Uncommon Champions: How Culture Carried the Thunder to the Top
The Oklahoma City Thunder are your 2025 NBA Champions.
Led by the electrifying and humble Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—regular season and Finals MVP—the Thunder capped off an incredible season by lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy. But while SGA and his teammates dazzled fans with world-class talent, talent alone isn’t what won them the title.
We’ve seen it across every sport: stacked teams falling short. Why? Because championship DNA runs deeper than skills—it runs through culture.
I wrote about this before in a piece titled “Culture Mastery: Elevating Conviction to Its Pinnacle.” Culture is more than a buzzword. It’s the shared heartbeat of an organization. It’s what a team values, believes, and how it behaves—day in and day out.
Author and leadership expert Jon Gordon says it well, in his blog article titled, “What is Culture?”:
“Culture is the living, breathing essence of what an organization values, believes, thinks, says, and does. It’s not a single element; it is everything.”
That couldn’t be truer for this Thunder team.
Let’s go back to where it began.
When Sam Presti took the reins of the newly relocated franchise in 2008, his vision wasn’t just about building a team—it was about building people.
“We’ve always talked about drafting people, not just players,” Presti said. “Finding people who create positive environments where others can improve and pursue progress together.”
Talent was a prerequisite—but not the only qualification. They wanted guys who would fit the culture, not fight it. I believe that the catalyst behind the championship won this year, was the mindset Presti talked about that began in the beginning, “We’ve always talked about drafting people, not just players,” without this paradigm they are just another talented NBA team.
Head Coach Mark Daigneault echoed this throughout the season:
“Our guys behave like champions.”
And he didn’t just mean in-game. He meant in life. The Thunder prioritized being uncommon—doing what most won’t, showing up early, embracing adversity, staying humble.
Championship culture is rare because it’s built on uncommon effort, discipline, humility, and unity.
Take Alex Caruso as a perfect example. A product of A&M Consolidated High School and Texas A&M, Caruso wasn’t a viral sensation or high-scoring phenom. But he fit. He worked hard, stayed grounded, and valued being part of something greater than himself. He had the “uncommon” DNA the Thunder value.
You could say his whole career has been a case study in gratitude, persistence, and fitting into a winning culture.
There’s a powerful lesson in that.
Some players enter the league feeling entitled—expecting success because they can dunk from the free throw line or have a highlight reel full of deep threes. But the Thunder look for more. They look for humility. They look for players who understand they’ve been blessed—and treat that with respect, gratitude, and relentless effort.
That’s how you win.
The Thunder didn’t just assemble a team of superstars. They built a team of people who behaved like champions before they ever became them.
So while banners are raised and trophies are held high, let’s not forget what made this possible.
Yes, it took SGA's brilliance. Yes, it took great coaching and strategy. But ultimately—it took culture. A culture that was created intentionally, lived daily, and believed in by everyone.
That’s how champions are made.
Until next time - Expect to Win!
#ChasingBetter
