At 1 a.m. on July 6, 2019, the news broke that the Thunder were trading Paul George. It was evident within hours this was the end of an era in Thunder history and that this blockbuster trade would also lead to the departure of our beloved Russell Westbrook.
About twelve hours later, at 1:30 p.m., the Thunder put out a press release announcing that they were signing an undrafted rookie named Luguentz Dort. On this emotional day for Thunder fans, the timing was perhaps less than ideal. The announcement of Dort’s signing may have seemed a jarring answer to the news of the morning. What anyone could hardly have imagined was that the seeds had just been planted for our city’s first championship.
Four days after Dort’s signing, on July 10th, the Paul George trade was officially announced by the teams involved, and a second Canadian - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - officially joined Lu to begin a new chapter in Thunder history. Fans will have to be forgiven for failing to realize that four days in July, 2019 had just secured the core of a championship team.
Lu would become the longest-tenured player on the 2025 NBA Champions and would set the tone early for the team’s rise to that moment, starting with a spirited breakout performance in the 2020 playoffs.
Lu Dort was not just one of the 18 young men who brought Oklahoma City its first title in 2025, he was a key leader and contributor, and always a fan favorite for his suffocating defense on opponents. The Dorture Chamber will long live in Thunder mythology. Lu Dort will long live in Oklahoma City history.
We wish Lu Dort all the best in this next chapter of his professional basketball journey, and he will always have a home in OKC.
Two immigrants.
One American dream. 🇺🇸
@RealStevenAdams
America gave us freedom and opportunity.
Oklahoma gave us a home, lifelong friendships, and memories we’ll never forget.
Home isn’t always where you’re born. Sometimes it’s where you’re given the freedom to dream.
We’ll never forget where we came from and we’ll never stop being grateful for where we are.