To say the Thunder have been in Oklahoma City for less than 20 years, the franchise has experienced its fair share of large-scale success.
During its time in OKC, the Thunder have rostered a host of all-time greats and, as a result, made several deep runs in the NBA Playoffs. Led by MVP hopeful Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder won 68 games in 2024-25 and are eyeing an NBA title to cap off the season.
The Thunder’s trip to the 2016 Western Conference Finals snapped a nine-year drought from that stage, but the NBA’s No. 1 overall seed has its sights set on returning to the NBA Finals for the first time in over a decade.
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That being said, the Thunder’s franchise history is as complex as it is rich, and The Sporting News takes a closer look at what that entails, including the franchise’s history on the NBA Finals stage.
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Have the Thunder won an NBA championship?
Yes, but it was not when the franchise was known as the Thunder.
The NBA recognizes the Seattle Supersonics’ 1979 NBA title as a part of the Thunder franchise history. The SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 and rebranded to become the Thunder for the 2008-09 season.
While the league recognizes the SuperSonics and Thunder as one franchise, Oklahoma City does not technically claim the title. There is no championship banner at the Paycom Center, and the team does not have a championship-signifying gold tab on the neckline of their jerseys.
If the NBA were to return to Seattle with an expansion team, the Thunder would reportedly cede the SuperSonics era of franchise history (1967-2008) to the new franchise.
How many championships have the Thunder won?
The Thunder have officially won one championship.
While known as the SuperSonics, the franchise defeated the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) in five games in the 1979 NBA Finals. The franchise captured a title after losing in the Finals the previous year and would not return to that stage for 17 years.
Hall of Fame head coach Lenny Wilkens led the 1979 Sonics and Hall of Famer Dennis Johnson was named Finals MVP with averages of 22.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.8 steals over the series. The roster also featured Jack Sikma, Paul Silas, and Gus Williams.
| Year | Opponent | Series | MVP |
| 1979 | Bullets | SuperSonics 4, Bullets 1 | Dennis Johnson |
When was the last time the Thunder played in the NBA Finals?
The Thunder’s last NBA Finals appearance was in 2012 against the Heat. Miami won the series, 4-1.
Oklahoma City has not been to the NBA Finals since that series, though it came close in 2016. After building a 3-1 series lead in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, the Thunder dropped three consecutive games to be eliminated in seven.
The franchise’s run to the 2025 conference finals snaps a nine-year drought from that stage.
Thunder NBA Finals history
The Thunder franchise has been to the NBA Finals four times — thrice in Seattle and once in Oklahoma City.
Here is a breakdown of the Thunder’s full NBA Finals history.
| Year | Opponent | Series | MVP |
| 1978 | Washington Bullets | Bullets 4, SuperSonics 3 | Wes Unseld |
| 1979 | Washington Bullets | SuperSonics 4, Bullets 1 | Dennis Johnson |
| 1996 | Chicago Bulls | Bulls 4, SuperSonics 2 | Michael Jordan |
| 2012 | Miami Heat | Heat 4, Thunder 1 | LeBron James |
