If the Thunder wins the championship this year, it will affect the history of the Thunder Three Young Team, especially Westbrook

On June 6, in the history of the NBA, the Thunder (formerly Supersonics) has always been closely linked to the "Thunder Three Young Masters". Durant, Westbrook and Harden, the three MVP-level players, once played together in Oklahoma City, but they parted ways for various reasons, leaving behind countless "if" imaginations. In 2025, when the Thunder entered the finals with a new lineup and was expected to win the championship, a sharp question surfaced: If this team without any of the three young men reached the top, how will the team history status of the three young men - especially Westbrook, who is regarded as the "team soul" - be redefined?

### **The foundation and controversy of Westbrook's "No. 1 person in team history"**

Westbrook's loyalty to the Thunder and data accumulation are indisputable:

- ** Played for 11 seasons**, with first-place appearances, scores, assists, and steals in the team history, and left a record of 42 triple-double in a single season.

- **2017 MVP**, with a violent performance of averaging triple-double per game, he took over the Thunder after Durant left the team and became a city hero.

- **Emotional bond**: He publicly stated that he "always belong to Russia City" and even maintained close contact with the team after leaving.

However, Westbrook's shortcomings are equally obvious: **He never led the Thunder to the championship, and even failed to return to the finals. In contrast, although Durant was notorious for "reaping to the enemy" the Warriors, his achievements in leading the team to the finals in 2012 are still the peak of the Thunder's history. If the new Thunder wins the championship in 2025, Westbrook's "Crownless" flaw will be magnified - a team without him has achieved its ultimate goal, and his leadership value will inevitably be questioned.

### **Durant and Harden: Subtle adjustment of historical status**

Durant's team history status was originally damaged by transferring to the Warriors, but if the new Thunder wins the championship, it may indirectly "whitewash" his choice:

- **The 2012 Finals** is still one of the highest bright moments in the Thunder's history, proving that Durant has brought the team to the championship level.

- **Champion logic**: Fans may reflect - "If the management kept Harden or Durant stayed, would the Thunder have already won the championship?"

Harden's situation is more complicated. He was traded for salary issues, but after leaving he became an MVP and approached the championship many times. If the Thunder's new lineup wins the championship, Harden's label of "regret" may be strengthened, but he only serves as the sixth player in the Thunder, and his presence in the team history is weaker than Westbrook and Durant.

### **The new king ascended the throne: Who will replace Westbrook? **

Assuming that the Thunder won the championship in 2025, the core player's team history status will usher in a leap:

- **Shay Gilgers-Alexander (SGA)**: If he leads the team to win the championship as FMVP, he will directly enter the top three in the team's history. SGA has been selected for three consecutive years, and its performance in offense and defense is regarded as a new generation of leaders.

- **Chet Holmgren**: As a defensive pillar and space-based inside, his growth trajectory is similar to Durant back then. With the support of the championship, he may be regarded as the founder of the "New Thunder Dynasty".

- ** Management evaluation reversal**: If Presti builds a championship lineup through trades and drafts, his controversial operation of "letting Harden and trading Westbrook" will be redefined as "necessary pain."

### **The tearing of emotion and reason**

For the fans of Russia, Westbrook is a symbol of "his own people", and his passion and loyalty have long surpassed the winner. But the cruelty of professional sports is that champions are the ultimate yardstick for measuring greatness. If the new Thunder wins the championship, young fans may prefer the current heroes, while old fans are trapped in the contradiction between nostalgia and reality.

**The most likely ending**: Westbrook's status as "team soul" will not be shaken in the short term, but the title of "the first person in the team history" will give way to the core of the championship. Just like Pierce's relationship with Tatum in the history of the Celtics, the legend needs the championship to be gilded, and time will eventually be reordered.

### **Conclusion: The cycle of the Thunder team's history**

From the disintegration of the third young master to the successful reconstruction, the Thunder's narrative always revolves around "regret" and "hope". If the championship is won in 2025, this team will surpass the past, but it is also destined to start a debate about "who is greater". Westbrook's data and passion, Durant's peak and controversy, Harden's departure and redemption will all be reexamined in the spotlight of the championship. Perhaps this is the most fascinating thing about competitive sports - history always flows in the writing of the winner, and the value of legend will eventually be defined by time and rings.