The first time Sam Presti spoke publicly in Oklahoma City, the basketball bunch he oversaw didn’t even have a name.
But there was a vision.
It was July 10, 2008, and the Sonics had announced only a week earlier they were leaving Seattle and moving to Oklahoma City. In a banquet room at the Skirvin Hotel — the franchise didn’t have a headquarters either — Presti talked repeatedly about core values.
Hard work. Persistence. Resiliency.
“What we’re trying to do is bring players … that have tremendous work ethics,” the general manager said. “Players that play for the team and give themselves to the team.