Three years ago, Sam Presti, the general manager for Oklahoma City, made a promise that might have been ignored. This was likely because the Thunder team was performing very poorly at the time, and he used language that was difficult 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, careful effort wins," and it was not clear which meaning he intended.

Regardless of the method, this idea is relevant to the Thunder, as they have shown both difficult and lengthy efforts.

They achieved total and utter dominance.

After three years of only winning 24 games, the Oklahoma City Thunder won 84 games this season and became NBA champions by defeating the Indiana Pacers in a tough seven-game NBA Finals. This success should be concerning for other NBA teams. They have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the MVP. He and all of Oklahoma City’s main players are under contract for next season. They also have Nikola Topic, a 2024 lottery pick who did not play this season because of a torn ACL, and the Thunder currently have two picks in the top 24 in this year’s draft.

Their starting players are quite young, with an average age of 25, and they are also very daring. This combination suggests they are likely to be strong competitors for a long time.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who recently won MVP, NBA Finals MVP, and the league's scoring title, and is now an NBA champion, explained that the team still has a lot of potential for improvement. He mentioned, "The exciting part is that many of us can still improve our skills. Not many players on the team are at their best or even close to it, both as individuals and as a group. I am positive about the team's future, as this is clearly a good start."

Moreover, the timing of them achieving this level of performance is quite beneficial.

Many teams have questions about the next season, but Oklahoma City is not one of them. Jayson Tatum in Boston, Damian Lillard in Milwaukee, and Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana all have Achilles injuries and will likely miss most or all of next season. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers will be starting his 23rd season. Stephen Curry of Golden State will turn 38 next season. Kevin Durant, who will officially join Houston in the coming weeks, is entering his 18th season. Philadelphia's hopes depend on Joel Embiid returning healthy. New York will be dealing with a new coach.

Oklahoma City appears to possess all the requisite elements for optimal functionality.

"Pacers coach Rick Carlisle acknowledged the team's wealth of talent."

Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren clearly enjoy playing together and supporting each other, without worrying about who gets the most recognition. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein have fit perfectly into the roles the Thunder assigned to them. Luguentz Dort is an excellent defender and seems to understand that many people might not fully appreciate how good he is at defense.

It's not only the players who avoid boasting; the leadership also shows a similar reluctance to promote themselves.

Caruso noted the uncertainty in the league, pointing out that people often forget how much things can change from year to year. He explained that a team can quickly change due to a trade, an injury, or other things they can't control. He stated that reaching the top of the sport and winning is truly amazing. He also mentioned that it's a bit naive to think you can just easily win every year. He promised that they would be ready on the first day next season to improve and try to win again.

Sam Presti, who built the team, rarely speaks publicly, and owner Clay Bennett is the same. Coach Mark Daigneault, however, remains calm in difficult situations, guiding the Thunder effectively.

Daigneault stated that there was no guarantee of repeating their success, expressing his strong desire for the team to achieve it. He was very happy about their accomplishment, highlighting that they deserved it due to their excellent approach, professional attitude, competitive spirit, and strong team-first mentality.

Oklahoma City's progress is not yet finished; in fact, it's just beginning. Presti has many draft picks and the team also has enough financial freedom to add a player if they decide to. Moreover, they now have a championship to defend.

Despite past successes, considerable work remains.

Presti stated in 2022 that they faced a lot of difficult work and needed to be persistent. He explained that this dedication was fundamental to the state, the community's history, and the basketball team.