LeBron James calls Oklahoma City Thunder serious NBA title contenders

Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James has labeled the Oklahoma City Thunder as a serious contender for the NBA championship entering the new season. Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report both reported that James praised the Thunder in a new video release. Bleacher Report also noted that James discussed Victor Wembanyama's Most Valuable Player chances in the same video. [1][4]

The Oklahoma City Thunder were dethroned in the Western Conference Finals last season, losing in seven games to the San Antonio Spurs, according to Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports added that the Thunder's push for a top seed could depend on their divisional record, while forward Jalen Williams made a fully healthy preseason appearance following injury concerns. [1]

Off the court, the Philadelphia 76ers are seeing immediate financial gains after signing James. Yahoo NBA reported that the franchise is capitalizing on the business opportunities created by adding James to their active roster. [2]

James is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, having surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of 38,387 points on February 7, 2023, during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He became the first player to reach 43,000 regular-season points on February 22, 2026, against the Boston Celtics. James has won four NBA titles, four regular-season Most Valuable Player awards, and four Finals Most Valuable Player awards. [6][8]