Mark Daigneault explains how Thunder have navigated the glitz and glamor of NBA Finals

USA Today

2 days ago

Mark Daigneault explains how Thunder have navigated the glitz and glamor of NBA Finals
As the Oklahoma City Thunder prepare for the Indiana Pacers, the circus that typically surrounds the NBA Finals is brand new for most of the roster. Even Alex Caruso — the lone champion on their roster — had a unique experience in The Bubble.
Still three days away from Game 1, the Thunder's typical setup looks vastly different now compared to even Round 1 of the playoffs. Expect national and global media to flock to OKC this week. Practices have had simultaneous media availabilities — one on Zoom and one in-person.
The attention will only increase tenfold. The NBA Finals Media Day will be hosted on Wednesday. Expect hundreds of folks to overwhelm the entire roster with questions. Usually holding practice at their facility, the Thunder will hold it at Paycom Center as the all-day event will be broadcast on NBA TV.
Despite all this hoopla, the Thunder have remained focused on the goal. They're four wins away from a championship and enter as heavy favorites against the Pacers. Mark Daigneault has helped navigate his group from this first-time experience.
'There are some things that are different. We're gonna practice Wednesday at the arena and there's gonna be 100 people at the last 45 minutes of practice. Trying to pretend that's the exact same would be foolish on our part," Daigneault said. "That's going to feel a lot different and we're trying to define that. We're also going to try to define what's the same. And what's the same is when the ball goes up in the air."
This is the best mindset to have. All the pageantry involved with the NBA Finals becomes irrelevant once Game 1 starts. The Thunder will need to Eurostep their way through all the glitter. Especially when they're universally seen as the favorite to win the series.