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Auto parts. We're getting a hold of Steve McGee. He will let you know when he's here with us so we can talk about Oklahoma City and the thunder. I like their turnaround. They won the championship on Sunday night.
They are not playing any games. Their parade. It's tomorrow morning. Ain't no delay. I mean the Florida Panthers took a year and a day.
to get their parade. They didn't have their parade until yesterday. Florida Panthers waited like five, six days. I guess they didn't want to do it over the weekend. They just jumped ahead into having this thing.
on a Sunday, He had not wasted any time out in Oklahoma City. Joining us right now. Is someone who covers the team, has covered the team for years. You can catch them on News Non-Down and OKC. It's Steve McGee.
Hey, Steve, how are you, man? I'm doing good. I just rolled through the parade route for downtown Oklahoma City just a short while ago in a golf cart, kind of checking it out. I'll be on one of the buses tomorrow. I don't know which players will be on it, but We're looking forward to it.
I'm not looking forward to the four thirty A. M. Roll call for all this. Excuse who's. Who's who's who has to be there at 4.30 for what?
of everybody that's involved in the parade broadcast. Oh, my. And they're expecting 500, 600,000 people here. And so I'm j I'm spending the night at a hotel in downtown OKC, so I don't have to deal with all that. Road closed and traffic and all that in the morning.
So, but when they said you got to be here at four thirty, I'm like, Yep, I'm going to get a hotel room. I'm gonna expense it.
Sorry. Yeah, listen. I listen to you. You get to roll you get to roll outside.
Now, my understanding is the Thunder are they having they're having a private ceremony at Paycom and then hitting the streets? Is that what's going on? Yeah, they're having like for for some of their season ticket. people, they're just like a like a breakfast, you know, nothing Nothing big.
Okay. And then they'll start the parade the parade route about an hour after that and ends up at Scissor Tail Park. on the stage.
So it's looking like to be an hour and a half, two hour long parade. It'll be about two miles, going about three miles an hour.
So it's going to take a while through going through downtown, but it should be a lot of fun. It's been a long time coming because you know, in that Durant Westbrook area, we thought, Oh yeah, we're gonna have some trade That that never happened. Yeah, we're joined by Steve McGee. He covers the Oklahoma City Thunder. When you think about that era in that time.
Like if Sam Presti Just can we give him an aw can we give him all the awards for what he's done? Because they were some lean years, but going from that trio that you mentioned So so what you have now, this new trio It's like NBA teams, fans in every market wish that they had this happen. Yes, it's a great trio. Nothing against Harden. Westbrook and Durant, but I the three together really didn't really mess One hundred percent.
And dub A C A And check. They mess. You know, they're not at that level yet. SGA is there, and Jalen Williams is getting there. Chet's got a ways to go, but.
I think those three really understand what it takes to win And they're they're very humble. They're not selfish. They're not m Stat padding stats.
So it's a pretty good trio to have. It's just the same. It didn't work back in the day, but they're bringing Hardin off the bench back then, and he wanted to be. A starter and uh you know You know, if Sank could do it all over again, he would have kept him. Pardon probably for one more year.
and then traded him as opposed to trading him to the rockets. you know, one year before he had to really.
So It's just interesting, you know, everything kind of works Sometimes it works, you know, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Booker. That trio didn't work. It didn't work. You know, you you it looks good on paper. But then when you put it out there, it's like, ooh, this doesn't look good at all.
How are we getting out of this? But it looks good on paper, and it looks good on the court for the thunder. at least one or two more years before these contracts start to balloon. But Sam Presti, He's got all the dollars and cents figured out on that. He he has a system, he has a plan in place, you know, to take care of this.
Well, Steve, when you talk about how good they can be going into the future, they're the second youngest team in the league. How could you see this squad being better next year? Like, how could obviously Chet Holmgram still have room to grow? How can they be better? Um Yeah.
