OKC Thunder Rookie Cason Wallace Plays First Professional Game in Hometown

NBA players grow up putting countless hours into perfecting their craft every day, dedicating a large chunk of their lives with the end goal of making it to the league. 

The select few that make it usually get drafted far away from home, but may have the chance to return to their hometown and play in front of their family and friends. 

That happened to Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Cason Wallace Saturday night, getting the opportunity to play in front of the Dallas Mavericks crowd for the first time in his young career. 

The Dallas native showed out for his hometown, scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting. He was tied with Davis Bertans for the third-highest points on the Thunder that night, and was an important part of his team pulling out a narrow 126-120 victory. 

The boy's basketball team of his alma mater, Richardson High School, was also in attendance, making it a special night for the rookie. 

"I loved seeing everybody, you know, bits and pieces of people everywhere throughout the gym that I know and seeing all the love, I really appreciate it," Wallace said. 

Wallace has come far from the Richardson, Texas high school. The 20-year-old played one collegiate season at Kentucky, and decided to enter the 2023 NBA Draft, landing at No. 10 to Oklahoma City. 

Playing for Dallas certainly would've been something Wallace embraced, especially since his name was called by the Mavericks, only to find out he was swapped to the Thunder shortly after. Wallace's draft night suit featured the letters "HPT" all over, standing for Hamilton Park, Texas, a historic and originally all-Black neighborhood that he grew up in. 

Wallace still embraced Oklahoma City even with his deep ties to Dallas, and has fit in perfectly with its culture. 

Alongside fellow rookie Chet Holmgren, the Thunder have two of the highest-performing rookies this season, both having large contributions to its placement of second in the Western Conference. Wallace is averaging 7.5 points predominantly off the bench on nearly 60% shooting from the field and 52.5% from 3-point range, scoring his points in an incredibly efficient way.

Not only is Wallace an efficient offensive player, but he has performed as one of Oklahoma City's most skilled defenders on the perimeter. He isn't afraid to take difficult matchups, and he has the ability to make scoring a nightmare for opposing guards. 

Few rookies can adapt to the NBA game as quickly as Wallace has, and the Thunder should be excited to see the heights the Texan can reach in the future.