Former OKC Thunder Center Details What Separates This Team From the Past

Kendrick Perkins thinks this Thunder team is different because of the sacrifices that they make for each other.

Nov 28, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and guard Jalen Williams (8) high five after a play against the Phoenix Suns during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City’s youth was used as a crutch by the media as the Thunder rose to the top. It wasn’t all bad — everyone knew they’d be a great team someday. But people used their age to explain why they were still a few seasons away from that greatness.

Last season, the team full of youngsters — and a few newly added veterans — proved everyone wrong. The Thunder won the franchise’s first NBA championship, and the team’s youth did much of the heavy lifting. Seeing how this Thunder team has formed chemistry, bought in, and the operation is has all turned into, maybe youth was never a bad thing?

This team grew up together, they went through trials together, and they figured out how to win together. They also learned how to be selfless and sacrifice. According to former Thunder center Kendrick Perkins, that’s what he thinks was lacking from the past Thunder teams that aspired to be great.

He also thinks they’re going to break Golden State’s win total record — and they’re more than capable. The biggest question remains how badly do they want to chase it.

"The biggest thing for me is the sacrificing part of it. You don't see that in young squads. That was the problem with KD, Russ, James [Harden], Serge [Ibaka]. They weren't willing to do what these guys are doing right now in today's game." 👀@KendrickPerkins on the Thunder's… pic.twitter.com/iyBgFrnqG7

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 10, 2025

“They’re going to beat that record by the way,” Kendrick Perkins said. “They’re going to beat that record. “A lot of teams talk about the word sacrifice, you hear that word get thrown around so loose. When you watch this young team and you watch the way that they sacrifice, that’s the biggest thing that stands out to me. I’m watching guys like Isaiah Joe, guys like Ajay Mitchell. There’s no problem, there’s no agendas in this locker room.”

"The biggest thing for me is the sacrificing part of it. You don't see that in young squads. That was the problem with KD, Russ, James [Harden], Serge [Ibaka]. They weren't willing to do what these guys are doing right now in today's game."

Perkins is right in the sense that everyone on the team has the right buy-in and they continue to sacrifice. Oklahoma City has a handful of players that took team-friendly deals, and the big three all signed longterm extensions. While the big three didn't necessarily take any paycuts, it speaks volumes that Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren wanted to be in OKC for the forseeable future. Nobody is out for stardom, everyone just wants to win.

The roster build and the contract situation just shows how much this team loves playing together, and what they’ll do to continue this run.

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