Opening night of the 2025-26 season marks the banner-raising and ring unveiling ceremony for the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that finally broke through in the NBA Finals after triumphing over the Indiana Pacers in seven games. Cores of teams may not last forever, especially in today's NBA where tax penalties are as punitive as ever, but rings do and immortalize any player's contributions to a championship team.

Prior to the start of their opening night contest against the Houston Rockets, the Thunder's championship rings were unveiled. Brett Siegel, NBA insider for ClutchPoints, noted that the ring was made out of 14-karat white and yellow gold with blue and orange sapphires, with each player's numbers engraved in diamonds.

The ring is full of details as well; also engraved on the ring is the Thunder's regular-season record from last year (68-14), and engraved inside are markings of all playoff series OKC went through last year on their way to winning a title.

The best part about winning a ring in the NBA isn't about the potential monetary value of the ring considering the materials the piece of jewelry — it's the exclusivity that comes with earning one. No other people on the entire planet other than the members of the 2024-25 Thunder squad own this ring, which makes it all the more valuable.

Article Continues Below

As shiny as that ring may be, this should only serve as added fuel for the Thunder to win more. Many experts have them as the number one favorite to win a title in 2026 yet again, and they are clearly built to win multiple championships. But actually doing so is easier said than done, especially when OKC has the biggest target on its back of any team in the association.

Thunder run it back, have all the makings of a repeat championship team

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talks to fans during the championship ring ceremony before the start of their game against the Houston Rockets at Paycom Center.
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images.

No team in the NBA has repeated as champion in the 2020s. The last team to do so was the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors, the biggest superteam in recent memory. As for the Thunder, they are as close as it can get to a superteam in today's NBA.

They returned every important piece from last season's team, and they are poised to have the league's best defense yet again. Head coach Mark Daigneault is not the kind of leader who would allow this Thunder squad to play with less than 100 percent effort at any given night. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, now that the NBA title weight is lifted off his back, should be in for another monster, MVP-caliber year.