The Oklahoma City Thunder’s culture is palpable.
The entirely league has noticed, and that came before the team ultimately claimed its first NBA title in the city’s history back in late June. It’s a culture built on integrity, humility and brotherhood—a culture that the front office has uplifted, and the players have sparked. Each player works harmoniously and abides by a few unspoken rules on this team; one being that you elicit elatedness for your teammates’ success as much as your own.
These guys care about each other, and that’s now trickled down to the Thunder’s NBA Summer League squad in Salt Lake City, Utah, where just two of that roster’s players competed on Oklahoma City’s regular season roster—well, technically just one, as Nikola Topic was injured for the duration of the season.
That culture and mindset has seem to stick, as after Oklahoma City’s Summer League victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, the Thunder gathered around Chris Youngblood, who had a breakout performance on the game.
“Just focusing on doing the winning plays, it’s pretty simple—trusting my brothers and focusing on winning the basketball game,” Youngblood said postgame as his teammates were showing him in towels, the “official treatment” now as a member of the Thunder, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“This is why I wanted to come here, whether I got drafted or not,” Youngblood said on the Thunder culture. “You see this brotherhood, it’s all about family.”
Youngblood had dropped 19 points on 70% shooting in Oklahoma CIty’s 90-81 win, adding two steals and five rebounds while sinking three shots from 3-point range—uplifting Topic’s 18 points and Ajay Mitchell’s 20 points.
Celebrating teammates’ success embodies Oklahoma City’s dynamic, and these players are doing that at the base of the organization’s foundation. Having a selfless and humble mindset can take you far, as the Thunder has shown this past championship-winning season.