OKLAHOMA CITY — As the confetti rained down from the Paycom Center rafters, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander embraced the one person he knew appreciated a championship as much as he did. Sam Presti brought Gilgeous-Alexander to Oklahoma City in 2019, insisting the gangly 20-year-old be included in the Los Angeles Clippers’ trade for Paul George. The Thunder team president prioritized developing him; signed, drafted and traded for players to complement him; and never stopped believing the team could win with him. As a delirious crowd celebrated Oklahoma City’s first NBA championship, Gilgeous-Alexander and Presti hugged, acknowledging not just the title but the journey it took to get there. “We both just said, ‘We made it to the mountaintop,’ ” Gilgeous-Alexander tells Sports Illustrated. “We earned it.”
Winning is a process. Milwaukee made one conference finals in the four years prior to winning in 2021. Same for Denver in ‘23. Boston lost in four conference finals (and one NBA Finals) before finally breaking through in ‘24. Title winners can’t be microwaved in one season. They have to be baked over several.
