Oklahoma City Thunder Crowned NBA Champions in a Magical Season

Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their first-ever NBA trophy after defeating the Indiana Pacers (103-91) in the seventh game. Although the franchise had previously won in 1979 under the name Seattle SuperSonics, this is the first trophy that Oklahoma City fans have witnessed. The series was a David versus Goliath, but the season's dominant team managed to overcome the giant-killer with difficulty.

The fifth 'game 7' of this century in an NBA final was overshadowed by Tyrese Haliburton's injury. The Pacers were the surprise of the season, and Haliburton was the heart of a team eager to win their first-ever championship. Just five minutes into the first quarter, with nine points already on the board, Haliburton suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right foot after a misstep. The player left the court in tears from what could have been the game of his life and will be sidelined for about a year.

This absence completely unbalanced the final, in addition to the home-court advantage with the Thunder playing at home and the Paycom Center fully supporting them. By halftime, the Pacers were ahead, but after the break, they missed their star. Oklahoma's strong defensive performance, the visitors' numerous turnovers, and the fans' encouragement gave the Thunder a significant advantage. The final quarter was almost a walkover, with the Thunder leading by 22 points at one stage, and the clock seemed to tick slowly for the eager fans and players awaiting the coveted title.

The team's success comes after years of building a roster that ended this year as the undisputed leader in the Western Conference and the regular season overall with 68 wins and 14 losses. Their main star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has been crucial throughout the season. However, achieving this feat was not just the work of one player but rather a quintet functioning like a perfect machine, with a bench offering many alternatives. This superiority could signal the end of teams built around a couple of stars or a trio and lead to a trend of constructing more complete teams, as was also the case with their finalist rival.

Many franchises that dominate the regular season are not always able to perform well in the playoffs. This was not the case for OKC, who swept the Memphis Grizzlies and then overcame the favored Denver Nuggets with a monstrous Nikola Jokic. In the conference finals, they barely struggled against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and in this final, they faced challenges more due to their rival's impeccable narrative than being outplayed.

These Thunder are not the flashy 2012 team with Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, who lost that year's final to the Miami Heat. However, they can pull through many games on their less brilliant days, making them a much more dangerous team than one might think. The players' faces showed calmness despite the tension of the moment, as they were convinced they would win, which is also a credit to their coach Mark Daigneault.

The Thunder's season at a collective level has been impeccable, but what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has done is legendary. This year, he was the regular season MVP and the top scorer (32.7 points per game). Additionally, he secured the Finals MVP and the NBA title today. In history, only three players have achieved these four feats in a single season: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971, Michael Jordan in 1996, and Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. Shai has become the fourth, joining this prestigious group of legends at just 26 years old.

The NBA's highest-rated player today in the final finished with a 29/5/12, fully involved with his team. The 6.4 assists he averages this season demonstrate that he is not only a great scorer but also selfless with his team, not needing to finish every play to achieve the scoring records he has. Now it remains to be seen if this player can surpass his own numbers in the future.