Oklahoma Coach Offers Up High Praise for OKC Thunder

Porter Moser had nothing but kind words to say about the Thunder organization.

Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser and Saint Francis head coach Luke McConnell meet before an NCAA Men’s basketball game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Saint Francis Red Flash at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has received plenty of praise across the course of the rebuild. Anyone who has followed the NBA for the last decade knows that the Thunder’s front office brilliance began long before the team decided to hit the reset button, though.

Since arriving to the city, Sam Presti and company have been regarded as one of the best front office’s in the business. The coaching staff — whoever was in charge at the time — was always well respected, too. Oklahoma City’s win total and competitive level since 2008 is a pretty direct example of what a consistent and effective front office can build. And it amounted to history the past season, as the Thunder wrapped a bow around an extremely successful stretch of basketball with the first championship in franchise history.

Even with the success, Oklahoma City as an organization is still completely down to earth. Over the offseason, they brought in several high profile coaches to watch practice and spend time around the team — it can be beneficial for both parties no doubt. The names even included former opposing coaches in the NBA like Tom Thibodeau.

College coaches were in on the action, too, as Porter Moser stopped by to take it all in. The Oklahoma basketball coach has built a strong relationship with the Thunder, and really respects the organization as a whole.

“Just the culture….there’s a purpose for everything…they do some unbelievable things….that whole organization is first class.

- OU MBB coach Porter Moser talks about spending time with the Thunder during training camp and tips he can take from them pic.twitter.com/Epq8VSgkIi

— The Daniel Bell© (@BasketballGuruD) November 4, 2025

“Just the culture,” Moser said. “From how they built the time, to going to their practice and watching how efficient and purposeful everything they do is. There’s a purpose for everything. You watch them play and they’re just so unselfish, you just look at them and you’re like ‘Man, they’re together.’ 

“It’s one thing when you’ve got elite culture, but defensively they do some unbelievable things. The way they have each other’s back, the way they peel, the way they do different stuff. Offensively, the way they space. We’re lucky to have those kind of people, that whole organization is first class and we’ve really drawn on it as much as we can. Pulling for them every game, that’s how it should be run.”

Moser is certainly trying to model Oklahoma's culture just like the NBA team down the road. And that's not unique to him either, every coach in the world is after what Oklahoma City has. Moser seems to be on the right track, though, after reaching the NCAA Tournament a season ago and looking to build on that this season.

It's certainly helpful to have such a successful and open organization right down the road. Oklahoma City has been all about relationships since day one, and it remains that way today.

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