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It was only a moment, a random encounter on an ordinary day, but Sam Presti never forgot it. A 17-year-old high school gym rat on his way to play Division III basketball, Presti was at the Lexington Club, a fitness center in suburban Boston, one day in the 1990s when he saw a man across the gym. The man did not look like much. A shade above 6 feet. Medium build. Probably in his 30s with an office job. So, when he walked over to Presti and asked to play one-on-one, Presti thought, All right, I’ll give it to this guy. Then the game began. And the man kicked his ass. Completely humiliated him in an empty gym. Presti soon learned why: The man was not just a desk jockey at a local real estate firm. He was Jim McCaffrey, a former star guard at Holy Cross who the Phoenix Suns had drafted a decade earlier.
It was what happened next that lodged in Presti’s memory as he rose through the NBA to become one of the most celebrated executives in sports. When it was over, McCaffrey didn’t leave. He offered Presti tips, showing him how to position his feet better on defense and breaking down the moves he’d made on offense. He encouraged him to keep working. Made him feel like a peer. “He really coached me,” Presti said.
Presti finished high school, played Division III basketball at Emerson College and dedicated his life to the sport, first as a whiz-kid front-office staffer for the San Antonio Spurs, then as the mastermind general manager behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then one day in 2023, he reread a book called “Values of the Game” by Bill Bradley, the former New York Knicks forward and United States senator. It was about the through lines that exist in sports, the pieces of shared wisdom that shape our lives, the ideals that get passed down. “Leadership,” Bradley wrote, “means getting people to think, believe, see and do what they might not have without you.”
McCaffrey eventually transferred to Holy Cross and became an executive at Eastdil Secured in London. Van Gundy had a long career as a college and NBA head coach, leading the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009. In both their lives, it was a mere blip, but 45 years later, McCaffrey could still remember the exact words Van Gundy used during those workouts. Respect yourself, respect the game and get better every day. “Stan Van Gundy,” McCaffrey said, “taught me how to be a basketball player.” Decades later, Van Gundy was surprised to hear about his impact. He didn’t feel like he meant that much. He was just a young coach working out a player. But it did remind him of those people who had done something similar for him. In fact, there was one that almost nobody knew about.
One summer morning in the early 1980s, Herb Livsey asked Van Gundy to drive Pete Newell, the legendary former college coach. Livsey was the head of the Snow Valley Basketball School, one of the premier instructional camps on the West Coast, and Newell was coming to teach. Van Gundy’s assignment was to pick up Newell in Palos Verdes, Calif., drive him two hours back to the camp, then spend the next few days at his side. For Van Gundy, who was in his early 20s, it was a plum assignment — and a meaningful one. “I probably wore Pete Newell out for two days, asking questions,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t think I ever let him catch his breath.”
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Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti: "Russell Westbrook is the ultimate competitor. His internal belief and unbridled fearlessness helped establish the foundation of our organization from day one in 2008 and he elevated the confidence and inspired our community in every year thereafter. Russell will be as successful in his life after basketball as he was during his career because his qualities and gifts transfer. His impact on our community is still felt today, and he is beloved for his devotion as much as his talent. He built a Hall of Fame career not by making statements or simply by breaking records, he did it by showing us all the power of asking one simple question: Why Not?”
You said at your season-ending press conference that the second apron wouldn’t prevent you from keeping this version of the Thunder together. But if we saw changes, it would be finances that would force a transaction, like the one we saw with Lu Dort. Is that still the case? Sam Presti: Yes, that’s accurate. We were comfortable being over the second apron with this team and how we were uniquely constructed. We have been consistent with that view for a few years now. This was a financial decision. The impression I have been given is that the savings generated this summer, and from being out of the tax the last several years, will be re-allocated to future teams. Along with other new well-documented revenue streams, this will allow us to make more basketball-related decisions over the next several years.
Sam Presti: I remember meeting Lu at the practice facility door the morning after he went undrafted. I showed him around and we had breakfast together. He didn’t touch his food. I just remember saying to him that this was the beginning and not the end, that on draft night things are aligned vertically 1-60, but the morning after everyone is lined up side by side horizontally at an imaginary starting line. It’s safe to say that he will finish amongst the top of that race. I love the guy, love what he’s about and we will miss him. Losing Lu will certainly have an effect on the team, but I think we are positioned well to reimagine ourselves and continue to find new avenues to win. Cason (Wallace) and Ajay (Mitchell) will have more responsibility, as will others. But, as has always been our belief, it is necessary to embrace change and not fall victim to trying to imitate ourselves or our previous play style. As we do at the beginning of each season, we need to give the team space to discover itself once again. Losing three tremendous players and professionals is not easy and our margin for error will be smaller than it has been for some time, but I’m excited to see how we come together.
Marc J. Spears: I keep hearing from several NBA executives that the Thunder are trying to move up not just the two first-round picks, but the second round pick into the top 10 to get a a player in the top 10. But who wants to give up a player in this draft in the top 10? Good luck, Sam Presti.
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Joel Lorenzi: Sam Presti says “all NBA players do is complain, bitch and moan. (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) has gotten three technical fouls this year, none of them for complaining.” Also says “he’s brought the midrange back to an art form,” part of why he draws fouls successfully.
Justin Martinez: Sam Presti says he doesn't think Thomas Sorber will be ready to go for Summer League. But he spoke highly of the way he handled this past season, where he was sidelined due to a torn ACL: "Thomas has really impressed me. We have some experience with some of our younger guys not being able to play in games in their rookie year. He dove into his rehab. His work capacity has impressed me. And, obviously, there are all of the reasons we drafted him. Great feel for the game. He can really pass. He's physical. ... He'll hit the ground running. We're really excited about him."
Justin Martinez: Sam Presti said OKC will explore all options with its three picks (No. 12, 17 and 37), from trading up to trading down to trading for future picks: "It's all about creating value. That's how we see each one of these picks. ... We'll look at all of these different options."