Starting 5, June 24: Championship parade today in OKC
to parade (11:30am ET, NBA TV/NBA App).
June 24, 2025
How Sam Presti’s patience paid off – over a decade in the making
4 AM tarmac delays, a well-earned nap and champagne problems
Remembering the Pacers’ unprecedented Playoff run
Snapshots from a championship Sunday in OKC
What you need to know before the 2025 Draft tips off tomorrow night
The Mavs are on the clock…
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presented by State Farm begins with Round 1 on Wednesday from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. (8 ET, ABC/ESPN).
Sunday’s Game 7 was the most-watched NBA Finals game in six years, averaging 16.4 million viewers on ABC.
Check out some of our favorite stories from around the NBA world following the epic season finale:
in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Miami, with LeBron James jumping for joy on the bench. The Heat are up 19 and a minute away from a championship.
Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden stand with their arms around one another. Their breakout season is ending in heartbreak – but none of them is older than 23. The future is bright in OKC.
Despite reaching the West Finals twice, the Thunder wouldn’t return to the Finals for another 13 years.
– the GM who drafted Durant, Westbrook and Harden – had built one of the most promising young cores in NBA history. But by 2019, all three were gone.
wasn’t quick. It wasn’t flashy. It was steady and deliberate.
chipping away every single day, knowing that over time we’ll achieve our goals,” said Presti in 2021. “Shortcuts cut long runs short.”
as the youngest GM in the league, Presti brought a fresh perspective and a patient approach to building a roster.
alongside the franchise, he’s remained committed to giving players and coaches time to grow themselves – and ultimately thrive.
After finding his franchise player and head coach, Presti’s patience – and eye for talent – continued to shape the roster.
After the loss, Presti added experience alongside his talented young core – acquiring two key veterans last offseason:
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
culminated with one last veteran lesson from Caruso on Sunday – teaching his teammates how to pop champagne after becoming the second-youngest squad in NBA history to win it all.
in the making — one that started with Presti, whose patience and poise not only earned him 2025 Executive of the Year, but also delivered the franchise its first NBA title in the OKC era.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
The storybook season is complete. The final chapter reads, ‘The Oklahoma City Thunder are the 2025 NBA champions!’”
Matt Pinto as the clock hit 0:00 at the Paycom Center on Sunday.
the court swarmed into a sea of cameras and hugs and OKC’s dream season reached its euphoric end.
When the on-court celebration finally slowed down, Jalen Williams sat down with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt to reflect on what he’ll cherish most from OKC’s unforgettable run.
of a championship starting to settle in, the Thunder each shared a specific moment that will stay with them forever.
is just getting started. With the parade hours away, OKC players were asked what they’re looking forward to most.
Celebrating with Thunder Nation.
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
that you can never count out the Indiana Pacers.
they dropped to 10-15 in a loss to the Hornets, falling to 11th in the East.
so did the Pacers’ season. They went 34-14 the rest of the way to earn the 4-seed in the East, then began an unprecedented run through the Playoffs.
it was the 50-win Pacers against the 68-win Thunder — an 18-win gap between the two teams.
was anything but lopsided. The average margin of victory was just 2.7 points, as Indiana came one win shy of becoming the first 4-seed to win the title since the 16-team format was introduced in 1984.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
they wanted — but they didn’t need a title to leave a legacy.
rumble on.
to champagne pops, these snapshots capture OKC’s championship celebration from Sunday before the party parades through the streets today (11:30 ET, NBA TV/NBA App).
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
NBAE via Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images
Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
presented by State Farm is just one sleep away, with the Dallas Mavericks on the clock, holding the No. 1 overall pick.
dreams will be realized and franchises forever changed.
is the ultimate guide to all things Draft – before we dive deeper tomorrow.
- Projected No. 1: Duke’s Cooper Flagg, an 18-year-old forward from Maine, is the projected top pick in the latest NBA’s Consensus Mock Draft – a compilation of the best mock drafts from around the web
- Meet The Prospects: Hear from the top Draft hopefuls as they discuss what they bring to the table