OKC's Lu Dort Prepared to Turn Things up Coming off Injury

As the Thunder slowly introduce its defensive stalwart back into the lineup, Dort's looking to bounce back to his all-defensive level of play.

Nov 15, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) shoots defended by Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It's been a trend with Lu Dort that he improves defensively year after year. It was only last season that Dort had been able to play on a consistent national level that exposed him to the widest audience he'd ever played in front of.

Reaching the NBA Finals following an impressive run with that Thunder team saw him garner national attention from all fronts—and, mostly, it was a net positive for him. While he's not looking for praise and notoriety to boost his level of play, being recognized at an NBA All-Defensive level is a massive honor.

He received just that a year ago on that championship-winning Thunder squad, getting a first team placement across the entire NBA of stacked defenders. Dort had finally found a true award he could attach his success to—but you could definitely bet he'd honor that Larry O'Brien a thousand times before his own individual accolade.

That's a trend with all the personalities on this team. Humility. They're all guys who just want to win, do it with their friends and have fun doing it. There's no ego attached—and with that comes pure, unadulterated love for the game. And when no strings are attached, you can simply focus on ball.

Dort's a perfect example of that. He's always focused on what the task at hand is. From competing with a young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with Chris Paul back in the 2019-2020 season to now an NBA champion, it's always been the same task for Dort.

And sitting at 13-1 on the regular season with this rendition of the Thunder, Dort is still coming with that mindset as he recovers from injury, looking to expand upon what he left on the floor last season.

Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) celebrates after winning game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Dealing with an upper right trap strain, Dort was sidelined for five games for Oklahoma City and had just returned against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. He put up three points on 25% shooting, four boards, one assist and one block—a bit of a rough first game back, but done in 22 minutes nonetheless.

He's on the comeback to shift this early season to his favor. And with his mindset and play style, don't doubt that Dort goes on a tear here shortly.

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