Sam Presti, the general manager for Oklahoma City, made a promise three years ago. Many people might have missed it for two reasons: the team, the Thunder, was playing very badly at the time, and 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 it was translated.

This also applies to the Thunder, who have worked hard and patiently to reach their goals.

They achieved total victory.

The Thunder, who only won 24 games three years ago, have now won 84 games this season and are NBA champions after a difficult seven-game series against the Indiana Pacers. Other NBA teams should be concerned about this. They have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the MVP, and all their important players are signed for next season. Also, they have Nikola Topic, a promising player from the 2024 draft who didn't play this season because of an injury, and two more high draft picks this year. The Thunder seem like a very strong team for the future.

With a young starting lineup averaging around 25 years old, they are playing with confidence and have the potential to compete at a high level for years to come.

Gilgeous-Alexander, a player who has won many awards like MVP, thinks his team can still improve a lot. He said that many players are not yet at their best, which means they have a good future ahead, both as individuals and as a team. He finished by saying, "This is clearly a great start."

The timing of them reaching this level of performance is also quite opportune.

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

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

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

Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren clearly enjoy playing together, and they don't care who gets the credit. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein have easily fit into the roles the Thunder asked them to play. Luguentz Dort is a very good defender, and he now understands that many people don't fully appreciate how good he is at defending.

It's not just the players who don't seem to care; the management also feels the same way.

Caruso said that in the league, nothing is certain, and people often forget how quickly teams can change each year because of trades, injuries, or other things they can't control. He thinks that reaching the top of the sport and winning is truly amazing. It's not realistic to think you can just win every year. He promised that they will be ready from the first day next year to improve and try to win again.

Sam Presti, who plans everything for the team, rarely speaks publicly, and the owner, Clay Bennett, also does not. However, Coach Mark Daigneault stays calm during difficult situations and guides the Thunder team well.

Daigneault said there was no guarantee they would finish so well. He really wanted the players to win and was very happy they could experience this, because he felt they deserved it. He mentioned their professional and competitive attitude, and how they always put the team first.

The Thunder's journey is not over; it's just beginning. The General Manager, Presti, has many draft picks, and the team has enough money to sign a new player if they choose. They also have a championship title to defend.

Hard work overcomes everything, and there's still more to be done.

In 2022, Presti said they had a lot of difficult work ahead and needed to work hard to achieve it. He explained that this approach reflected the values of the state, the community, and the basketball team.