Sam Presti, the general manager for Oklahoma City, made this promise three years ago, but people might have missed it. First, the Thunder team was playing very badly at that time. Second, what he said was hard to understand.

After the 2021-22 season, Presti quoted Oklahoma's motto, "Labor omnia vincit." He explained that it could mean "hard work conquers all" or "slow work conquers all," depending on how he understood it.

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

They achieved total victory.

The Thunder, who only won 24 games three years ago, have now become NBA champions after beating the Indiana Pacers in a tough seven-game final series. This success should make other NBA teams concerned. Their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and all their important players are signed for next season. They also have Nikola Topic, a talented player from the 2024 draft who was injured this season, and two more high draft picks this year. This means the Thunder will probably be a very strong team in the future.

With a young core of starting players aged between 23 and 27, they are an ambitious team and should be competitive for years to come.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who has won many awards like MVP and NBA Finals MVP, believes the team can still improve. He mentioned that many players are not yet at their best, and he feels positive about the team's future, seeing this championship as a good beginning.

Also, the time when they are performing so well is quite good.

Many teams have questions about next season, but Oklahoma City does not. Several important players, such as Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Haliburton, have Achilles injuries and will likely miss most or all of next season. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers will begin his 23rd season, and Stephen Curry of Golden State will be 38. Kevin Durant, who will soon play for Houston, is starting his 18th season. Philadelphia's success depends on Joel Embiid being healthy, and New York will have a new coach.

Oklahoma City appears to have all the key 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 gave them. Luguentz Dort is a very good defender, but he knows that many people might not fully understand how good he is.

It's not only the players who don't care; the leaders feel the same way.

Caruso said that nothing in the league is certain. He explained that teams can change quickly because of trades, injuries, or other things you can't control. Reaching the top of this sport and winning is truly amazing. It's a bit unrealistic to think you can just win every year. He promised that they would be ready from the first day next year to improve and try to win again.

Sam Presti, who created the team, rarely speaks publicly, and the owner, Clay Bennett, also avoids public speaking. Coach Mark Daigneault, however, calmly leads the Thunder through any challenges.

Daigneault said there was no guarantee of the same result, and he really wanted the team to succeed. He was very happy they achieved their goal and got to experience this, because they earned it. He said he wanted it so much for them because of their professional and competitive approach, and how they always put the team first.

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 new player if they want to. Also, they now have a championship to defend.

Hard work conquers everything; however, there's still more to be done.

In 2022, Presti said they had a lot of hard work to do. He explained that they needed to work very hard, and this reflected what the state, the community's history, and the basketball team were all about.