Gordon Hayward Predicts NBA Finals Winner, Shares Why He Likes Spurs in Western Conference

Could history be made in the NBA in the 2025-26 season?

There is growing momentum that a team with very little playoff experience – like the San Antonio Spurs or Detroit Pistons – could end up winning the NBA Finals, and one former NBA star is buying in on the hype.

Former All-Star forward Gordon Hayward recently spoke to Sports Illustrated about the 2025-26 NBA season during his current partnership with Colgate Total.

Hayward played on some talented teams in his NBA career, including the Oklahoma City Thunder just one season before they went on to win the NBA Finals. He saw a lot of potential in that young team, but he thinks there’s a chance OKC is dethroned as the NBA – and Western Conference – champs this season.

“If I had to pick an NBA Finals winner... I’m going Spurs,” Hayward told Sports Illustrated.

San Antonio is currently +600 to win the NBA Finals at FanDuel Sportsbook, tied with the Boston Celtics for the second-best odds in the NBA. Only the Thunder (+125) have better odds to win it all, and San Antonio did win four of the five regular-season meetings between the teams.

“Now, the other team that I think is my favorite team to watch right now is the Spurs. And so the Spurs have handled the Thunder this year. They seem to have their calling card. So the Spurs, similar to Detroit, have some experience issues, but also they’ve got some veterans as well. So I really like the Spurs' chances.”

Hayward was dealt to the Thunder in the 2023-24 season and was part of the team’s run to the second round of the playoffs before it was knocked out by the Dallas Mavericks. He’s not counting out OKC this season, as the Thunder’s rapid rise to the top of the league happened even quicker than he expected.

“I didn’t know if [OKC’s rise] was going to be so soon because of their kind of lack of experience," he said. “And you’ve got a bunch of younger guys who are trying to prove themselves and figure it out. But you know, they have such a good organization with Sam Presti and Coach [Mark] Daigneault, who’s a really smart coach. And then you know, when you’ve got a guy like SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) that you can throw the ball to and is—I mean, one of the most efficient scorers of all time, and almost seems unguardable at times with the way that they referee and how he draws fouls. Of course they can win.”

San Antonio’s insertion into the NBA Finals picture is almost shocking, as the team was viewed as a borderline playoff team heading into the 2025-26 season – at least in the betting market. San Antonio was -160 to make the playoffs and +125 to miss the playoffs heading into the season – the eighth-best odds in the Western Conference. Now, it appears the Spurs have locked up at least the No. 2 seed in the West.

So, Hayward’s bold Spurs pick doesn’t seem too crazy, as there’s a good chance San Antonio will avoid any matchup with OKC until the Western Conference Finals.

“I think it’s going to be fun to watch [Victor] Wembanyama play in the playoffs,” Hayward said. “I think that’s like the question: Can you handle the physicality, can his body handle the physicality?

“But I mean, out of anybody, almost anybody I’ve ever been around playing – and I’ve played with a lot of players – he’s the one guy I think I would personally buy a ticket to go watch. I think it’s just that different than anybody else you’ve ever seen. And so he’s a difference-maker, right? He’s a true alien out there. And for whatever reason, the Thunder have problems with them.”

Wembanyama’s ability to impact games on both ends of the floor has put the Spurs at fifth in offensive rating, third in defensive rating and fourth in net rating this season. Dating back to the 1996-97 season, every team that went on to win the NBA Finals finished in the top eight in the league in net rating during the regular season.

Barring a late-season collapse, the Spurs check that box. They also check Phil Jackson’s famous 40-20 rule – NBA teams that are true title contenders win 40 games before they accumulate 20 losses. San Antonio has yet to lose a 20th game – it is 48-17 this season.

Only four teams since the 1979-80 season won the title without winning 40 games before losing 20. So, the Spurs have some history on their side, even though they are an extremely inexperienced team compared to past champions.

Compared to where the Spurs started the season (+6500 to win the Finals), there isn’t a ton of value on them at +600 to win it all. However, if former players like Hayward are seeing the potential of this San Antonio team in real time, it may be worth treating them like a true Finals contender.

Gordon Hayward is currently partnering with Colgate Total during the Big East Tournament with the basketball season in full swing both professionally and collegiately.

“I’ve got five kids, and so it feels like a genuine partnership because it’s a struggle each day to try to get these guys to brush their teeth and build good habits for oral hygiene. Colgate Total makes that really easy with their whitening system, their toothpaste, their toothbrush. Like, we’re trying to prevent – I try to tell the kids, you don’t want to be like Dad here, I’ve got root canals and cavities. You’ve got to prevent that. And so that’s creating a good habit every day and brushing your teeth. It’s easy, right? It should be easy.”

For more information, visit Colgate.com and follow @colgateus on social media.

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