May 28, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hugs Oklahoma City Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti after their team defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

OKC Thunder GM Ready to 'Turn the Page' on Opening Night

Originally posted on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI
By Ivan White | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 1:30 PM ET

Oklahoma City is inching closer to the start of a new season, and ring night will tip things off.

On Oct. 21, the Thunder will tip off the NBA season against the Houston Rockets in Paycom Center. Coming off their first NBA title, the Thunder will receive their championship rings and raise a banner in their home arena.

That night will be the final chapter of the best season in Thunder history. It will also mark the first chapter of another highly anticipated season in Oklahoma City.

At his preseason press conference on Thursday, Thunder GM Sam Presti was consistent, with the theme of his answers being about the importance of moving forward. The Thunder might have reached the NBA mountaintop, but Presti explained that doesn’t mean the team can simply coast now.

“I want to be clear, I'm not saying we shouldn't be proud of what we accomplished or we can't look backwards,” Presti said. “It's strictly if we want to capitalize on the season, we have to turn the page competitively. Not emotionally for our fans; they'll have that forever. But we need to do that to get better.”

With the extensions of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren this offseason, the Thunder are clearly committed to competing for championships for the foreseeable future. That means that while the Thunder were able to secure a title in 2025, the franchise is looking to finish this era with more than just one Larry O’Brien.

Of course, that will all begin with Oklahoma City’s matchup against Houston on opening night. With Presti calling the matchup against Houston a “launch point,” it’s obvious that the Thunder are ready to hit the ground running next season.

Considering the part the fans played in the Thunder’s championship run, helping Oklahoma City to an 11-2 record at home, Presti also mentioned that it will be just as important for them to turn the page. After all, the Thunder are looking to compete for a championship again next season and will need that same support to get it done.

“There will be two sides of that. We're going to need our fans like we have had them in the postseason last year to carry as much of that enthusiasm and just being there, standing up, encouraging our players and responding to their effort, and like I said before, their energy,” Presti said. “That's going to be really important. Also, it's a huge factor in our ability to get stops at certain times or find extra levels of resilience at different times. Our fans have been great.”

This article first appeared on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: