The 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder may just be one of the best teams to make the Finals and end up losing. The team was loaded with talent and 3 future MVP award winners on one roster. Kevin Durant would go on to win the MVP award in 2014 with the Thunder, 2 seasons after appearing in the NBA Finals with them. Russell Westbrook would go on to win the MVP award in 2017 with the Thunder, becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for a season. Before he was a superstar MVP winner himself, James Harden was a Sixth Man of the Year and one of the best bench players in basketball with the Thunder in 2012.
- Lazar Hayward – Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto
- Royal Ivey – NBA Assistant Coach
- Cole Aldrich – Family Man
- Daequan Cook – Israeli Basketball League
- Nick Collison – NBA Special Assistant
- Thabo Sefolosha – French Basketball League
- Kendrick Perkins – ESPN Analyst
- Derek Fisher – WNBA Coach
- Serge Ibaka – NBA Player
- James Harden – NBA Player
- Russell Westbrook – NBA Player
- Kevin Durant – NBA Player
Not only were there superstars in the making but some fan favorites and great role players as well. Now, some of these players you will recognize as still being in the NBA at the top of their game, or in some cases, their careers are winding down. We always wonder what happened to the guys that retired, though and how they have dealt with life after basketball. The 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder were such an interesting team, and one that we all wish could have stayed together and competed for more NBA championships.
Here is where the 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder are in 2022.
Lazar Hayward – Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto
Lazar Hayward is one of those players that when you look at his resume, you cannot help but wonder how he stayed employed in the NBA even for 3 seasons. Hayward was always limited to a small role off the bench for both the Timberwolves and Thunder during his 3- year career and never appeared in more than 45 games in a season. In 2012, he appeared in just 26 games for the Thunder and averaged 1.4 PPG in 5.4 minutes per game.
After his NBA career was over at just 26 years old, Hayward has done a great job at going completely off of the radar. After his final 10-day contract with the Timberwolves expired in 2013, Hayward joined the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League. He was then acquired by the Long Island Nets, where he averaged 12.5 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 20 appearances. His last known whereabouts were in 2017 when he signed with the Guaros de Lara of the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto in Venezuela.
Royal Ivey – NBA Assistant Coach
Royal Ivey was a 10-year veteran of the NBA who had time in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Oklahoma City. For his career, Ivey averaged just 3.3 PPG, 1.1 RPG, and 1.0 APG. Ivey’s best season came when he played for the Bucks in 2008. He appeared in 75 games for them that season and averaged a career-high 5.6 PPG. For the Thunder in 2011-12, he appeared in 34 games for the team and played 10.4 minutes per game.
After his NBA career was over after the 2014 season, Ivey dedicated his life to teaching the game he loves. He had taken his courses abroad to teach the youth in Sudan the basic skills of the game and now coaches the South Sudanese National Team. Now, Ivey hosts a skills camp every year in Hollis, New York as well. He is also an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA as of the 2020-21 season. Ivey was well known throughout his high school years, where he has his jersey retired alongside Luol Deng and Charlie Villanueva.
Cole Aldrich – Family Man
Cole Aldrich was an 8-year veteran of the NBA with 6 different teams during his tenure. He played for the Kansas Jayhawks in college, where he is still very active as a supporter and booster today. In the NBA, Alrich played for the Thunder, Rockets, Kings, Knicks, Clippers, and Timberwolves. Aldrich had his best seasons with the Knicks and Clippers in 2015 and 2016, when he averaged 5.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG in back-to-back seasons.
Aldrich had retired at the end of the 2018 season with no teams willing to give the big man another chance. In 2020, he and his wife welcomed their first child. Despite his urges to stay connected to the game in some way, Aldrich has since committed to being a full-time dad and husband. Aldrich lives in Plymouth, Minnesota, with his family and attended the Thunder legacy ceremony in 2021.
