Saturday, May 24, 2025
Home Basketball Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-led Thunder’s historic season threatens to eclipse Michael Jordan’s 1996 Bulls,...

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-led Thunder’s historic season threatens to eclipse Michael Jordan’s 1996 Bulls, says Bill Simmons 

After taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2, the OKC Thunder are just two wins away from reaching the NBA Finals. As they continue inching closer to a championship, one longtime analyst gave his thoughts as to where they could land all-time.

Ad

To this day, the 1996 Chicago Bulls are widely viewed as the most dominant team in history. Not only did they go 72-10 in the regular season, but they lost just three games in the postseason en route to capturing a title.

Similar to Michael Jordan’s old Bulls team, the Thunder have been the league’s most dominant squad since opening night. Now up 2-0 in the conference finals, Bill Simmons thinks this OKC team has a chance to be in the same breath as this historic group.

Ad

"They're 78-17 for the season right now," Simmons said. "If you go historically, the Bulls for 87-13 in 1996. That's the mark. I don't know if anyone is beating that in our lifetime."

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

"84-17 is in play, which means they would basically force themselves into the all-time conversation...They’re basically going to bulldoze their way into the all-time conversation if this keeps going."

Ad

Ad

Led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an abundance of depth, OKC has a chance to be the last team standing. If they do so, they'll have a strong case to be placed among the greatest teams ever.


OKC Thunder beating out 1996 Chicago Bulls in one key stat

Part of what has made this season so impressive from the OKC Thunder is the way they've dominated on both sides of the ball. As the playoffs slowly come to a close, this team is on pace to beat out the 1996 Chicago Bulls in one key category.

Ad

During the regular season, OKC had the NBA's fourth-best offense and top defense. They've maintained this in the playoffs, currently posting the third-best offense and top defense. Because of how well they take care of business on both ends, they've built up a historic points differential.

Following Game 2, the Thunder have outscored their opponents by a little over 1,200 points. This mark is good for the highest in league history, slightly ahead of the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks and the '96 Bulls.

Ad

With impressive margins of victory like this, it's hard to argue that this group hasn't been one of the top teams in NBA history. That said, there is still work to be done regarding cementing their case. If they're going to truly sit alongside the greats, they'll need to capture a championship.

Chicago Bulls Fan? Check out the latest Chicago Bulls depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

Quick Links

Edited by Kevin McCormick
RELATED ARTICLES

“What are you hacks gonna do when LeBron James leaves?”: Jamie Foxx hits nail on Stephen A. Smith’s head for his ‘clickbait’ take

The GOAT debate has featured superstars LeBron James and Michael Jordan numerous times. However, only the two are almost always mentioned in the conversation. On Friday, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith responded to Jordan's longtime agent, David Falk. Ad Falk weighed in on the GOAT discussion on Tuesday at the Sports Business Journal 4SE conference. He

“Love you Stink” – Savannah James pens heartfelt note for Bryce James as LeBron James’ family strikes pose to celebrate son’s big day

LeBron James and his wife, Savannah James, watched their son, Bryce James, graduate from high school. On Bryce's big day at Sierra Canyon High School, the entire James family, including Zhuri and Bronny, showed up to witness the celebratory moment of Bryce. Ad Savannah made a special post dedicated to her son on his big

“I’m terrible” – Tyrese Haliburton makes his feelings clear about changing Pacers fortunes amid difficult year

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers are back in the Eastern Conference Finals this year, playing against the New York Knicks. For some, this was a shocking omission, considering their poor start in the regular season and their laid-back run towards the end of the 82-game stretch. Ad One of those who was surprised about

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -

Most Popular

“What are you hacks gonna do when LeBron James leaves?”: Jamie Foxx hits nail on Stephen A. Smith’s head for his ‘clickbait’ take

The GOAT debate has featured superstars LeBron James and Michael Jordan numerous times. However, only the two are almost always mentioned in the conversation. On Friday, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith responded to Jordan's longtime agent, David Falk. Ad Falk weighed in on the GOAT discussion on Tuesday at the Sports Business Journal 4SE conference. He

“Love you Stink” – Savannah James pens heartfelt note for Bryce James as LeBron James’ family strikes pose to celebrate son’s big day

LeBron James and his wife, Savannah James, watched their son, Bryce James, graduate from high school. On Bryce's big day at Sierra Canyon High School, the entire James family, including Zhuri and Bronny, showed up to witness the celebratory moment of Bryce. Ad Savannah made a special post dedicated to her son on his big

Novak Djokovic breaks racket, overcomes injury & completes feisty comeback on eventful 38th birthday at Geneva Open

Novak Djokovic turned 38 on Thursday, May 22. On the same day, he faced Matteo Arnaldi in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Geneva Open. It turned out to be an eventful match for the Serb, as he smashed his racket at one point and also suffered a minor injury. Eventually, though, the former No. 1

Hamburg European Open 2025 Day 6: Men’s singles predictions ft. Andrey Rublev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime 

The 2025 Hamburg European Open has been nothing short of sensational so far. Only four players remain in the men's singles competition at the ATP 500 event in Germany. Ad Top seed Alexander Zverev and second seed Frances Tiafoe were both eliminated in the second round. Zverev struggled to close out the match against Alexandre

Recent Comments