Three years ago, when ESPN examined why all 30 NBA teams were all-in for the 2022-23 season, it took a while to reach the first mention of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At the time, OKC had one cornerstone player -- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had yet to make his first All-Star Game -- and had just drafted Chet Holmgren (No. 2) and Jalen Williams (No. 12) in the 2022 draft. Even though Oklahoma City's young talent and draft capital showed promise then, it would've been difficult to forecast the franchise ascending to the level it reached this past season -- 68 regular-season wins before rolling through the playoffs and becoming the second-youngest championship team in NBA history.