Ever since the Golden State Warriors built their dynasty, the NBA has been chasing the next team that feels impossible to stop. Now, the Oklahoma City Thunder are starting to give that same energy. They have steamrolled the league for two straight seasons and already own the best two-year point differential in NBA history. That is exactly why Steve Kerr is watching closely, waiting to see if anyone can finally expose a weakness in this terrifying run.
Well, the 60-year-old veteran coach has his reasons for hoping for an upset. He told ESPN, “As a sports fan, if the same team dominates too much, you want to see an upset. And it happens pretty quickly. We were the darling in ’15 and ’16.” Kerr added, “But by the time the Finals came around, I think the average observer was pulling for LeBron [James] to pull off the comeback. I never took it personally. I’ve done the same thing. If a team in another sport starts to dominate, I root for the upset.”
The 2015-19 era of the Warriors is one for the history books. During LeBron James’ prime era with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dubs under Steve Kerr’s leadership and the holy trinity of Curry-Green-Thompson were unstoppable. Over those five seasons, they made the Finals four times against the Cavs. Except for the 2016 and the 2019 titles, Kerr bagged all of them. And a double-peat in 2017 and 2018.
Interestingly enough, the Oklahoma City Thunder might be building the same kind of run the Warriors once did. A double-peat doesn’t seem too shocking. And SGA’s case of a repeat MVP like Stephen Curry, too, wouldn’t surprise anyone. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder are starting to look like the basketball version of a cheat code. A 68–14 (.829) season in 2024–25 ended with an NBA championship. And a +12.8 Net Rating, and complete control of the league.
In 2025–26, they followed it up with a 64–18 (.780) record, another No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and a third straight season on top of the conference. Even more terrifying, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co. ranked 1st in Net Rating again at +11.1 while allowing only 107.9 points per game, the 2nd best defensive mark in the NBA. Consistency like this usually belongs to dynasties.
Steve Kerr’s dynasty might still be one of the best the NBA has ever seen
The Golden State Warriors set a standard that remains absurd even years later. Between 2015 and 2019, they piled up a combined 296–77 (.793) regular-season record, grabbed three championships, and reached the NBA Finals year after year. The peak came in 2015–16 with a ridiculous 73–9 season, still the best regular season record ever. They followed it with 67–15 in 2016–17, then championship runs at 58–24 and another Finals trip at 57–25.
Right now, the Thunder have the sharper two-year numbers and defensive dominance. However, the Warriors still own the edge in longevity, titles, and sustained terror across four straight seasons.
Before the Warriors, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls turned the early 1990s into a basketball nightmare for the rest of the NBA. They opened the first three-peat with 61-21 (.744) in 1990-91, then crushed the league at 67-15 (.817) in 1991-92 before finishing 57-25 (.695) in 1992-93.
That stretch produced a monstrous 185-61 (.752) regular season mark. And three straight championships over the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Suns. Meanwhile, the playoffs looked even scarier with records of 15-2, 15-7, and 15-4. After MJ’s return after a 2-year hiatus, the Bulls turned scarier.
The 1995-96 squad exploded for 72-10 (.878), the best NBA record ever at that time. Before following it with 69-13 (.841) in 1996-97. Even in 1997–98, with injuries and chaos swirling around the team, the Bulls still finished 62–20 (.756). Seattle SuperSonics and Utah Jazz both fell 4–2 in the Finals, while the league kept running into the same brick wall.
