Credentialed media member covering the OKC Thunder| Let's Talk Thunder on YouTube| past gigs: Sellout Crowd and
@oklahomansports
| OU Journalism 2022 | more ⬇️
🚨 WE HIT 1000 🚨
Thanks everyone for the crazy support on this.
If you want to enter to win, just like this post and be following me. I’m going to give everyone a couple days to see this post and get a chance to enter and I’ll pick a winner before this weekend! Good luck!
I’m doing a giveaway!
Yesterday I got a few Aaron Wiggins saved basketball memes printed as posters and autographed.
I wanted to celebrate the Thunder getting back to the playoffs and getting back to the top of the West.
I’m doing a drawing when I hit 1000 followers. Tap in!
One of my favorite Mark Daigneault quotes I have heard.
“The cause of some of that success are seeds planted well before this season and are now blooming. If you get addicted to the bloom you stop planting seeds and at a future point in time you pay the price for that.”
Thunder starters announced ahead of Game 3 vs the Pelicans.
All the starters were only named by number and position.
No colleges or names when they were announced.
I’m doing a giveaway!
Yesterday I got a few Aaron Wiggins saved basketball memes printed as posters and autographed.
I wanted to celebrate the Thunder getting back to the playoffs and getting back to the top of the West.
I’m doing a drawing when I hit 1000 followers. Tap in!
“I haven’t proved sh*t. I’ve only played 30 games. Still got a long way to go.”
“What do think have you proven so far?” Question by:
@espn_macmahon
Chet Holmgren on what he has proven so far in the NBA
Shai on the idea that the Thunder are too young to compete in the playoffs.
“It’s not gonna change, we’re probably gonna still be young for another 4-5 years.”
“Chet is obviously a lob threat now. JWill thinks he’s a lob threat, but he’s not really.”
Josh Giddey on the difficulty of lob passes, the timing that goes into it on both sides and not having a lob threat his first couple of seasons for the Thunder.
“I’m glad I don’t have to play against him.”
“How he hasn’t made an All NBA team defense, I don’t know. I don’t have a vote, but he is some of the best defensive I’ve seen in my life.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with some extremely glowing praise for his teammate and friend Lu…
Please enjoy this interaction pregame where Mark Daigneualt switched things up and asked
@AndrewKSchlecht
about his injury before Andrew could ask a question.
“Contact sport, gardening.” -Mark Daigneault
Rookie Thunder reporter Chet Holmgren made his debut tonight
Chet asked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, “How does it feel to know nobody can guard you?”
Shai:”Next question.”
Tough first question experience for the rook
So you are telling me that Chet Holmgren survived playing a game against Joel Embiid?
Not just that, he thrived with 33 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks on 13/21 shooting and 5/11
Not bad for a guy who is “too skinny” to play center in the NBA
“I mean we could just bark at them. That’s how we play into it apparently.”
I asked Mark Daigneault if there is anything the Thunder can do tactically to capitalize on home court advantage.
Mark also wanted to make it clear that he is not the one director he players to bark.
“He started becoming a coach the year I my roll changed as a player and to see his growth from that beginning to now has been amazing. I’ve never really had a like a relationship on a professional level with a coach like I have with him. It just makes it easy to play. I think I…
Jabari Smith Jr. getting to play with Josh Giddey for All Star weekend and then getting sent back to Houston to stand in the corner for KPJ and Jalen Green isos is just evil.
Mark Daigneault ended his Game 4 press conference by praising the Pelicans for having a great season, how hard they competed, his appreciation for Willie Green as a coach and the tough spot New Orleans was put in after Zion Williamson’s injury in the play-in.
“One of the things I think is most misunderstood about coaching is that everybody’s job is different, every team is different, every organization is different. It’s often looked as an apples to apples thing and it’s not an apples to apples job.” -Mark Daigneault
Mark was asked…
GAME 3 🧵 of the Thunder thanking the fans for making it out to NOLA.
“The barking is insane. It’s been a really cool interaction with the fanbase ever since I’ve been here. Something you don’t take for granted. We talk about it in the locker room all the time it’s really…
@DragonflyJonez
Getting up at 7 am on a Saturday just to look over to the sideline while Snoop Dogg and Lebron celebrate while you are down 20+ at half
After the Thunder’s new franchise record 62 point win tonight, I asked Mark Daigneault if there was any thought to chase the 73 point NBA record for margin of victory that the Grizzlies had over OKC a couple of seasons ago.
Mark’s answer:
“That’s our record.”
JDub on why he gives love to the old Thunder teams on social media, the comparison between this years team and the young OKC squads and how excited he is to play in-front a home Thunder playoff crowd.
Mark Daigneault on his reaction to Chris Finch’s injury last night.
“It sucks. He’s a really good guy. He’s a hell of a coach obviously, but he’s a really good guy. It’s such a vulnerable position now that he’s hurt. You never want to be a distraction as a coach of the team. He…
I asked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander about the common notion “that won’t work in the playoffs” and “the playoffs are a different game” almost like a boogie man.
Shai explained what his vets in his first two seasons told him before his first time playing in the playoffs.
I’m confused. I was told for all of the last two off seasons that guys like Deandre Ayton would just post up Chet and pulverize him into dust down low.
