Confetti already rained.
Now it’s OKC’s time to parade (11:30am ET, NBA TV/NBA App).
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
June 24, 2025
Building A Champion: How Sam Presti’s patience paid off – over a decade in the making
Celebrating With OKC: 4 AM tarmac delays, a well-earned nap and champagne problems
Never Out Indy: Remembering the Pacers’ unprecedented Playoff run
Golden Gallery: Snapshots from a championship Sunday in OKC
NBA Draft Guide: What you need to know before the 2025 Draft tips off tomorrow night
BUT FIRST … ⏰
The Mavs are on the clock…
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The 2025 NBA Draft presented by State Farm begins with Round 1 on Wednesday from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. (8 ET, ABC/ESPN).
Finals Spotlight: Sunday’s Game 7 was the most-watched NBA Finals game in six years, averaging 16.4 million viewers on ABC.
Reads Of The Day: Check out some of our favorite stories from around the NBA world following the epic season finale:
- ESPN: Why the Thunder’s star trio might be the one to start a dynasty
- The Oklahoman: Sam Presti leads Thunder to NBA title, cementing himself as all-time NBA GM
- Andscape: Tyrese Haliburton ‘showed the world everything’ before NBA Finals Game 7
- WSJ: The Thunder just won the NBA title — and they’re about to get a whole lot better
1. BUILDING A CHAMPION: PRESTI’S PLAN, YEARS IN THE MAKING
1:29 remains in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Miami, with LeBron James jumping for joy on the bench. The Heat are up 19 and a minute away from a championship.
On the other bench, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden stand with their arms around one another. Their breakout season is ending in heartbreak – but none of them is older than 23. The future is bright in OKC.
That was June 2012. Despite reaching the West Finals twice, the Thunder wouldn’t return to the Finals for another 13 years.
Sam Presti – the GM who drafted Durant, Westbrook and Harden – had built one of the most promising young cores in NBA history. But by 2019, all three were gone.
- Final Page: That summer, Westbrook was traded to Houston – officially ending an era
- First Chapter: That same month, the Thunder acquired a 21-year-old guard from the Clippers named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- New Voice: One year later, Presti named 35-year-old Mark Daigneault the team’s head coach – making him the second-youngest coach in the NBA
The rebuild wasn’t quick. It wasn’t flashy. It was steady and deliberate.
“You just have to keep chipping away every single day, knowing that over time we’ll achieve our goals,” said Presti in 2021. “Shortcuts cut long runs short.”
Hired at 29 as the youngest GM in the league, Presti brought a fresh perspective and a patient approach to building a roster.
Having grown alongside the franchise, he’s remained committed to giving players and coaches time to grow themselves – and ultimately thrive.
- Consistent Climb: Since hiring Daigneault in 2020, OKC’s win total has increased every season, including double-digit jumps in each of the past three years
- A Star Is Born: Meanwhile, SGA’s scoring output has risen in lockstep with OKC’s success – blossoming from a promising young guard to this year’s Kia NBA MVP
Brick By Brick: After finding his franchise player and head coach, Presti’s patience – and eye for talent – continued to shape the roster.
- In 2022, OKC drafted two more key pieces: Jalen Williams, a versatile wing out of Santa Clara, and Chet Holmgren, a 7-foot shot-blocker with guard-like skills. Their arrival helped turn potential into production
- In 2024, the Thunder went 57-25 – their best record since 2013 – becoming the youngest team in NBA history to earn a No. 1 seed
- But their Playoff push ended early, falling to Dallas in the West Semis
Final Pieces: After the loss, Presti added experience alongside his talented young core – acquiring two key veterans last offseason:
- Isaiah Hartenstein, a 7-foot big to bolster the front line next to Holmgren
- And Alex Caruso, a 31-year-old defensive ace who brought a championship edge from his 2020 title run with the Lakers – and had previously played under Daigneault for OKC’s G League team
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
That championship experience culminated with one last veteran lesson from Caruso on Sunday – teaching his teammates how to pop champagne after becoming the second-youngest squad in NBA history to win it all.
It was a moment years in the making — one that started with Presti, whose patience and poise not only earned him 2025 Executive of the Year, but also delivered the franchise its first NBA title in the OKC era.
- “When we were there the first time … everything was new for everybody,” said Presti after Sunday’s win. “[That 2012 group] set tremendous standards for the organization…
- “This group has just evolved that and made it their own in a different way. That’s what building is about … and I’d like to think all of us have grown along the way.”
2. CHAMPIONS’ MOMENT: INSIDE OKC’S CELEBRATION
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
“A dream realized. The storybook season is complete. The final chapter reads, ‘The Oklahoma City Thunder are the 2025 NBA champions!’”
That was Thunder radio voice Matt Pinto as the clock hit 0:00 at the Paycom Center on Sunday.
The confetti flew, the court swarmed into a sea of cameras and hugs and OKC’s dream season reached its euphoric end.
- Peak Feeling: Join the Thunder courtside for the moment they became 2024-25 NBA champions
- JDub’s POV: Witness the title celebration from Jalen Williams’ perspective, from the final buzzer to the locker room
Moments That Matter: When the on-court celebration finally slowed down, Jalen Williams sat down with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt to reflect on what he’ll cherish most from OKC’s unforgettable run.
