The recent matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder proved to be a memorable one for the latter team. By making use of Devin Booker’s absence, the Thunder put up an impressive defence to limit the scoring ability of Kevin Durant. Furthermore, they played well on the offensive front by making use of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who put up an impressive score of 35 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists. In the end, the team won by 8 points.

During the post-game press conference, Alexander was asked whether he sees any parallels between the ‘Big-3’ of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the original ‘Big-3’. The current ‘Big-3’ of the OKC comprises of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander himself, 21-year-old power forward Chet Holmgren and 22-year-old small forward Jalen Williams. Through the question, this dynamic group was placed on the same pedestal as the previous group that comprised of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Alexander replied to the question by stating that there is no basis on which he can form a comparison, since the earlier group possessed a different style of play compared to them.

“Those guys are three amazing basketball players and have done amazing things with this game and have changed the game forever” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “We’re three kids just trying to get better at trying to chase some of the things that they’ve achieved and trying to ultimately win an NBA championship.”

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The combined forces of Alexander, Holmgren and Williams have pulled off an impressive effort this season. They have transformed Oklahoma into a team of legitimate contenders for the NBA championship ring. The circumstances in which they thrive and deliver may not be as similar as to the ones faced by their predecessors, but long time Thunder fans would be remiss if they didn’t feel even a pinch of nostalgia at seeing history being repeated.

How did the original Oklahoma ‘Big-3’ fair?

It’s been a long time since Durant, Westbrook and Harden went their separate ways to try out their luck with different franchises. However, when teamed up under the same roof, the trio established themselves as on-court superstars and made use of an effective teamwork strategy to carve out a clear path to a title contention.

During the 2011-12 NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder, under the guidance of the very young ‘Big-3’, won 55 of their 82 games during the regular season. This placed them as the 4 seed on the points table and gave them a chance to compete in the playoffs against the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. The team managed to repeat their success during the next season by reaching the Western Conference Finals and eventually reaching the NBA finals in 2012.

The championship ring didn’t manage to land on their fingers. However, the ‘Big-3’ helped to instil hope in Oklahoma fans who were finally glad to get some recognition. History is repeating itself with the new generation of OKC players. Therefore, the same hope of winning the ultimate NBA title is getting rejuvenated amongst fans and players alike.