Aaron Wiggins used to spend this time of year unwinding from the grind of an 82-game season, easing into vacation or early offseason workouts.
This June, he’s doing something entirely different — preparing for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, which tips off Friday (PH time), June 6, in Oklahoma City.
“It’s very special,” Wiggins said Tuesday (PH time), June 3 during the team’s media availability.
He continued: “You don’t take it for granted. My first 2-3 years at this time in the year, I had been on vacation for a month or starting offseason training. To still be playing and competing for a championship is nothing I take for granted.”
"My first two or three years, at this time in the year I had been on vacation for a month... to still be playing and competing for a championship is nothing I take for granted."
— NBA (@NBA) June 2, 2025
Aaron Wiggins on the specialness of OKC's steady ascent 💯
Wiggins and fellow reserve Isaiah Joe are two of 17 Thunder players making their Finals debut.
At 25.33 years old, this Thunder squad is the fourth youngest team in NBA history to reach the Finals. Of the three teams younger, only the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers went on to win the title.
What the Thunder lack in experience, they make up for in balance — and Wiggins and Joe have become essential to that formula.
Wiggins, now in his fourth year, turned in the best season of his career, averaging 12.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists on career-best shooting splits: 48.8% from the field, 38.3% from deep and 83.1% from the free-throw line in 76 games.
He opened the playoffs with a 21-point performance in Game 1 of the first-round series against Memphis — his postseason career high.
Joe, in his third season with OKC after two years in Philadelphia, carved out a similarly impactful role off the bench. The 25-year-old logged a career-best 10.2 points while shooting 41.2% from three — a critical weapon for a team built on spacing, tempo and ball movement.
When the Thunder needed a spark, Joe delivered.
Following a Game 1 loss to Denver in the West semifinals, he came off the bench in Game 2 with 14 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting night, including 4-for-4 from three. He added 11 points in a blowout win over Minnesota to help seal the Western Conference title in five games.
“The energy around the game, fan interaction and days in between the games — we know are going to be a lot different,” Joe said of the Finals stage.
“There’s gonna be a lot more media, a lot more eyes on us. We’re the only two teams playing, so we know that comes with it,” he added.
Both players point to OKC’s culture — rooted in development, chemistry and unselfish play — as the driving force behind this run.
“I wanna show love to Sam [Presti] for getting this group of guys together. Without him being able to see that vision and putting it together, it wouldn’t be possible,” Joe expressed.
As they prepare for the Indiana Pacers, Wiggins said the Thunder remain grounded in the defensive identity that fueled their success so far.
“We have smart guys that have a really good feel on the defensive end. That leads to creating chaotic possessions and opportunities for us to get steals and get out and run,” he insisted.
