Sam Presti, the general manager for Oklahoma City, made a promise three years ago. People might have overlooked it for two main reasons. First, the Thunder team was playing very badly then. Second, what he said was hard to understand.

After the 2021-22 season, Presti quoted Oklahoma's motto, "Labor omnia vincit." He might have meant "hard work conquers all" or "slow work conquers all," depending on his interpretation.

This applies to the Thunder, who worked hard and carefully.

They achieved total victory.

The Thunder, who were not very successful in recent years, won 84 games this season and became NBA champions after beating the Indiana Pacers in a difficult seven-game final series. This is concerning for other NBA teams because they have the MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and all their important players are signed for next season. They also have a promising young player, Nikola Topic, who didn't play this season due to an injury, and two high draft picks this year.

With a young core of starting players aged between 23 and 27, they are ambitious and have the potential to compete at a high level for years to come.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who won several awards including MVP and was the league's top scorer, is now an NBA champion. He thinks the team can still improve a lot because many players are not yet at their best. He is positive about the team's future and believes this win is a good start.

Also, the timing of them reaching this good level is quite good.

Many basketball teams have questions about the next season, but Oklahoma City does not. Important players like Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Haliburton have Achilles injuries and will probably miss most or all of the season. LeBron James will start his 23rd season, and Stephen Curry will be 38. Kevin Durant is moving to Houston and will begin his 18th season. Philadelphia's success depends on Joel Embiid being healthy, and New York will get a new coach.

Oklahoma City appears to have all the necessary elements for success.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said that the team has many excellent players.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren clearly enjoy playing together and don't care who gets the credit. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein have fit well into the roles the Thunder asked them to play. Luguentz Dort is a very good defender, but he knows that not everyone can see how good he is at it.

It's not just the players who aren't interested in showing off; the leaders feel the same way.

Caruso said that nothing in the league is certain. He thinks people often forget how much teams can change each year because of trades, injuries, or things they can't control. Reaching the top of this sport and winning is truly amazing. It's a bit unrealistic to think you can achieve it easily every year. However, he promised that they would be ready on Day 1 next year to improve and try to win again.

Presti, who planned everything, rarely speaks publicly, and the same is true for Clay Bennett, the owner. Coach Mark Daigneault stays calm in difficult situations and leads the Thunder team very well.

Daigneault said there was no guarantee they would finish in the same way his team did. He really wanted them to succeed and was very happy they achieved it and could experience this, because they deserved it. He admired their attitude, professional behavior, competitive spirit, and how they always put the team first. He repeated that he really wanted this for them.

The Thunder's journey is not over; it's just starting. Presti has many draft picks, and the team has enough money to get a good player if they want to. Also, they now have a championship to defend.

Hard work conquers everything; we still have more to achieve.

“We have a lot of hard work in front of us,” Presti said that day in 2022. “We have to grind in and do it. That’s what the state is about. That’s what the history of the community is about. That’s what the basketball team here is about.”