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 well-known saying from Oklahoma. It means "hard work wins everything" or "slow work wins everything." It depends on how Presti understood it.

This is true for the Thunder, no matter the situation. They put in a lot of effort, but they also took their time.

They won against all their enemies.

Three years ago, the Thunder team was not very good, winning only 24 games. But this year, they won 84 games and became the NBA champions! They won against the Indiana Pacers in a difficult final series. This is not good for other teams in the NBA. Their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is still on the team. He and other important players will stay for next season. They also have a good new player named Nikola Topic who was hurt this year and could not play. The Thunder will also pick two more good players in this year's draft.

They are a young team, and their main players are between 23 and 27 years old. They are confident, and it is probable they will do well for a long time.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who won many awards, said they can still get much better. He said this is exciting because many players can improve. Most of the team are not at their best age for playing yet. They can improve by themselves and as a team. He is happy about what the team will do in the future. This is a good start.

It's good that they are starting to perform well at this time.

Many teams have questions for next season, but Oklahoma City does not. Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Haliburton have leg injuries and will probably miss most of next season. LeBron James will play his 23rd season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Stephen Curry will be 38 next season for Golden State. Kevin Durant will soon play for Houston, and it will be his 18th season. Philadelphia hopes Joel Embiid will be healthy again. New York will have a new coach.

Oklahoma City appears to have everything organized and ready.

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

Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren enjoy playing together and helping each other. They do not care who gets the credit. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein fit well into the jobs the Thunder team gave them. Luguentz Dort is a very strong defender, and he knows that many people do not understand how good he is at defense.

Not only the players but also the leaders do not care about showing off.

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. It's amazing to win in this sport. It's a bit silly to think you can win every year. We will be ready to get better and try again next year, for sure."

Presti planned everything, but he doesn't often speak in public. Clay Bennett, the owner, also doesn't speak much. Coach Mark Daigneault is always calm, even when there are problems. He is a good leader for the Thunder team.

Daigneault said, "You might not end it like we did." He added, "I really wanted this for them. I was very happy that we finished it, and they can feel this because they deserve it. They work hard, they are professional, they like to win, and they always put the team first. I really wanted this for them, as I said.

The Thunder's journey is not over; it's just beginning. Presti has many future player choices, and the team has money to get a player if they want. Also, they now have a championship to protect.

Hard work can help you achieve anything you want. There is still more work that needs to be done.

Presti said in 2022 that they had a lot of work to do. He said they needed to work hard because that's what their state, community, and basketball team were all about.