OKC Thunder Has History of NBA Scoring Champions

After putting up a franchise-high 32.7 points per game this season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has joined elite company as part of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Gilgeous-Alexander was named the 2024-25 NBA Scoring Champion, making him the third player to do so for the Thunder. Kevin Durant won four scoring titles between 2009-2014, while Russell Westbrook notched selections in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons.

That cements Oklahoma City as one of two franchises to have three scoring champions since 1969-70, even with the significantly lower amount of years that it has existed. The other team is the Los Angeles Lakers, as Jerry West, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal all earned wins throughout their illustrious careers.

Durant and Westbrook took home the MVP award in seasons that they won the scoring title, boding well for Gilgeous-Alexander's case. Though this year's winner has yet to be determined, earning that award certainly puts the 26-year-old on the trajectory for the grand prize.

The biggest competitor going against Gilgeous-Alexander is Denver Nuggets' center Nikola Jokic, who put up averages of 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game this season. It's a worthy case, but the combining with the Thunder's 68-14 atop the Western Conference lend it more likely to go to the scoring champion.

As elite of a career as Durant and Westbrook enjoyed while in Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander is right along with them in terms of accolades. Neither former Thunder reached over 32 points per game, nor bring the team to that close of a 70-win season.

Beyond the MVP award, the next step to fully stack up with the past Thunder greats is to reach the NBA Finals. Durant and Westbrook did that all the way back in 2012 against the Miami Heat, and have a prime chance to do that this time around. If Oklahoma City wins, it is fully uncharted territory for the franchise.

Even without a championship as of yet, the Thunder has established itself as one of the league's more successful franchises. The number of star players that have come through is astounding, but it should only keep growing from here.