For Lu Dort’s mom, seeing him sign a full-time contract with the Thunder made the perfect birthday gift. Erline Mortell has been by her son’s side through his entire rollercoaster basketball career that has taken him from Canada and across the United States in the past four years. When Dort didn’t hear his name called in the 2019 Draft after his rookie season at Arizona State, Mortell was right there with him. So when she heard her son earned a full-time contract with the Thunder, it made for one memorable birthday present.
“It meant a lot just because they really support me, since I started playing basketball.