I don't know if SGA can be any better. I mean, he's he's at he's high level already. MVP, MVP of the finals in the Western Conference, MVP of the NBA Finals.
So let's say Duchet. Dub can get a little better with his shooting and defense and he will. Chet can get better. He's going to put on five to seven more pounds. And they can be better.
If Chet doesn't miss more than 25 games, that hip injury he had.
So that's the scary thing. Had Chet Mount gotten hurt, this team probably would have won seventy two, maybe seventy three games. I don't think that's too far fetched. I was just impressed at how well they did. They started the year without Hartenstein, and then Hartenstein comes back and then checks out for a while.
So it's just amazing how they were able to stay. at the top of the West all season long pretty much and come away with sixty eight wins. With some of the injuries they had to deal with.
So if this team, for whatever reason, you know, it's it's no guarantee, but if they can stay relatively injury-free next year, they could have seventy plus wins. I don't think that's too far fetched. Oh, yeah. They were close, 68 this year. Steve McGee, he's here with us, covers the Thunder for Newsnine and OKC.
Did you expect this season out of them? I had them going to the Western Conference finals at least. Uh so they went above my expectations. But then then when they went To play Indiana, I had the Thunder winning in seven. I can honestly say on air that I said Indiana will win a game in Oklahoma.
And Oklahoma City will win the game in Indiana. And I just got lucky with my gas, but um. I thought they'd go to the Western Conference finals. I kind of kind of Kind of was emulating what they did the first go-around. They with Russ.
And hardened. And K D they Their first They lost the first year to the Lakers in six. then the second year, they lost in the Western Conference finals Dallas. Then the third year, they they went to the NBA finals.
So I was kind of emulating that, but um, you know, Last year they lost in the semifinals, and this year They win it all.
So they j they jumped they jumped the spots. Yeah, they they certainly did. Steve, you've covered this team for a long time, and you've covered them as long as Shea Gilgas Alexander's been on the team. What don't we know or see or understand about this guy? We've learned so much just over the past several months, is obviously he's.
Help take this team to another level. What don't we know? Uh one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Um He doesn't. Not to say that superstars Can be the Behind the scenes, but he's genuine on and off the court.
You're talking about a guy that signs. Autographs for ten to twenty minutes before Every home game. And he'll try to sign as much as he can on the road as well. Right, right. And he did the same thing last night.
Here it is, game seven. And he's signing autographs. I think uh NBA T V or somebody Tallied up what he did. 75 or something like that? It was more than 500 autographs.
Oh, my God. It was. Because uh you know, when he first started doing it, it was just a small crowd. And then it was just a concentrated area. And then the crowd grew and grew every season.
Then he just. He goes all the way to the far right of the arena and works his way back to the tunnel. It's an impressive feat. and you're looking at the guy that's the MVP of the league And he cares enough to to associate with the fans and try to sign as much as you can. That's the one thing he he is A very humble person.
He's a family man. He has a son and a wife. He from the most part, from what I can tell, he likes to just kind of chill at home. doesn't want to go out and about get in trouble. He wants to just Just relax and enjoy it all.
He's a different type of all-star, and he's definitely one you would want on your team because. He's a good team guy. And players want to be around him and they want to succeed with him.
So he makes everyone around him better. But we could easily He could easily average thirty five point thirty five to forty points a game and just be selfish. Yeah.
Well, we certainly see the atmosphere around the team. We've seen it dating back to last year and this season. They just seem like they're having a time. Of their lives. And as we know, as younger guys get a little bit older, and then there's more money and You're around everybody.
I can't remember seeing an NBA team. That has just been this close, this young. It's like a college atmosphere. Do you foresee that being the while they're together the entire time? Or are they eventually going to start hating each other's guts?
