December 30, 2020 Issue, Page 6 of 10

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SPORTS December 30, 2020 OKC Thunder: How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OKC Thunder turned into the face of the franchise exercise options Joe Mussatto, The Oklaho- der's team — win or lose. the entire night," Thunder a layup attempt that was Joe Buettner | Transcript Alexander led the team with man ‘That outcome was in coach Mark Daigneault said. blocked off his leg and out of 19.0 points per game to go Gilgeous-Alexander's hands Gilgeous-Alexander bounds. ‘Thunder general manager with averages of 5.9 rebounds Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 10 seconds left in the opened training camp by con- Alast-second shot Sam Presti announced the and 3.3 assists. has been the Thunder's corner- season opener and the game firming he wanted to be the wouldn't have been necessary franchise exercised contract Both Bazley and Jerome stone player ever since he was tied 107-107. face of this rebuilding team. had Gilgeous-Alexander and options on Shai Gilgeous- received third-year contract traded to Oklahoma City 18 Gilgeous-Alexander faked a ‘One game down, and that's the Thunder not squandered a Alexander, Darius Bazley and options. months ago, but he didn't be- drive to the rim, sending Hor- already apparent. 13-point lead with 2:13 to go. come the face of the franchise nets forward Cody Martin into "In my head I was like, he's “Obviously we let our foot Ty Jerome. Bazley, a 2019 first-round until Saturday night. a sprawl. By the time Martin hitting this shot," Thunder off the gas those last three ‘Oklahoma City exercised draft pick, scored 5.6 points ‘This was Chris Paul's team recovered, Gilgeous-Alexander forward Darius Bazley said. or four minutes," Gilgeous- its fourth-year contract option and grabbed 4 rebounds last season, particularly in was already elevating for a "I didn't know what he was Alexander said. "But going on Gilgeous-Alexander, who per game over his rookie crunch time. Steven Adams pull-up 23-footer that swished gonna do, but you know, that's into that last possession I just just started his third year in campaign. Jerome, who the was entrenched as the fan with 1.4 seconds left. Shai.” wanted to clear my head and the league and second with ‘Thunder acquired in a trade favorite, and Dennis Schroder Stone-faced, Gilgeous- "Shai's a great player," have that next-play mentality. the Thunder. The 2019 NBA with Phoenix last month that and Danilo Gallinari could Alexander held his follow guard Hamidou Diallo said, ‘The greats do it. All-Rookie second-team selec- involved Chris Paul, averaged both be the star on any given through before strutting back “and that's what great players “And at the end of the day tion has averaged 14.7 points, 3.3 points and 1.4 assists as a night. to the Thunder bench. I'm trying to get a win, and if 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists rookie last season. But none of those players “He came up the floor with Gilgeous-Alexander's game Iwas thinking about the last over 153 appearances. The Thunder (1-0) play were on the honeycomb court an understanding of how winner against the Hornets couple minutes, and obviously As a full-time Thunder their first home game against Saturday in Charlotte. For the much time he had, and he got covered for his two turnovers they didn't go so well, I might starter last season, Gilgeous- Utah at 7 p.m. Monday. first time, the Thunder was to his spot, but that was no in a bumpy final two minutes. have not made the shot." indisputably Gilgeous-Alexan- different than how he played Gilgeous-Alexander also had ‘That mentality is part of the maturation process for the 22-year-old point guard. As Utah Jazz return to face OKC "I did find myselfa lot last year thinking about previous plays," Gilgeous-Alexander COACHES CORNER Thunder, a look back on how said. "And that's one of the things Coach Mark has been By Kerry Hookstra working on with me going COVID-19 stopped sport into this new season is, no matter how the game is going, Bearcat Coaches Corner having a positive attitude and Erick is in Christmas Break mode with practices happening not wearing your emotions on this week. The Bearcats plan a multi-team scrimmage at Ham- Jenni Carlson, The Oklaho- for several minutes, then the Nanni said. your sleeve and stuff like that. mon Dec. 30. The Lady Bearcats will scrimmage at Hobart the man coaches would be sent back to He paused. And all his teaching, it paid off same day. the benches and would take "You're all safe," he said, tonight." When John Leach saw the their