Reliving Oklahoma City's 2013 Summer League Championship Squad

Oklahoma City has fielded an elite Summer League team on paper for the upcoming sessions in Salt Lake City and Vegas. It’s unclear who’s playing in which league exactly, but one thing is for sure — it will be a must watch.

Jalen Williams, the team’s Rookie of the Year runner-up has committed to play a few games for the Thunder after helping the team reach the play-in a season ago. He was a hidden gem in last season’s draft and has turned into one of Oklahoma City’s best prospects. Chet Holmgren starred in Summer League at this time last year, creating a newfound excitement throughout the Thunder fan base after being selected No. 2 in the draft. He missed all of last season with an injury, so fans are certainly anxiously anticipating his return to the court.

It also appears lottery picks Ousmane Dieng (2022 Draft) and Cason Wallace (2023 Draft) will both suit up, and it will be the first look at the Kentucky point guard for Thunder fans. There’s a unique mix of experience and potential on this squad, and it’s one that could make some serious noise in either league.

The last time Oklahoma City fielded a Summer League Champion was 2013, when the event was still played in Orlando. In honor of Summer League right around the corner, and Oklahoma City’s promising young team, here’s a look back at the squad that won it all.

The Thunder breezed through the competition en route to an undefeated week at the 2013 Orlando Summer League. The squad knocked off the Houston Rockets 85-77 in the inaugural championship game.

Oklahoma City finished 5-0 and took a team picture at mid court to celebrate the occasion. The team had plenty of future NBA talent, from the coaching staff to the roster, and everything came together that week in Orlando.

Rex Kalamian was the team’s head coach, and has since shot up the coaching ranks throughout the NBA and international basketball. After his stint in Oklahoma City, he was an assistant coach for the Raptors, Clippers and Kings before finding a sticking spot with the Detroit Pistons. Kalamian has been an assistant in Detroit since 2021 and recently interviewed for the team’s head coaching job before it was given to Monty Williams. He’s also the head coach of the Armenia National Team and has served that role since 2022.

Jeremy Lamb scored a team-high 18 points to lead the Thunder in the championship win over Houston. Daniel Orton added 12 points. Then-rookie center and lottery selection Steven Adams scored 10 points with nine rebounds for the Thunder, while the team’s other rookie, Andre Roberson, threw in seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

After the game, Lamb was named to the Orlando Pro Summer League First Team, indicating a promising career ahead. As one of the key returns of the James Harden trade, Thunder fans were hoping he’d be special. In Orlando, he averaged 18.8 points, four rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in four games.

Reggie Jackson earned Second Team honors, simply because he didn’t play enough games. In two contests, Jackson averaged 19.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He dropped a single-game Orlando Pro Summer League record 35 points against Detroit, the team he would eventually be traded to years down the line. Jackson played like a veteran in Summer League, and it was clear he’d been there before. He scored with ease, and gave the Thunder a leg up against anyone.

That was it for Thunder players on the All Summer League Team’s, but it’s always fun to look back at who the competition was. Lamb was joined on the First Team by Detroit center Andre Drummond, Houston forward Terrence Jones, Boston forward Kelly Olynyk and Orlando guard Victor Oladipo. All four players ended up enjoying solid years in the NBA, with Drummond and Oladipo turning into All Star caliber talent at stops in their career. Olynyk has become a sought-after back up center, excelling in his role player spot.

Brooklyn guard Tyshawn Taylor, Indiana forwards Miles Plumlee and Solomon Hill and Miami guard Ian Clark rounded out the Second Team in Orlando.

Grant Jerrett, the Thunder’s 40th overall pick from Arizona, finished the week 10-for-20 from 3-pointer range. Roberson led the team in rebounding with eight per game. He netted 32 boards in four games, 11 coming on the offensive end. He also added 4.8 points and 1.5 steals, in typical Roberson fashion. Adams averaged nine points and 6.5 rebounds in four games, adding 1.2 blocks on the defensive end.

Daniel Orton missed two games recovering from a concussion, but averaged 12 points, five rebounds and 1.7 blocks in just 16.6 minutes. Dwight Buyucks played heavy minutes for the squad, too, stuffing the stat sheet with 9.5 points, six assists, 2.5 rebounds and two steals in four contests. DeAndre Liggins served as the squad’s glue guy, adding three points, 2.8 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 22.9 minutes.

In addition to Lamb and Jackson’s First and Second Team selections, Jerrett and Buckys earned Honorable Mention for their performances.

It was a fun time to be a Thunder fan, and the 2013-14 season could’ve gone Oklahoma City’s way if not for devastating injuries down the stretch.

Now, Oklahoma City is on a completely different path, but the vibes are high coming off of a play-in appearance as the youngest team in the NBA. A successful Summer League would kick off the season in the right direction — just like 2013.

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