Oh, I don't I something weird would have to happen for that to happen. I just I just don't see it 'cause these guys hang out. On off days together. You know, hey, we're going to have a movie night, or hey, let's watch a game, or let's go over here and have dinner at so-and-so's house. They they really do hang out.
and enjoy one another's company. You know, sometimes you'll see some mix-ups on the bench, you know, from other teams. You don't see that with the Oklahoma City Fender. You don't, you know. High-fives and Jalen Williams, Jay Will out of Arkansas, he's on the bench encouraging players.
He's He's kind of like the laughter of the team. He's always good for a joke, but they all just seem to get along together. And if you're on board with this team, you better get in line with how they do things or you're not going to be on the team for very long.
So those rookies coming in, they got to understand that as well. It's just um it's just a good Combination of players And perhaps Damn saw that with what he had ten years ago. I'm like, okay, I need to reevaluate how I draft guys. to where you know obviously defense three-point shooting and just good all around players that haven't gotten in trouble Off the court and can come in. and not rock the boat.
Well, the the the boat is seemingly on some smooth sailing. Right now, Steve. And ironically, as we have this discussion, I'm sitting here in the studio. The ATNT commercial with uh Shea Gilgis and and Jalen and And chat just pops up on the screen as we have this conversation.
So their profiles are going to continue to get larger. It's nice to see some young guys having fun, just playing ball. We got a lot of guys who are just really in their feelings and whining and complaining all the time. And these dudes just look like they're having a time of their lives. And good on you, it's not always easy covering a team.
You got a good group that you're covering, man. How long? I'm very fortunate with that. Very fortunate. Yeah, no, we've seen some horror stories.
Well, you're going to have fun at the parade tomorrow? You're going to be too tired by the time, I don't know, 9 a.m. rolls around. Uh It may be a uh you know, one of those energy drinks in the morning. That maybe get me going.
But uh I will try to get to sleep tonight around nine o'clock, but I highly doubt it. If I'm asleep by ten, it'll be a shock, but uh it'll be it's worth it. It's worth it. But what's crazy, we got this trade tomorrow. And then the very next day is the NBA draft.
Right. And Presti's always been one I'm like, hey, there's a way we can move up in the draft. We're going to try to do it.
So, you know, right now they're at 15 and 24 and 44. And if they stay at those positions, I'll kind of be stunned. If they could obviously. trade one of those picks and kick it down the road for number one later on. Which could be likely, or they could trade up, take all those picks, and try to move up to three or four spots and pick another guy.
It's it's a it's a fun time. And then of course summer league is going to be great. Remember, they had the lottery pick. last year in the colour topics. Yeah, play at all.
So he's going to be playing. we hope, in Utah and Las Vegas as well.
So in essence, they get Two first-round picks coming in next year. Oh, my God. You know, obviously, if they picked 24, that'd be three. You know, Tilpitz, the 15th pick, and the 24th pick.
So that may be too many guys.
Well, like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if they took trade out. or trade up and bundle and try to move up in the draft. I said it last week when they put the new arena up. Hey, they got a. Tom Brady's statue, I think, in New England is going to be 12 feet tall.
They're going to need to make a 15-foot statue of Sam Presti outside the arena, okay? That'd be good. That'd be good. I know it was a big restaurant relief for him last night.
So, like. Because that was the one knock on him. I'm like, great GM, makes all the right moves, but you know what? He doesn't have any ring. Until he gets a ring, we'll maybe, you know, some people are saying until he gets a ring, we're not going to count him as one of the best.
But now he's one of the best. Without a shadow of a doubt.
Well, Steve, thank you so much. I'll let you go to get some rest. Please tell everybody where they can follow you and all your work. Oh, it's a funny last name. It's real simple.
It's at. Steve and then McGeehee, M-C-G-E-H-E-E. Hey, Steve, thank you so much. We'll catch you down the line. Have some fun tomorrow, okay?
I'll be looking for you. We'll do, we'll do. I'll be the guy with a sunburned face. All right, man. See you.
Thank you, Steve. Steve McGee, he's joining us. Uh covers the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yeah.
