The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed for three straight years, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the center of it all as a perennial MVP candidate.
Still, one analyst isn’t ready to award them a “dynasty” label just yet, instead pointing elsewhere.
Chris Broussard Ranks Spurs Over Thunder on ‘Dynasty Watch’
On Thursday’s edition of “First Things First,” Chris Broussard made the case for the San Antonio Spurs as the “only team” that should be on “dynasty watch.”
His argument stopped his co-hosts Nick Wright and Kevin Wildes in their tracks, setting the tone for their debate.
“Let’s establish what’s a dynasty,” Broussard began. “Alright, I think at least three rings with the same leader.”
From there, the analyst referenced Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics winning 11 of 13 years, the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s Lakers, and, of course, Stephen Curry’s prime with the Golden State Warriors, winning four titles in eight years.
Broussard even cited Tim Duncan’s Spurs’ five rings as representing a dynasty in their own right. But for the pundit, OKC did not make the cut.
“It’s way too early to say a legitimate dynasty,” Broussard said. “And I don’t think they’ll get to be a legitimate dynasty. … Could they win three? I could definitely see Shai winning three championships in eight years or something like that. I’m not saying it’s easy, I’m just saying I could see it.”
This is when he delivered his hot take, claiming, “The only team that I think is on dynasty watch, and this is premature, but the Spurs!”
Wright and Wildes reacted in disbelief, as San Antonio’s current core hasn’t won a single playoff game or been a No. 1 seed for three straight years like the Thunder, which was the whole premise of the conversation.
Yet, Broussard didn’t back down. He continued, “You all can be behind if you want. I’ve been out front on this since pre-draft.”
But why? There could be multiple reasons, as his argument couldn’t be based on blind faith. It was centered purely on the Spurs’ health and depth.
“Will [Victor Wembanyama] be healthy, like have a healthy career? Because if he does, they’re gonna be a dynasty,” Broussard reasoned.
“And it’s not just him. It’s [Stephon] Castle, it’s [De’Aaron] Fox, who’s a little older but still, and Dylan Harper. Like that team is stacked.”
So far, the Spurs have won 61 games this season and 18 of their last 20. Wembanyama’s two-way dominance is peaking. Castle is shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc over the last 30 games and is widely viewed as the best player from the 2024 draft class. Meanwhile, Harper is already a weapon off the bench.
No wonder Broussard also issued a warning to Gilgeous-Alexander and Co.
“The current champions better hope the [Denver] Nuggets take out the Spurs in the second round,” Broussard concluded.