Daequan Cook – Israeli Basketball League
Daequan Cook played 6 seasons in the NBA with 4 different teams, including the Thunder, Heat, Rockets, and Bulls. Cook was a 6’5’’ shooting guard out of Ohio State that was selected in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by the 76ers. He was traded to the Heat on draft night for Jason Smith. With the 2012 Thunder, Cook appeared in 57 games for the team and averaged 5.5 PPG in 17.4 minutes per game. He was also the 2009 NBA 3-point contest winner at All-Star Weekend.
After the 2013 season ended with the Chicago Bulls, Cook decided to take his talents overseas. First, he joined the Ukrainian Superleague in 2013 and 2014 and also participated in the Euroleague competition with Budiveinyk Kyiv. Then he went to the French LNB, where he stayed for the 2015 season. He played in Portugal and Uran before landing with the Ironi Nes Ziona in Israel, where he remains to this day. Cook has been named an All-Star in the Israeli league and recorded a career-high 44 points back in 2016.
Nick Collison – NBA Special Assistant
When I spoke about the fan favorites before, I specifically had Nick Collison in mind. Collison played 14 seasons in the NBA, all with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder franchise. Collison was beloved for his heart and hustle on the court, never giving up on any play, and was a tough physical presence in the paint. Collison was a serviceable big man for the Thunder but much more impactful in his younger seasons. He averaged a career-high 9.8 PPG for the team in 2008.
After his playing days were over in 2018, the Thunder honored him by retiring his No. 4 jersey. It was the first jersey to ever be retired in Thunder history. Collison was named a basketball operations representative in 2019. He was promoted as a special assistant to the Executive Vice President and General Manager in 2021. Collison and his wife also have a daughter named Emma, and the family lives in Seattle, where they have lived since Collison was drafted in 2007.
Thabo Sefolosha – French Basketball League
Thabo Sefolosha is not only the best Swiss player to ever play in the NBA, but he was also the first. Sefolosha was a high IQ player who was lauded for his defensive efforts and often took on the toughest challenges from the opposing team. He played for 5 teams during his 14-year NBA career, including the Bulls, Thunder, Hawks, Jazz, and Rockets. He retired from the NBA at the end of the 2020 season after he was left off the roster for the Disney Bubble restart.
After retirement, Sefolosha returned to his home in Switzerland to contemplate his next moves in his life. He took the full year off in 2021 to do so. In January 2022, it was announced that Sefolosha would be joining the Antibes Sharks of the French LNB Pro B League, second division. In 2021, Sefolosha was rewarded $4 million due to a civil suit he filed against the NYPD for breaking his leg during an altercation at a New York City nightclub in 2016.
Kendrick Perkins – ESPN Analyst
Kendrick Perkins is best known for his time with the Boston Celtics during the days of the Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. Perk was a physical and intense big who was never one to back down from anybody on the court. Perkins would join the Thunder in 2011 after being traded from Boston. Perkins had some highlights in Oklahoma City, but unfortunately for him, he ended up on the wrong side of them more than once.
These days, Kendrick Perkins is one of the liveliest personalities on ESPN. He is best known for his outrageous NBA takes and signature catchphrase, “Carry On.” In 2021, Perkins signed a multi-year deal with ESPN, which reportedly earns him $1.5 million annually. Perkins isn’t everyone’s cup of tea on the network, but much like his playing career, he really seems to not care what people think about him.
Derek Fisher – WNBA Coach
Derek Fisher is one of the most interesting players to ever step foot in the NBA. He is best known for his time with the Lakers, with whom he won 5 NBA championships during their best years with Shaq, Kobe, and Pau Gasol. Fisher joined the Thunder in 2011-12 and stayed for just that season before leaving for the Mavericks in 2013, only to return to the Thunder for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He appeared in 81 games for the team in 2014 before retiring at the end of the year.
Since leaving the NBA, Fisher has worn many hats as far as jobs within basketball go. He coached the New York Knicks for the 2015 and 2016 seasons with a record of 40-96. He then served as the President of the NBA Player’s Association. In 2019, he was named the Head Coach for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. In June 2022, Fisher was relieved of his duties as Coach of the team.
