“I don’t like them Ernie, I love them,” Charles Barkley said about his current favorite team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been impressive this season. The team has reached the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the second year in a row. And the Thunder genius has been crucial in leading the team to become one of the NBA’s most efficient scoring squads. The veteran analyst is thrilled about the team’s potential. However, Barkley’s co-host on The Steam Room podcast has a different take, which might douse Chuck’s hopes.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been impressive this season, and so have their rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. The Celtics won the championship last season and look forward to clinching another title with their roster intact. The Cavaliers are quite formidable, being the only team able to keep up with OKC in the West. 

Perhaps this is why Johnson had doubts about the Thunder. “Is OKC ready for this? They have got a squad and SGA is unbelievable now can you get over that hump and get to that Western Conference final and then can you get to the NBA finals,”  he said that the Celtics are ready.

So what convinced Chuck? With a 121-105 win against the Sacramento Kings, the Oklahoma City Thunder are now the first team this season to reach 60 wins. While no one expected it, the Thunder have had an impressive regular-season record. Not to mention, the team has one of the top MVP contenders and fan favorites.

The Thunder’s regular-season dominance, marked by a stunning 60-win milestone, has certainly turned heads, even converting the notoriously skeptical Charles Barkley into a fervent believer. But beneath the surface of their impressive record, a lingering question remains: can this young squad translate their regular-season magic into playoff success, where the intensity and stakes are exponentially higher?

Charles Barkley showed his support for the Oklahoma City Thunders can win 

Chuck was right when he said the Thunder have been the best right from the beginning. The team entered 2025 with five losses and has one of the best Net Ratings. “They got it all, they got a superstar right there in Shai,” he said on Inside the NBA after watching Chet Holmgren and SGA’ performance throughout the season.

As he addressed a few concerns as to how Thunder can elevate their game even more, he said, “I don’t think this team doesn’t go to the Finals, I think they’re gonna win the championship.” Will the Thunder be able to turn the games as the Phoenix Suns legend predicted?

On ESPN’s First Take, Brian Windhorst admitted that many aren’t ready yet to give the Thunder the respect they deserve. He feels that this is because of how the team performs in the playoffs. While their first-round series last year was stunning, SGA’s squad ultimately lost to the Mavericks. It seems the Thunder will truly earn its opponents’ respect once they prove their mettle in the playoffs.