Counting the Days: Oklahoma City's Season Opener

The Oklahoma City Thunder come into the 2025-26 campaign defending an NBA championship for the first time ever, possessing a target on its back like this team and franchise has never seen before.

Sure, Oklahoma City has been hunted in the West. Sure, the Thunder has had its fair share of targeted game plans toward the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander throughout the years.

But nothing paints your back more than overcoming every single team in the league the year prior, and having one of the youngest teams to ever do so be the one to do it. Oklahoma City already seems to be disliked, was underreported and underrated last season—and some critics might say the team's ring was much easier due to opponents' injury woes and a forgiving path to the NBA Finals.

All of this leads to much more attention to this Thunder team. And, as a result, Gilgeous-Alexander and co. will be hunted.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrates — Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gestures to the crowd as the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate their first NBA Finals title win with a champions parade throughout downtown Oklahoma City on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images | Oklahoman-Imagn Images

We are now a month away from the NBA preseason, on the dot.

Oklahoma City kicks off its preseason stint versus the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 5, and will ultimately wrap it up against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 17 as the team will compete in six total contests before the start of the regular season.

A topic that's been discussed at length—the Thunder opens its season on its home floor on Oct. 21, where Oklahoma City will receive its first-ever championship banner in the Paycom Center's rafters. And matched up against the Houston Rockets, veteran forward and former Thunder superstar Kevin Durant will most likely be in attendance to watch it all unfold under a bittersweet lens.

As Houston finished second in the Western Conference behind Oklahoma City last season, it'll be intriguing to see how the Rockets' new additions will mesh with each other as the Thunder hopes to cash in on its first win of the new season.

It's next contest comes against the Indiana Pacers on the road, serving as a quick rematch of last year's NBA Finals, albeit without the injured Tyrese Haliburton on the floor.

The Thunder's start to the season will be an eventful one to say the least—and with a massive target on its back, Oklahoma City will look to start as strong as it finished as NBA champions just months ago.