Wait. Stop for a second. If you told a basketball fan in 2023 that the Oklahoma City Thunder would be holding the Larry O'Brien trophy by June 2025, they’d probably call you a dreamer. But here we are. The nba season 2024 25 didn't just happen; it fundamentally broke the hierarchy of the league.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander basically turned into a basketball cyborg. He didn't just lead the Thunder to a 68-14 record; he essentially walked away with the MVP trophy tucked under one arm and the Finals MVP under the other. It was a season of massive shifts. We saw the New York Knicks actually become a terrifying defensive juggernaut after landing Karl-Anthony Towns in that wild three-team trade. Honestly, the East felt like a collision course between the Knicks and the Pacers, while the old guard—the Warriors and the Lakers—scrambled to stay relevant.
What Really Happened with the NBA Season 2024 25 Standings
Everyone expected the Boston Celtics to just cakewalk through the Eastern Conference again. I mean, they won 61 games. That’s elite. But the Cleveland Cavaliers apparently didn't get the memo, finishing with a blistering 64-18 record to take the top seed. Donovan Mitchell played like a man possessed, and the Cavs' depth was deeper than anyone anticipated.
Out West, it was a bloodbath. The Thunder were the clear alpha, but look at the Rockets. They jumped to 52 wins. The Lakers and Nuggets both hit the 50-win mark, but it felt different. For the Lakers, the mid-season acquisition of Luka Dončić—yes, that actually happened in February 2025—changed their entire trajectory, even if they couldn't get past the youthful speed of OKC in the playoffs.
You've got to look at the bottom of the map too. The Detroit Pistons, long the basement-dwellers of the league, surged to 44 wins and a playoff spot. Cade Cunningham averaged 25.9 points and over 9 assists per game. It was the first time in NBA history a team tripled its win total from the previous season.
The Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Era Begins
It’s hard to overstate how dominant Shai was during the nba season 2024 25. He led the league in scoring at 32.7 points per game. He also led in Win Shares. Basically, when he was on the court, OKC was playing a different sport.
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Stephon Castle took home Rookie of the Year honors, proving that the Spurs' rebuild is ahead of schedule. He averaged roughly 15 points and 4 assists, providing the perfect backcourt partner for Victor Wembanyama. Speaking of Wemby, he didn't win MVP yet, but he was a terrifying presence, helping the Spurs show flashes of what's coming in the 2025-26 season.
The Trades That Shook the League
Remember the trade deadline? It was absolute chaos. The New York Knicks went "all-in" by acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns, sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota. Most experts thought Minnesota won that trade, but the Knicks' Eastern Conference Finals run proved otherwise. KAT's ability to stretch the floor opened up lanes for Jalen Brunson that didn't exist before.
Then there was the Jimmy Butler move. Golden State snagged him from Miami in a massive 5-team deal. It felt like a desperate "last dance" attempt for Steph Curry’s window. While they won 48 games, they just didn't have the legs to keep up with the younger Western Conference teams once the postseason started.
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Statistical Anomalies of 2024-25
- Nikola Jokić dropped a 30-20-20 game. No, that's not a typo. 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists in a single night.
- Dyson Daniels became a defensive god. He recorded 223 steals, the most since the mid-90s, averaging 3.0 per game.
- The Milwaukee Bucks won the Emirates NBA Cup, but then struggled with health, eventually trading Khris Middleton to Washington for Kyle Kuzma late in the year.
The league is younger now. The average age of the All-NBA First Team was the lowest it’s been in decades. LeBron James and Steph Curry are still elite, but they are no longer the ones dictating the terms of the championship conversation. That power has shifted to Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, and Cleveland.
Why the 2024-25 Season Still Matters for Collectors and Analysts
If you are looking at this from a sports business or memorabilia perspective, the nba season 2024 25 is a goldmine. The Shai Gilgeous-Alexander MVP cards are peaking. The "Luka as a Laker" jerseys are already historic oddities.
From a tactical standpoint, the season proved that "positionless basketball" has won. Every team is now hunting for "stocks"—steals plus blocks—as the primary defensive metric. Dyson Daniels' breakout for the Hawks changed how front offices evaluate perimeter defenders. You can't just be a "3-and-D" guy anymore; you have to be a playmaker on the defensive end.
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The 2024-25 campaign was a transition. It was the year the "Old Guard" officially handed over the keys. If you want to understand where the league is going, you have to look at the pace OKC played at. They weren't just fast; they were efficient at speed.
Your Next Steps for Following the NBA:
- Track the Sophomore Jump: Watch how Stephon Castle and Zaccharie Risacher develop in their second years during the current 2025-26 season.
- Monitor the Trade Block: Keep an eye on Anthony Davis in Dallas; rumors suggest his camp is looking for a move following the Mavericks' disappointing 39-win finish in 2024-25.
- Review Defensive Metrics: Focus on "deflections" and "contested threes" rather than just blocks to see who the next Dyson Daniels might be.
- Watch the New TV Deals: 2025-26 marks the return of the NBA to NBC and Peacock; familiarize yourself with the new streaming schedule to catch the top matchups.