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Sports Illustrated
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Mike McDaniel

LeBron James Calls Thunder GM Sam Presti ‘the MVP’

Sam Presti Thunder LeBron James

Thunder general manager Sam Presti is universally respected in the game of basketball as one of the NBA’s top executives.

The praise and respect of Presti extends to LeBron James, who shared his thoughts on the Thunder general manager at Saturday’s NBA All-Star Game media day.

“The MVP over there is Sam Presti,” Lebron said.

“I don’t understand this guy’s eye for talent. He drafted KD, Russ, Jeff Green, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Josh Giddey, and the list goes on, and on, and on. This guy is pretty damn good.”

Since taking over as general manager of the then-Seattle SuperSonics in 2007, Presti has guided the franchise to three conference finals appearances and an NBA Finals appearance during the 2011–12 season. 

While the Thunder have yet to win a championship under Presti’s watch, they are considered one of the most well-run franchises in the league today.

Presti has garnered great respect across the league during his career as an executive, and LeBron’s comments serve as the latest reminder of that during All-Star weekend. 

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