In the debut episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, co-hosts LeBron James and JJ Redick mentioned the Oklahoma City Thunder as one of the best drafting organizations in the league.
When Redick asked James why it’s always the same teams that draft well and poorly, the latter talked about his front-office building strategies for his aspirations of becoming an NBA owner.
“I tell you what, when I get my (NBA) team, the teams that draft well, those guys will be working for me for sure,” James said. “OKC does an unbelievable job.”
Considering the 39-year-old is in his 21st season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, his post-playing career thoughts have likely grown louder recently. James has been adamant over the years about owning a franchise.
If that plan materializes, it sounds like James will prioritize drafting well to build a young core that can sustain a long-term competitive window. Thunder general manager Sam Presti is very familiar with this approach.
“OKC does an unbelievable job”
– LeBron James and JJ Redick are big fans of the way the Thunder draft
via @mindthegamepod pic.twitter.com/9sKDJpbNy8
— The Daniel Bell© (@BasketballGuruD) March 19, 2024
The Thunder were a constant title threat in the 2010s due to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook being homegrown superstars. It looks like another lengthy window of contention has opened for OKC with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.
This isn’t the first time James has been complimentary of James. During the 2022 All-Star break, he called Presti the ‘real MVP’ for his ability to draft and build cores.
This seems like a game-recognizes-game type of scenario as both James and Presti are among the best in their respective career field.