teams back to the locker "and take your time in leaving Daigneault said Gilgeous- Eagle Coaches Corner Thunder's team doctor sprint- rooms delaying the start of the arena tonight and do so in Alexander's composure is ing toward the officials, he e game. an orderly fashion. Thank you “certainly smoothing out." Sayre is on Christmas Break with workouts planned. The knew there was trouble. Leach called Brian Byrnes, for coming out tonight." Gilgeous-Alexander Eagles are set to participate in a scrimmage at Hammon Dec. Leach has directed in-game who oversees game operations Leach's lips moved ever so finished with 24 points, nine 30. The Lady Eagles are looking for a scrimmage date. entertainment in professional as the Thunder's senior vice slightly along with what Nanni assists and seven rebounds in basketball for more than two president of sales and market- was reading, but then, Leach the first game of what might decades, and from his mid- ing. said something quickly and be a breakout third season. Elk Coaches Corner court seat next to the public- "Hey," Leach told him, Nanni reiterated words he'd On Sunday, the Thunder With Christmas Break ongoing basketball practices will be address announcer, he's seen “we're getting a delay here." already said. made a no-brainer move in ex- in the gym. Scrimmages are still in the works for the Big Elks just about everything. But ‘Team leaders were already "We are all safe," he said. ercising Gilgeous-Alexander's and Elkettes with the wrestling team also holding workouts. before the night of March 11, working through a contin- Slowly, fans began to gath- fourth-year contract option. he had only ever seen players gency plan, calling on NBA er belongings, leave their seats Next is the big payday that Oiler Coaches Corner run out toa referee before headquarters and commis- and head toward the exits. could keep Gilgeous-Alexander tipoff. sioner Adam Silver to get ‘The words "coronavirus" Merritt is in a Christmas Break workout schedule. Scrim- as the face of the Thunder for Seeing Donnie Strack, the further guidance. and "COVID-19" were never years to come. mages are not on the horizon for break due to virus concerns. Thunder's vice president of hu- In the meantime, Leach mentioned, even though social "It's a role that I'm ob- man and player performance, needed to stall. media speculation was swirl- viously blessed to have," Trojan Coaches Corner there on the court with the "Knowing that we had time ing. Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Not Christmas Break sees the Canute Basketball getting in officials sounded alarms in to fill and 18,000 people that ‘Soon enough, guesswork a lot of guys have this situa- practice time. Both teams are foregoing scrimmages to limit Leach's head. we didn't want to get nervous would become bedrock. The “Buckle up," Leach told or wonder what was going NBA announced that a Utah tion." potential virus exposure. PA man Mario Nanni. "Some- on," he said, "we immediately player had tested positive — thing's not right." went into distraction mode sources would later confirm Leach had no way of know- and started sending out our it was Gobert — and that the ing how prophetic he was. entertainers to perform." league was indefinitely sus- Rudy Gobert had tested Rumble. pending its season. positive for COVID-19, a ‘The Thunder Girls. But when Leach met with result that came to Thun- ‘The Thunder Drummers. his staff back in the Thunder der medical personnel only Once all of those groups offices after the game was minutes before tipoff, and had performed, Leach decided postponed, they hadn't gotten even though the Jazz center to bring out Frankie J, the official word about anything. wasn't at Chesapeake Energy halftime entertainment. Leach "Had a quick conversation Arena that night, teammates, sensed the fans were growing about how strange that was," coaches and support staff who restless. There were murmurs. Leach said chuckling, "and had been around him were. ‘There were grumbles. then we all just went home." ‘The Thunder-Jazz game would But nothing was official, ‘They did what everyone eventually be postponed. and Leach didn't want any else did — started following But before the night was dead air. the news. over, the NBA had suspended "In what I do... [don't "[ think that was the night its season, too. All of sports want to create any awkward everybody ... started paying followed in the coming days moments," he said. "Awkward attention to what was going as the coronavirus shuttered silence is never a good thing." on with COVID," Leach said. the professional, college and He has been directing