Mark Daigneault Praises Sam Presti After Winning West

As the streamers strolled to the hardwood falling from the rafters of the Paycom Center, the celebration ensued. Ears began to ring, music blared over the sound system and pretty soon head coach Mark Daigneault was at center stage of the trophy presentation.

As he was peppered with questions from ESPN Sideline reporter Lisa Salters, Daigneault was draped in towels and shoulder rubs from his troops as the bench boss was in the spot light. When he walked off, after firing up the 18,000 fans still standing in the Paycom Center, he found fellow Massachusetts native Sam Presti as the two shared an embrace.

It is impossible, in that moment, to not think of the journey those two have shared. Presti hired Daigneault in 2020 as no one knew who he was, what he looked like, how to say his name or if he was the bench boss of the future.

The first fact anyone learned about Daigneault was his love of Bruce Springsteen. Presti took a shot on him first as an OKC Blue head coach for the Thunder's G League affiliate. Then, a Thunder assistant under Billy Donovan. Now, the former Coach of the Year is leading the OKC Thunder into the NBA Finals.

"We're in it every day. There's not a lot of reflection going on in any part. I'm incredibly grateful to him. As we all should be. Every single person that's here. The day before they got here, he made the decision to bring them here. It's unbelievable," Daigneault said of Presti following Game 4. "We all get to benefit from this environment that allows us to do our best work. He's been the architect of that very quietly over time. Has assembled an unbelievable group of people, starting with our locker room. He prioritizes the type of person we bring in."

The Thunder's bench boss did not stop his praise there, giving a look at the behind the scenes work of Presti.

"He deserves. He works tirelessly. No one is more determined. No one is more relentless in their day-to-day," Daigneault continued. "He'll never make it about him but obviously he's a huge part of this. He and Clay."

Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder will begin its best-of-7 quest for the NBA Championship in the NBA Finals on June 5 as they await the winner of the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers Eastern Conference Finals series.