There’s a new NBA champion! The Oklahoma City Thunder put the cherry on top of a fantastic season by winning the title — and now, the prize money they received for becoming champions has been revealed. It’s a figure that far exceeds what the Lakers earned for making it to the first round.
On paper, both the Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers were considered strong title contenders after finishing first and third in the Western Conference, respectively. However, only one team lived up to the expectations — and that was Oklahoma City.
The Lakers managed to win only one game in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their biggest stars, LeBron James and Luka Dončić, averaged 25.4 and 30.2 points per game, respectively. The story was very different for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
First, the Thunder showed no mercy against the Memphis Grizzlies, sweeping them 4-0 in the opening round. They then edged out the Denver Nuggets 4-3 in the semifinals to face the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals — and ended up doing what the Lakers couldn’t. With a dominant 4-1 series win, they secured their ticket to the NBA Finals.
The Lakers’ playoff prize compared to the Thunder’s reward
LeBron James and Luguentz Dort. (Photo: Getty Images)
According to the specialized outlet Sportico, teams like the Lakers, who were eliminated in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, received $466,000 USD, while the Oklahoma City Thunder earned over $8.8 million USD just for winning the 2024–25 NBA championship after defeating the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series. This means the Los Angeles team received $8.3 million less than what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company took home.
Additional earnings for the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024–25 NBA season
By finishing with the best overall record (68 wins and 14 losses) in the entire 2024–25 NBA season, and securing the top spot in the Western Conference, the Thunder earned an additional $1.6 million USD. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers took home $456,000 USD for finishing as the third-best team in the West.
