Jalen Williams ready for OKC Thunder's back-to-back quest: 'Let's do it again'

For anybody worried that the Oklahoma City Thunder might enter the 2025-26 season with complacency after winning an NBA championship, Jalen Williams soothed some of those concerns. He reassured folks that you won't see them satisfied with just one ring and the hunger remains for a second.

A feeling of fullness is the biggest boogeyman for most NBA champions. The intangible puts up a bigger fight than most opponents on the court. That's why back-to-back repeats so rarely happen in the league's history. But the Thunder could join an even more exclusive club by pulling off the feat.

After one of the greatest seasons ever, the Thunder will run it back with mostly the same roster. The continuity fortifies most people's minds to pick them as the consensus favorite. After they brought home the Larry O'Brien trophy, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Chet Holmgren signed contract extensions to stay in OKC for the foreseeable future.

Combined with their age and potential, that makes the Thunder a textbook contender who could start a dynasty run. I know. The 'D' word is a scary ambition for most. A lot of variables need to break OKC's way for that to even happen. But there's no denying they're best set up than any other recent NBA champion to accomplish the Herculean task.

In a 'SLAM' Magazine interview, Williams addressed how the Thunder will remain competitive sitting in the throne. After you win an NBA championship, the regular season feels so small in comparison. That said, you can't have that mindset as an NBA player. Or risk contaminating the entire locker room. But the 24-year-old seems prepared to avoid that feeling by staying cognizant of it.

"Honestly, for me, just seeing what the media kinda thing was. How the tables kinda turned. We're too young to win and when we win, it's like, 'Well, they were the one seed all year. They should've won,'" Williams said. "At least for me, that's a huge motivator. Let's do it again and see what they have to say this time. That's been my biggest thing."

We'll see how the 2025-26 regular season plays out. Teams across the league will circle their matchups against the Thunder as a barometer test to see how they stack up against the best. That means expect OKC to receive the opponent's best punch on a game-to-game basis. That provides a new challenge they previously didn't face.

"Let's do it again and see what they have to say this time." - Dub

The Thunder aren't resting in the lead. They're ready to run it back. More with Jalen Williams for SLAM 258: https://t.co/HTcR7FIQBCpic.twitter.com/GXAC3nhnYi

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) September 19, 2025

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jalen Williams on Thunder's back-to-back quest: 'Let's do it again'