In 2019, Luguentz Dort—Lu to friends, teammates and frustrated opponents who grumble after matchups with one of the NBA’s top defenders—was ready for his moment. Dort, who exited Arizona State after his freshman season, had traveled to New York for the NBA draft. He hoped to be a first-round pick. He was sure he would go early in the second. The night ended without his name being called. “I remember everything from that night,” Dort says. Everything? “Everything,” he says.
What followed was a journey that took Dort through the G League to the Oklahoma City Thunder to where he is today, the best defender on the NBA’s best defensive team, a key piece of a team that has emerged a championship favorite. He has been mentored by Chris Paul, molded by Billy Donovan and Mark Daigneault and developed an unbreakable bond with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a fellow Canadian and leader of the Thunder’s youth movement.