Of course, the video of amateur ranks all across the game operations for years — Leach and Nanni making country. this season will be his 26th the announcement that the It all started in Oklahoma —and he has handled crisis Thunder-Jazz game had been City. On Monday night, the situations before. Leach was postponed became part of Thunder and the Jazz will at the scorers’ table during a that coverage. It was used by return to The Peake. The two WNBA playoff game in Hous- networks big and small, sports franchises, forever linked in ton when one of the referees and news. pandemic history, will meet in had a massive heart attack, Leach got calls and texts Oklahoma City's home opener. collapsing on the court before from family and friends all It'll be the first regular-season being rushed to the hospital. over the country who saw him Leach was also working in that clip. May the year ahead game at The Peake since the regular-season game that a game in Seattle once when He admits now it's weird wasn't. part of the massive scoreboard to think how seminal those Tt will have been 292 days. moments were. be as good to you high above the court caught To John Leach, it all seems fire and part of it was engulfed "I'm sure that video, that B like yesterday. in flames. roll, is gonna be used for years ----Long before the pan- “There's never a manual to come," he said. demic pause, John Leach and his events-and-entertainment staff were taking precautions. or any training that prepares you for that," Leach said of unexpected moments. "I think But for John Leach, the most important thing that night was the thing that's as you've been fo us! Normally on game nights, that obviously part of my always most important to tough, it’s th nent of friends and they would get from the Thun- experience, doing what I do, him — the fans. It's his job to f you the der offices in the arena's upper has prepared me as best as it keep them entertained and levels to the floor level by could.” informed during games, and using the elevator that emp- ‘That March night at The so it was on March 11. ties into the players’ hallway Peake, as Frankie J performed, So it will be this season, near the locker rooms. But Leach got the official word even though fans won't be in an effort to avoid contact that the game was being post- inside the arena. Leach is still Good luck, good health and best wishes to you and yours in the coming year! with players and coaches, they poned. mindful of the fans who'll be were taking alternate routes to By the time the lights came watching from home. their posts. up at the end of the halftime "It's important for every- “The whole mindset was act that had moved to the pre- body to feel like ... we're all First National Bank already kind of different," ame, Leach had the script on putting in our effort to make Leach said. is cell phone that Nanni was sure this team is successful Like many around the supposed to read to the crowd. and overall that the game and NBA, he was thinking about Leach handed his phone to the league is succeeding and the coronavirus more than the Nanni. putting on a show for our & Trust of Elk City average American on March "Please read this verbatim," fans," he said. "It's a different 11. Leach told him, "because it's environment, but ... we're still But when Strack sprinted important." here to make sure this is a onto the court and huddled ‘What happened in the good game and that people are with officials, Leach didn't next 30 seconds was played enjoying it. know if it had anything to do onan almost continuous loop “That never stops." with the budding pandemic. He might've guessed as much, for days and will likely be part of documentaries about the Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at 405-475-4125 “Together We Grow’ but he was like everyone else pandemic for years to come. or jcarlsoneoklahoman.com. watching that night. --—John Leach leaned into Like her at facebook.com/ He had no idea what was Mario Nanni, pointing at the JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at ELK CITY: 2714 W. 3rd St. SAYRE: 711 N.E. Highway going on. phone screen and even swip- twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok, 580.225.2580 + 580.928.2580 He knew, however, he ing at it a couple times. and support her work and that had to act when the officials. “Fans, due to unforeseen of other Oklahoman journal- https//www.fnbec.bank brought the head coaches to circumstances, the game ists by purchasing a digital midcourt. They would talk tonight has been postponed,” subscription today. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.