- “We’ve had team dinners after we lost. We’ve had planes not take off until 4am, sitting on the runway,” said Williams. “Me and Chet used to go to the hotel and watch film on our pick and rolls … those are the moments that stick out to me.”
With the weight of a championship starting to settle in, the Thunder each shared a specific moment that will stay with them forever.
- “My son falling asleep,” said Isaiah Hartenstein, whose young son Elijah snoozed through the trophy presentation
- SGA: “Not knowing how to pop champagne bottles.”
- JDub: “Seeing my parents in the crowd – I’ll never forget that.”
And the party is just getting started. With the parade hours away, OKC players were asked what they’re looking forward to most.
The consensus? Celebrating with Thunder Nation.
- Lu Dort: “Man, to see our fans. The city deserves this.”
- Alex Caruso: “Just to experience it. I didn’t get one the first time (in 2020) … I think Oklahoma is gonna show up for this.”
- SGA: “Sharing this moment with the fans. They deserve it … I’m glad that my first one is their first one and we’ll enjoy it together.”
3. NEVER OUT: RELIVING INDY’S INCREDIBLE PLAYOFF RUN
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
The 2024-25 season proved that you can never count out the Indiana Pacers.
- Not In A Game: The Pacers had a league-best 13 comebacks by 15+ points this season, including five in the Playoffs
- Not In A Final Minute: The Pacers had three comebacks from down 7+ in the final 60 seconds this postseason. In the previous 27 Playoffs combined, there had only been one
- Not In A Season: The Pacers were 10-15 through 25 games. No team in the last 40 years had reached the Finals after being five games below .500 that deep into a season
On Dec. 8, they dropped to 10-15 in a loss to the Hornets, falling to 11th in the East.
- They did not resemble the team six months removed from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals
- But the Pacers regrouped – taking advantage of a five-day gap between games – responding with a five-game win streak to close 2024 at 16-18
Once the calendar flipped to 2025, so did the Pacers’ season. They went 34-14 the rest of the way to earn the 4-seed in the East, then began an unprecedented run through the Playoffs.
- After eliminating the Bucks in spectacular fashion – dropping the first of their five 15+ point comebacks in Game 5, capped by the first of Tyrese Haliburton’s four game-winning or game-tying shots in the final five seconds – the Pacers began stacking the upsets
- They took out the 1-seed Cavs in the East Semis in five games – pulling off 19+ point comebacks in Cleveland in Games 2 and 5
- They faced the 3-seed Knicks in the East Finals, knocking out their archrivals in six games to return to the Finals for the first time in 25 years
In the Finals, it was the 50-win Pacers against the 68-win Thunder — an 18-win gap between the two teams.
But the series was anything but lopsided. The average margin of victory was just 2.7 points, as Indiana came one win shy of becoming the first 4-seed to win the title since the 16-team format was introduced in 1984.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
- The Finals began with Indy’s signature – a 15+ point comeback featuring a game-winning shot by Tyrese Haliburton, which gave the Pacers their first and only lead with 0.3 seconds left
- In Game 4, Indiana led 2-1, taking a 10-point lead late before OKC rallied to tie the series. The Thunder then took Game 5 to go up 3-2 – setting the stage for one final Pacers comeback to cap their magical season
- After a dominant Game 6 win at home, the Pacers went to OKC for Game 7. They saw their star carried off the court, but their resilience was not shattered
- Just as they have all season, the Pacers refused to quit. They led at the half, pushed OKC to the brink and went the distance with one of the most dominant teams in league history
They didn’t get the ending they wanted — but they didn’t need a title to leave a legacy.
- “To me, the effort that our guys poured into the 4th quarter to win the quarter by one point was epic,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle after the Game 7 loss. “It was symbolic of what this team stands for. What basketball in Indiana stands for…
- “There was no surrender. It was all defiant fight until the end.”
4. GOLDEN GALLERY: SCENES FROM A CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
Let the celebration rumble on.
From confetti showers to champagne pops, these snapshots capture OKC’s championship celebration from Sunday before the party parades through the streets today (11:30 ET, NBA TV/NBA App).
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
NBAE via Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images
5. YOUR 2025 NBA DRAFT GUIDE
Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
The 2025 NBA Draft presented by State Farm is just one sleep away, with the Dallas Mavericks on the clock, holding the No. 1 overall pick.
Names will be called, dreams will be realized and franchises forever changed.
At your fingertips is the ultimate guide to all things Draft – before we dive deeper tomorrow.
When, Where, How To Watch?
- Round 1: Wednesday, June 25 (8 ET, ABC/ESPN)
- Round 2: Thursday, June 26 (8 ET, ESPN)
- Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Need To Know
- 2 Nights, 2 Rounds: For the second straight year, the NBA Draft will unfold over two nights — one round per night
- Mavs’ Move: After overcoming 1.8% odds to win the Draft Lottery, Dallas is set to make the 1st overall pick for just its second time in the common Draft era (since 1966)
- Top 5 Order: Mavs (1), Spurs (2), 76ers (3), Hornets (4), Jazz (5). See the full Draft order here
- Projected No. 1: Duke’s Cooper Flagg, an 18-year-old forward from Maine, is the projected top pick in the latest NBA’s Consensus Mock Draft – a compilation of the best mock drafts from around the web
- Meet The Prospects: Hear from the top Draft hopefuls as they discuss what they bring to the table
