"Don't look now, but the Thunder is getting old(er).

The franchise that relocated from Seattle four seasons ago quickly became the new kids on the NBA block.

Located smack-dab in the middle of a college-crazed state, Oklahoma City finally turned pro and had done so with a bunch of college-aged kids.

Gone are the Thunder's growing pains of youth. As sole owners of the NBA's best record at 16-3, the time has come to reap some rewards.

"I knew we were going to be young for a lot of years," OKC coach Scott Brooks said. "Any team with an excuse, they're going to use it. We never used our age as an excuse and we never will."

The longer the current Thunder roster remains status quo, the more steadily the franchise will evolve from young to old.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have signed five-year extensions. Kendrick Perkins and Nick Collison have four-year deals, and OKC is hoping James Harden and Serge Ibaka will soon accept four-year extensions themselves. Perhaps Eric Maynor also will stick around. Thabo Sefolosha is signed for two more seasons after this. Rookie guard Reggie Jackson is just getting started."