Serge Ibaka – NBA Player
Serge Ibaka has been one of the best interior defenders in the NBA over the past 14 seasons. His shot-blocking is so legendary it gave him the nickname “Serge I-Block-A.” With the Thunder in 2012 and 2013, Ibaka led the NBA in blocks with over 3.0 BPG in each season. He played with the Thunder for 7 seasons from 2010 until the 2016 season. Ibaka Is widely respected and loved in Oklahoma City, and I am willing to bet that his jersey will hang in the rafters once he has retired from the game.
Ibaka has played with 4 teams since leaving the Thunder, including the Magic, Raptors, Clippers, and now the Bucks. He won an NBA championship with the Raptors in 2019. Currently, Ibaka is a backup big man for the Bucks behind Giannis, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis. He has appeared in 7 games during the 2022-23 season and is averaging 3.4 PPG and 2. 6 RPG as the team is 9-0 on the year.
James Harden – NBA Player
There is no question that James Harden is one of the best shooting guards to ever lay his hands on a basketball. Harden has been an explosive scorer and playmaker, even winning an MVP award in 2018. Harden has won scoring titles, been named to 10 All-Star Teams, and is a 7-time All-NBA Team selection. The problem is, he did all of this after he was traded from the Thunder. Although he did win the 2012 Sixth Man of the Year with the Thunder, the year we happen to be speaking about right now.
Harden has developed into one of the more special talents in basketball since leaving the Thunder. He played 9 seasons with the Rockets from 2013 to 2021. He then moved on to the Brooklyn Nets, where the experiment lasted just80 games over 2 seasons before he ended up in Philadelphia with the 76ers. Harden got off to a great start in Philly until he suffered a foot injury this past week. He is set to miss 4 to 6 weeks with a chance at an earlier return which is great news for Philly fans who are desperate for an NBA title.
Russell Westbrook – NBA Player
If there has been one player who gave everything he had for the Thunder during his career there, it is Russell Westbrook. He is one of the most explosive and exciting point guards the NBA has ever seen, and that came to fruition during his peak with the Thunder. During the 2012 Finals, Westbrook did everything he could, averaging 27.0 PPG in the 5-game series. In 2017, Westbrook became just the 2nd man in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. He was named the 2017 MVP for his efforts and continued to dominate the stat sheet until 2019, when he was traded to the Houston Rockets.
Westbrook spent just 1 season with Houston before being traded to the Washington Wizards. With the Wizards, Westbrook broke the NBA’s all-time triple-double record, which was held for decades by Oscar Robertson. Over the past 2 seasons, Westbrook has suffered the worst criticism of his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers. It seems to be dying down now that he has been excelling in his role as the sixth man off of the bench.
Kevin Durant – NBA Player
It is a pretty sore subject to bring up when we mention the tenure of Kevin Durant with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Drafted by the SuperSonics in 2007, Durant was set to be the next great in franchise history. He won 4 scoring titles in a Thunder uniform and even won an MVP in 2014. Durant would lead the Thunder to NBA Finals appearances and deep playoff runs during his 9 seasons with the team, including a 30.0 PPG performance in the 2012 Finals.
It was a complete shock that rocked the very foundation of the NBA when Durant announced he was joining the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 offseason. Durant came under tremendous scrutiny for the “weak” move from fans, media, and peers. Durant didn’t care, as he won 2 NBA championships with the Warriors and both Finals MVP awards in the process. After a devastating Achilles injury in 2019, Durant was on the move again to the Brooklyn Nets, where he remains today. The Nets have been nothing short of a drama-filled dumpster fire during his time there, yet Durant remains one of the most prominent scorers and best players in basketball. In 10 games so far during the 2022-23 season, he is averaging 31.5 PPG on 52.0% shooting.