“He puts his face on the line.”
“He gets his nose in every play.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on why he thinks Chet Holmgren gets hit in the face so much.
Also told JDub to stop laughing so he could answer the question.
BREAKING NEWS: According to my sources 15 year NBA vet Michael Cage is coming out of retirement and seeking a 10 day contract.
The 87-88 rebounding champ has been training in his local church league and lifting samsonite luggage recently in preparation to help a contender.
JWill’s Christmas plans: No team secret Santa but he said that Aaron Wiggins told him he is going to get him a few gifts including a pet goldfish.
Mark Daigneault is going to give each player a book.
JWill also said he and JDub are exchanging gifts at a $20 max spending cap.
Did the Thunder reflect today and celebrate getting the 1 seed?
Chet Holmgren flashed the divisional championship shirt he had under his jacket and mentioned they took a team photo in the shirts too.
“The energy in the arena feels amazing when it’s game 13 of the season, so I can only imagine what it will be like in the playoffs.”
I asked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander about the added excitement of this being his first home Thunder playoff game in-front of fans in his career.
“He’s at his absolute best when the games get big and the pressure is on he plays with unbelievable physicality and confidence.”
Mark Daigneault talked about Lu Dort’s ability to rise to the occasion in elimination games and what makes him special in playoff type atmospheres.
“Those weren’t jokes, I was getting drug tested.”
I asked JDub post game about how the added muscle to his frame that he put on during the offseason has helped him this year and through the physicality of the playoffs.
A lot of O-K-C chants pouring in as both teams exit the court.
The Thunder win 106-85 and take a commanding 3-0 lead with a chance to sweep the Pelicans on Monday.
I need a “this day in Cage history” fact on every Thunder broadcast
It doesn’t even have to be about basketball it could be something like “On this day in 1995 Michael Cage attended the opening night premiere of Toy Story.”
We all laughed at Rob Pelinka for saying KCP was a gift from the heavens for the Lakers in 2017
6 years later and KCP has won 2 rings
That’s more than Lebron, Giannis and Jokic have won each in that timeframe
Want a ring? Get KCP. It’s a full proof plan
Only 15 days until we get to see Chet on the floor for OKC in preseason basketball action 👀
Thunder fans reply with a meme or gif with how excited you are to finally see 7 on the court!
JDub is playing in this game like when you don’t have enough guys for pick up in middle school gym class and the teacher steps in to play and destroys everyone.
“I used to hate it.”
Josh Giddey spoke again about being guarded by the opposing team’s centers/bigs.
Josh mentioned his growth and different mindset on how to attack those situations.
“Shai could play defense in college? I had him in his rookie year and I didn’t see any of that. I have a beef to pick with Shai now.”
Doc Rivers jokingly talked about SGA’s improvement as a defender and then went into some depth praising Shai’s improvement as a defender.
Tonight I asked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander about Josh Giddey’s recent play and what Josh provides to the Thunder when he is playing well.
“Josh is an elite passer. When he is aggressive he is a really good basketball player. He went through a little bit of a slump and got better.”
“He was right. He should have been the gm.”
Jason Kidd talked about the Boston globe letter to editor from a 16 year old Sam Presti that recently resurfaced.
Kidd praised Presti’s mind for the game and what he has been able to build here in OKC with this team and the teams…
Thunder PR:
The Thunder will begin each home game of the 2024 NBA Playoffs with Thunder UP in the Park. This pregame event is a at Scissortail Park starting with Game 1
It’ll begin 3 hours prior to every playoff home game and concludes 30 minutes before tipoff
Full details —
I asked Chet Holmgren tonight if he had any prior relationship with Joel Embiid and if he ever reached out about their shared experience of missing their rookie seasons with injury.
Chet said it’s all respect between the two.
Chet Holmgren shared a story from his college days that helped him prepare to make those big 3 free throws tonight to send the game into OT.
I asked Chet about the challenge of having a timeout/challenge period to think about the free throws instead of going straight into them.
Jalen Williams reflected tonight on his last 2 seasons in the NBA and reaching last year’s win total with over 20+ games still to go.
(Question by
@DParkOK
)
I asked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander about how cool it has been to see the growth of his teammate and friend Lu Dort over the past few years.
Going from an underaged two-way player who was dared to shoot in Game 7 in the bubble to now being an All NBA Defense level player and 40% 3…
Gordon Hayward says that most of his conversations with his new Thunder teammates have been about defense and coverages.
Gordon also mentioned they haven’t gotten to discuss his favorite spots on the floor, where he likes to catch the ball and more of the detailed stuff.
Chet Holmgren tonight in a road win vs Nikola Jokic and the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets:
24 points
6 rebounds
2 blocks
3 assists
9/14 shooting
4/4 shooting from 3
Life update: Last week I accepted a position to join
@selloutcrowd_
I'm extremely excited about this opportunity to work with a ton of talented people & provide great content to all of you!
Thank you to anyone who listened to a pod, liked a tweet or read an article of mine 💙🧡
JDub on the fan made Jalen, Jaylin and Kenrich Williams jersey he was given.
He mentioned how fun it is to play here, the connection the team has with the fans and he really appreciated that the jersey fits him.