After NBA Finals berth, Mark Daigneault reflects on relationship with Sam Presti
After NBA Finals berth, Mark Daigneault reflects on relationship with Sam Presti
The Paycom postgame scene was a little different than usual. Instead of fans filing out, they stayed put. The Oklahoma City Thunder let the final seconds tick off to finalize their 124-94 Game 5 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to punch their ticket to the 2025 NBA Finals.
As ESPN rolled out the red carpet and presented the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP trophy to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the OKC trio of Clay Bennett, Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault grouped together as the team donned out in shirts and hats.
The ownership-GM-coach vein might be the most critical part of an NBA franchise. Not being on the same page at any level will eventually create chaos that boils over to the on-court product. That's why the Thunder's synergy has resulted in one of the winningest franchises since they relocated in 2008.
Presti beats Daigneault in tenure length with the franchise, but the two have been tied at the hip for years. The latter was handpicked and turned into the OKC GM's personal coaching development project. From the G League's OKC Blue coach to the NBA Finals, safe to say the gamble paid off.
After Presti and Daigneault reached the pinnacle of their era, the OKC coach was asked about his long journey with the GM. He kept the self-reflection minimal as the Thunder still have the NBA Finals to play for but praised the front office guru for the culture built.
"We're in it every day. There's not a lot of reflection going on in any part. I'm incredibly grateful to him. As we all should be. Every single person that's here. The day before they got here, he made the decision to bring them here. It's unbelievable," Daigneault said about Presti. "We all get to benefit from this environment that allows us to do our best work. He's been the architect of that very quietly over time. Has assembled an unbelievable group of people, starting with our locker room. He prioritizes the type of person we bring in."
The Thunder are one of the most successful NBA franchises. Sans two rebuilding years, they've always been in the title picture. The cast of characters might've changed over time, but the Gilgeous-Alexander era has already reached the same heights as the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook era. It's now about climbing that final rung on the NBA ladder with a championship.
"He deserves. He works tirelessly. No one is more determined. No one is more relentless in their day-to-day," Daigneault said about Presti. "He'll never make it about him but obviously he's a huge part of this. He and Clay."
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