CBS Sports Predicts OKC Thunder to Repeat as NBA Champions

It was just over a month ago that the Oklahoma City Thunder hoisted their first Larry O'Brien in club history. A historic season that saw the Thunder rattle off 68-wins, turn in the best point differential of all time.

After an offseason that included the OKC Thunder shelling out massive extensions to its star trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, while bringing by 14 of the 15 standard roster players from a year ago –– only missing Dillon Jones in name only –– the Thunder seem poised to repeat as champions.

Though, it has never been harder than current day to defend a championship in the NBA. It is an era that is riddled with parity for the first time in the league's history.

CBS Sports National pundit Sam Quinn made a bold prediction for the 2025-26 NBA season that sees the Oklahoma City Thunder being crowned as back-to-back NBA Champions. The League's first repeat winner since the 2018 Golden State Warriors.

"I am predicting a second consecutive NBA Championship I think that they are going to break the streak of the seven straight new champions. None of the teams that came before them that won a championship, were this young, were this set up well against the cap, they're not even a luxury tax team this year!," Quinn explained. "They have no financial pressure, they are young, they are going to get better. They won 68 games last year, they had a historic net rating, I see no reason to believe this team is not going to repeat...They are as well set up to repeat as any team since the Kevin Durant-Steph Curry Golden State Warriors. I think they are going to do it, I think they are going to beat the Cleveland Cavailers in the NBA Finals."

This is a lofty goal for the Oklahoma City Thunder but as the CBS Sports National Expert points out, no team is better equipped to handle the pressure of trying to go back-to-back.