Oklahoma City Thunder Playoff History

The Oklahoma City Thunder have an interesting basketball history as their historical records are directly interlinked with the Seattle SuperSonics franchise. The current Oklahoma City Thunder franchise was actually founded as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1967 as a member of the NBA. The SuperSonics were a beloved basketball team in Seattle and after early struggles of the new franchise, they had enormous success in the late 1970s, when they were led by Gus Williams, Jack Sikma and Dennis Johnson.

In the 90s, the Seattle SuperSonics had another great era of success when they were led by the mesmerizing duo of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. However, the SuperSonics franchise faced a turbulent period that was marked by ownership disputes and financial challenges which eventually culminated in the controversial decision to relocate the Seattle SuperSonics basketball franchise to Oklahoma City in 2008. This new team was called the “Thunder” and thus began the new era for the franchise in Oklahoma City as the “Thunder.” This move sparked significant backlash from Seattle fans, with the documentary "Sonicsgate" chronicling the events surrounding the relocation.

Despite the initial controversy, the newly minted Oklahoma City Thunder franchise quickly made their mark in the NBA, thanks to their outstanding draft selections. The OKC Thunder front office managed to draft future superstars like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden in three consecutive drafts, and it started an era of dominance.

The Durant-Westbrook-Harden era brought unparalleled success to the Thunder, with multiple deep playoff runs and an appearance in the NBA Finals in 2012. Although they fell short of capturing the championship, their exciting, fearless style of play as well as fierce competitiveness of the youngsters generated a lot of buzz for the Thunder and many fans started taking interest in the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Since their arrival in Oklahoma City, the Thunder have consistently remained competitive in the NBA, undergoing several roster transitions but they maintained a commitment to excellence on the court. From the Durant-Westbrook era to Westbrook-Paul Geroge years and now to the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander era, Thunder have consistently formed great teams. Now, SGA along with new young stars such as Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams continue to carry the torch for the Thunder.

How many times have Oklahoma City Thunder made the playoffs?

The Oklahoma City Thunder, formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics, have made the NBA playoffs a total of 33 times since their formation in the 1966-67 NBA season. After initially struggling, the SuperSonics reached the playoffs for the first time in 1975 and then went on to reach the postseason in four times out of five appearances.

During the 1980s, they reached the playoffs a few times but were not considered serious title contenders. However, in the 1990s, formidable Sonics teams led by explosive players like Shawn Kemp and defensive stalwart Gary Payton reached the playoffs every season from 1991 to 1998, establishing themselves as consistent postseason contenders.

The Oklahoma City Thunder era began in the 2008-2009 NBA season. Since then, over a span of 15 seasons (excluding the 2023-2024 NBA season), the Thunder have reached the NBA playoffs 10 times.

Oklahoma City Thunder Playoff Record

The Oklahoma City Thunder have an overall playoff record of 164-167 throughout their franchise history.

In recent memory, OKC Thunder’s most notable playoff run occurred in 2012 when they were propelled to the title contention by the a young "big three" consisting of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. Each player showcased a unique skill set that complemented one another on the court.

During the memorable 2012 playoffs, the OKC Thunder swept the defending champions Dallas Mavericks in the first round. Following this impressive start, they dispatched the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers in just five games.

In the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder faced the formidable San Antonio Spurs and won the series in six hard-fought games. However, Thunder’s impressive 2012 NBA playoff run culminated in the Finals loss against the Miami Heat led by LeBron James.

Throughout their history, the Oklahoma City Thunder have lacked a definitive main rival in the Western Conference, but they did engage in intense battles with powerhouse teams such as the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors throughout the 2010s decade.

Before the Thunder's relocation to Oklahoma City, the Seattle SuperSonics had a fierce rivalry with the Portland Trail Blazers, known as the “I-5 rivalry”. The cities of Seattle and Portland are approximately 180 miles (290 km) apart and are connected by Interstate 5.

