OKC Thunder's emotional win highlights long journey to NBA Title

News On 6 sports analyst Jeremie Poplin reflected on the Thunder's first NBA championship, calling it an emotional milestone years in the making and predicting a strong future built on depth and draft capital.

Monday, June 23rd 2025, 7:07 am

By: Brooke Cox

OKLAHOMA CITY -

The Oklahoma City Thunder made history with their first NBA title, clinching the championship Sunday night with a 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The win not only marked the franchise’s first title but also made them the first team to score 100 points in a Game 7 since 1988.

News On 6 sports analyst Jeremie Poplin reflected on the magnitude of the moment Monday morning, saying the championship win was years in the making.

A Long-Awaited Milestone

“Yeah, there's no doubt. It feels that this has been a long journey, all 17 years, right? Since they first moved into the state,” Poplin said. “But they've been good for so long, like, only two years where they weren't great at all. But, you know, they made that first NBA Finals run back, you know, a little over a decade ago. And here we are, finally able to lift the trophy. Here in the state.”

Thunder fans filled Paycom Center with nervous energy that transformed into pure joy late in the fourth quarter, once the game was securely in hand.

“I thought it was incredible,” Poplin said. “Just seeing, I think, the pure emotion of the entire arena in this build up through nervous moments, the run of the playoffs to see it finally, everyone relaxed… when we knew that that point total was going to be insurmountable.”

He continued: “To see the celebration start and no one leave the seats while they're lifting up the trophy at midcourt and to see emotion from the players — that to me is what all of this is about.”

Halliburton Injury Casts Shadow

The win was tempered by a difficult moment for Indiana when star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles early in the game. Haliburton had entered the Finals with a strained calf, and many worried about the risk of further injury.

“You know that that's what we have found out over the last couple of years is when you have those grade 2 calf injuries, you are putting yourself at risk,” Poplin said. “This is the finals. He did not want to have his legacy be, ‘I was sitting out because of this.’”

Poplin said the moment Halliburton went down, it affected the mood throughout the arena.

“You could see kind of the recoil in the back of his calf and it was the oh-no moment. You hate that, even if you're an Oklahoma City Thunder fan,” he said. “It kind of took the air out of the arena and the game for a little bit.”

What Comes Next for the Thunder?

With the championship celebration underway, attention is already turning to the future of the franchise. Oklahoma City holds a wealth of draft picks and continues to build around a young core.

“Well, you know what's crazy is like the draft is Wednesday, so we're right back into the mix,” Poplin said. “Then Summer League starts on July 5, I think in Utah. So you'll get to see the next future crop of Thunder players.”

“The thing that you need to remember as a Thunder fan is that you've got so many draft picks, you're going to be a contender easily for the next six to seven years as long as everyone stays healthy,” he said. “This team has a chance to continue to win championship after championship.”