OKLAHOMA CITY, May 6, 2025 – Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti was named the 2024-25 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year, it was announced today by the NBA.
Currently in his 18th season with the Thunder franchise, Presti oversaw one of the most historic regular seasons in NBA history this past year. The Thunder registered a franchise-best 68-14 record, with the 68 wins representing the fifth-most wins in a single season in NBA history. The Thunder posted a 12.9-point scoring differential this season, the largest ever in the NBA. Oklahoma City also won 54 games by double digits this season, an NBA record, and went 29-1 against the Eastern Conference, the best record against the opposing conference in league history.
Oklahoma City secured its 13th postseason appearance in the last 16 seasons, the second-most postseason appearances for any NBA team during this span. The team also clinched its seventh Northwest Division title since 2010, second most in the NBA.
The Thunder is currently the second-youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history, second only to last year’s team. Oklahoma City earned 16 more wins than the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, tied for the largest gap in league history between the top two seeds.
With Oklahoma City’s 68 wins this past season, Presti became just the fourth head of basketball operations in NBA history to build 60-win teams with two entirely different rosters (Red Auerbach, Jerry West and Pat Riley).
STATEMENT FROM EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER SAM PRESTI:
First and foremost, this is an organizational and community driven award. As with all NBA organizations, ownership is central to everything that happens with the Thunder. On behalf of our entire staff, I want to thank Clay Bennett and our entire ownership group for their continuous support and belief in our vision for basketball in Oklahoma City and as a community accelerator.
An award such as this is really the result of our players and their commitment to our program. They push themselves in all capacities for the good of the team. I’m fortunate to work with this particular collection of men and I do not take their professionalism for granted.
We have an incredible coaching staff and support staff, many who have been here for over ten years as the team behind the team, and I see their excellence day to day, in ways that are invisible but invaluable to a sustainable organization.
I am deeply grateful to the many front office members that I have been privileged enough to work with and learn from throughout my experience with the Thunder. There are too many people to thank but I am aware that I’m simply a representative of our front office and our commitment to improve one another.
Lastly, I’m extremely humbled to be recognized by my peers, it is a privilege to be a member of such a talented group of basketball executives that work in the NBA today and I’m thankful for the relationships I’ve enjoyed with many of them over the years. We are all fortunate to have had people come before us who once served the position such as Donnie Walsh, Wayne Embry, Kevin O’Connor, Jack McCloskey, Rod Thorn, Sam Schuler, Jerry Colangelo, Mitch Kupchak, John Paxson, Mark Warkentien, John Gabriel, Bob Whitsitt, Danny Ferry, Carroll Dawson, Scott Layden, Bryan Colangelo, Geoff Petrie, Jerry West, Jerry Krause, and others who helped define the role that we are all now privileged to serve.
