max deal in 2012,
also gave just about every other NBA team
enough space to make a run at signing Durant.
The winner of the KD sweepstakes,
the team that signed one of the greatest scorers
of all time in his prime, was a team
that already had two of the greatest,
if not the two greatest shooters of all time,
and holders of a record 73 win season,
the Golden State Warriors.
It was a decision that sent shock waves
throughout the NBA world,
and especially through the Oklahoma City team and fan base.
The prevailing thought after Durant's decision
was that Westbrook would not sign an extension,
and would instead play out the final year of his contract.
But Westbrook inked a three-year deal in August, stating,
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be than Oklahoma City."
And adding, "Loyalty is something that I stand by."
When asked why he decided to sign the extension now,
rather than at the end of the season, he replied,
"There's no need to wait if you know where you want to be."
Thus began what has been dubbed Westbrook's revenge tour.
His 42 triple-doubles in the 2016-2017 season
overtook Oscar Robertson's record of 41, set in 1962,
and made him the first player since Robertson
to average a triple-double for the season.
The MVP race that year came down to two players,
Westbrook, and his former teammate, James Harden.
In the end, Westbrook received the crown,
but the real battle between the two came
in the first round of the playoffs.
It was the second time Harden and the Rockets
faced off against his old team in the post-season.
But this time, it was Houston that would advance.
The Rockets eliminated the Thunder in five games,
making it clear that Westbrook couldn't do it alone.
As for Kevin Durant, he was named Finals MVP
as he finally became a champion.
In the off-season, the Thunder made two huge moves.
The first came in July, when they traded a package
including Victor Oladipo for Pacers superstar Paul George.
The second came in September,
when Westbrook signed a five year supermax deal,
worth over $200 million,
cementing his place in a Thunder uniform.
They also traded for former All-Star Carmelo Anthony,
which would have been a bigger deal if it worked out.
Anthony never really fit in,
and it started a game of hot potato
as he bounced around the league.
But Melo stayed with the team for the duration of the year,
a year in which Westbrook and George
proved to be a formidable duo.
Just not good enough
to get out of the first round of the playoffs.
But even as Durant collected his second NBA Championship,
and James Harden became the third member
of the 2012 Thunder to be named MVP,
OKC appeared to be on the verge
of great things of their own.
Despite speculation for years
that George had a desire to play in LA,
he resigned with OKC, stating, "I'm here to stay."
Paul George was there to stay,
committed to the Thunder for four years.
(upbeat electronic music)
Shortly after re-signing George,
they sent Anthony to the Hawks,
where he would play no games for them.
On April 10th,
the final regular season game of the 2018-2019 season,
Russell Westbrook tied Magic Johnson
for second on the career triple-double list, with his 138th.
OKC won that game, locking in the six seed in the playoffs.
In the first round,
the Thunder matched up against Portland
and fell behind three games to one.
They put up a fight in an attempt
to stave off elimination in Game 5,
but with the game tied at 115,
Damian Lillard decided to mark his chapter
in basketball lore with a game-winner in Paul George's face.
- [Announcer] Long-range three.
(buzzer sounds) (crowd cheers)
It's good!
- [Mike] Lillard ended OKC's season,
and then, waved goodbye, which was fitting,
because a few months later, Paul George
requested a trade to the Clippers
in order to join forces with Kawhi Leonard in LA.
In the wake of George's departure,
Westbrook asked for a trade as well.
In an attempt to do right by him, Oklahoma City
found a trade partner high on Westbrook's list.
On July 11th, Russell Westbrook
was reunited with an old friend,
when he was traded to the Houston Rockets
for Chris Paul and a backpack-full of draft picks.
Sam Presti, without the benefit of a number one pick,
drafted three future MVPs in three consecutive drafts.
It's the beginning of what should be
a story of historic triumph.
A meticulously crafted master plan
for basketball dominance, but in the end,
it was all just a stack of paper in the wind.
As fans and front office alike
reached out to the pieces of success floating around them,
there was nothing they could do
but watch it all disappear over the horizon.
(soft electronic music)