Three years ago, Sam Presti from Oklahoma City made a promise. Maybe people did not notice it for two reasons. First, the Thunder team was very bad then. Second, he used words that were difficult to understand.

After the 2021-22 season, Presti said, "Labor omnia vincit." This is a famous saying from Oklahoma. It can mean "hard work wins everything" or "slow work wins everything."

This is true for the Thunder, no matter the situation. They put in a lot of effort and were careful not to rush.

They were victorious over all their opponents.

Three years ago, the Thunder team only won 24 games. This year, they won 84 games and became NBA champions after a difficult final series against the Indiana Pacers. Other NBA teams might be worried about them. The Thunder have a very good player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the best player in the league. He and other important players will stay with the team next year. Also, a good young player named Nikola Topic will join the team next year. The Thunder also have two good chances to choose new players in this year's draft.

They are a young team. Their starting players are between 23 and 27 years old. They are confident, and they should be able to compete at a high level for a long time.

We can still get better, said Gilgeous-Alexander, who won many awards. That's the fun part. Many of us can improve. Most of us are not at our best yet. We can grow as players and as a team. I'm happy about the future of this team. This is a good start.

They are starting to do well, and the timing of this is very good.

Many teams have questions before the next season, but Oklahoma City does not. Jayson Tatum in Boston, Damian Lillard in Milwaukee, and Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana all have problems with their Achilles tendons. They will probably miss most or all of the next season. LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers will play his 23rd season. Stephen Curry from Golden State will be 38 next season. Kevin Durant will soon play for Houston, and it will be his 18th season. Philadelphia hopes that Joel Embiid will be healthy again. New York will get a new coach.

Oklahoma City appears to have everything organized and ready.

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

Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren enjoy playing together and don't mind who gets the praise. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein easily did what the Thunder asked them to do. Luguentz Dort is a great defender, but he understands that many people don't see how good he is.

The players are not the only ones who don't care about showing off. The leaders also don't care.

Caruso said, "You can't be sure of anything in this league. I think people forget that things change every year. Your team can change because of a trade, an injury, or something you can't control. Winning the championship is amazing. It's a bit silly to think you can win it every year. But don't worry, we'll be ready to improve and try again next year."

Presti, who planned everything, does not often speak in public. Clay Bennett, the owner, also does not speak much. And the coach, Mark Daigneault, stays calm when there are problems. He leads the Thunder team very well.

Daigneault said, "You might not finish like we did. I really wanted them to win. I was happy we did it, and they can feel this because they deserve it. They work hard, are good at their job, want to win, and always put the team first. I really wanted them to win."

The Thunder's journey isn't finished, it's only beginning. They have many chances to get new players and money to buy someone good if they want. And now, they need to try and win again.

Hard work helps you overcome challenges. There's still more to accomplish.

Presti said in 2022 that they had a lot of work to do. He said they needed to work hard and finish it. He explained that this is important for their state, their community, and their basketball team.