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You could sense this team was special, says Thunder coach Daigneault

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Clock Icon3 hoursBasketball

Mark Daigneault was convinced his championship-winning Oklahoma City Thunder side were "pretty special" this season.

The Thunder won their first NBA title since the franchise relocated from Seattle in 2008 after beating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the finals.

Daigneault’s side broke many individual and team records in their winning campaign, with their mentality defined by their ability to bounce back from losses.

Oklahoma City were 19-2 in games after a loss this season, the best record in such fixtures in a single campaign.

Daigneault was at the helm, leading their rebuild following the seasons of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Paul George.

He became the first head coach to win an NBA title after having two or more consecutive 50-loss seasons with a single team.

Despite a tough Western Conference waiting to halt their progress, Daigneault sensed there was something special about his team.

Daigneault said: “There were definitely moments in the season when it was clear we were a great team, and that doesn’t guarantee you anything.

“But there were moments during the build when you sensed we were pretty special, we had something going, and then this season there was a sense we were a special team and we could accomplish pretty much anything.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added to his regular-season MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP awards with the Finals MVP trophy.

The Thunder guard became the first player in NBA history to win the scoring title, MVP, Finals MVP, and multiple Game 7s in a single season.

Daigneault was grateful for Gilgeous-Alexander’s commitment to the project, as well as the roles of other players.

“He [Gilgeous-Alexander] was the first guy in the door,” Daigneault added. “As great as the team is, our confidence comes from Shai, our fearlessness comes from [Luguentz] Dort and Kenrich Williams is an unsung guy but he’s like the soul of the team.

“He’s been here a long time. That’s been huge – their vision and sacrifice has been contagious to everybody who has walked through the door.”

Daigneault joined the organisation in 2014 as the head coach of the G League affiliate side the Oklahoma City Blue, where he coached current OKC player Alex Caruso.

He then became assistant coach for the Thunder in the 2019-20 season, before being promoted to head coach in 2020.

Daigneault praised the role of the Thunder GM Sam Presti, who was pivotal in building this roster.

“Huge shout out to Sam – he had gone through this before, and then to tear it down and do it again is an unbelievable accomplishment. I always marvel at his discipline and who we were bringing through the door,” he added.

“As the team got better, it was a case of knowing we had something special here, let’s not mess this up. There was never a day that I didn’t feel full support from the organisation – we operate as a unit. The sustainability and continuity they have is amazing. As long as I was following the plan, I always felt support, regardless of the record.”