The Sonics and the Blazers clashed in the playoffs on four occasions, in the years 1978, 1980, 1983, and 1991. As of April 2024, the playoff series between the two teams stands tied at 2-2.

Number of conference finals won by Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder, formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics, have secured a total of four Western Conference finals in their franchise history.

As the Seattle SuperSonics, they reached their first Western Conference Finals in 1978, defeating the Denver Nuggets to reach the NBA finals which they lost to Washington Bullets in a grueling seven-game series. Then, the SuperSonics again won the Western Conference Finals (WCF) in 1979, triumphing the Phoenix Suns in a hard-fought seven games. In 1980, the SuperSonics made their third consecutive appearance in the WCF but were defeated by rookie Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Los Angeles Lakers. After a brief hiatus, the SuperSonics returned to the Conference Finals in 1987, only to be swept by the dominant "Showtime" Lakers. Then after nine long years, the SuperSonics finally reached the WCF in 1996 when they faced off against the Utah Jazz, prevailing in a tough seven-game series against Karl Malone and John Stockton.

Upon becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder, they reached the Western Conference Finals four times: in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2016. In 2011, they fell to Dirk Nowtizki’s Dallas Mavericks in five games. However, in 2012, the Thunder emerged victorious over the San Antonio Spurs in six games to clinch the WCF title. OKC Thunder’s subsequent appearances in 2014 and 2016 Western conference finals saw defeats at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors, respectively.

Overall, the Thunder/ SuperSonics franchise has reached the Western Conference Finals a total of ten times in their history, emerging triumphant on four occasions.

Number of NBA championships won by Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder franchise, since its relocation to Oklahoma City in 2008, has not won an NBA championship. However, prior to the relocation, when the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics, they clinched the NBA title in 1979, defeating the Washington Bullets in a five-game series.

In 1978, the Seattle SuperSonics made their first NBA Finals appearance but were unable to secure the championship despite leading the series 3-2. They lost their composure and dropped the last two games, losing the 1978 Finals to the Washington Bullets, against whom they took revenge next season, winning the 1979 NBA title. Later, Seattle had another opportunity to claim the NBA title in 1996 but they fell short against Michael Jordan's legendary 72-10 Chicago Bulls.

Since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder franchise has reached the NBA Finals only once, in 2012. However, they were defeated by the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, often referred to as the "Heatles," in the Finals. So as a franchise, the Oklahoma City Thunder have reached the NBA Finals a total of four times. However, the Thunder have clinched the NBA championship title only once when they were located in Seattle.

Oklahoma City Thunder Last Playoff Appearance

The Oklahoma City Thunder last playoff appearance occurred in 2020 when they played in the bubble playoffs. The 2020 marked a memorable chapter in the Thunder history as youngster Shai Gilgeous-Alexander officially announced his arrival on the big stage and showed potential to be a megastar.

The media giants ESPN had actually given the 2019-20 OKC Thunder only a 0.2% chance of making it to the 2020 playoffs but the young Thunder roster led by All-Star veteran guard Chris Paul and rising star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defied the odds, and secured a playoff berth for the 2020 NBA playoffs in a fiercely competitive Western Conference.

In the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Thunder faced off against the Houston Rockets in the first round which resulted in a thrilling series that went down to the wire. Despite falling short in a hard-fought seven-game series, the Thunder's 2020 playoff run is often seen as the turning point in the career of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is now leading Thunder to a ton of success.

What is the biggest playoff series comeback in Oklahoma City Thunder history?

The biggest playoff series comeback in Oklahoma City Thunder history occurred in the 2012 Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. After falling into a daunting 2-0 hole in the 2012 WCF series, the Thunder rallied behind their star-studded lineup, led by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.

Overcoming adversity, the Thunder won four consecutive games to clinch the series 4-2. Durant's leadership, Westbrook's explosiveness, and Harden's off-the-bench scoring prowess were instrumental in the Thunder's outstanding comeback.