HoopsHype.com Rumors

Alex Kennedy: Sam Presti is the man. The Oklahoma City Thunder advanced to the Finals last night but he still made it to Chicago at 9 a.m.for the combine. Twitter

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti 

GM Sam Presti: “It's a credit to the coaches and the players. This is a special group of people.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti 

Chris Mannix: Manu Ginobili: "We know Sam Presti, he's a sharp guy. He built this out of nothing." Twitter

Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Sam Presti 

Courtney Lee: Congrats to the thunder, to Sam Presti for sticking with and keeping his team together. Twitter

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Courtney Lee 

When center Nazr Mohammed played for the San Antonio Spurs in 2005-06, he came in to do extra work on off days and often found himself casually chatting with the team's director of player personnel at the time. A 29-year-old kid named Sam Presti. It's no coincidence both men are now with the Thunder. “Oh, that's a huge reason why I'm here. No question,” Mohammed said. “We just had a good relationship and that translated to me coming here.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Sam Presti, Nazr Mohammed 

Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti landed his very first job in the NBA after an interview with Spurs basketball chief R.C. Buford that literally was conducted on the run. The memory of sidestepping his way down the sideline of a basketball court high in the Colorado Rockies to sell himself to Buford remains so vivid for Presti that he rises from his desk at the Thunder’s offices and sidesteps from one end to the other as he retells the tale. “I was 23 years old and had just graduated college,” said Presti, now 35 but still the league’s youngest GM. “By some pretty fortunate circumstances I ended up at a basketball camp in Aspen that R.C. Buford was involved with. I was told R.C. would be there and there might be an opportunity for me to meet him.” After three days without seeing Buford, Presti feared his dream of an NBA internship would not be fulfilled. “It was a four-day camp and he didn’t arrive until the fourth day,” he said. “By then I was pretty desperate, so when R.C. refereed a game, I went up and down the court with him.” San Antonio Express-News

Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Sam Presti 

Buford focused on the game as best he could while Presti pestered him about his future. “I was going up the court on the side, saying, ‘I’d really like to do this.’ “Then we’d get to the other end of the court and he’d say, ‘Why would you want to do this?’ “We’d go back down the court and I’d say, ‘This is what I want to do; this is my dream.’” San Antonio Express-News

Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, RC Buford, Sam Presti 

Because that first encounter with Buford altered his life so dramatically, Presti recalls it with more clarity than Buford. Except for the distinct impression his determination made on the Spurs official and on Gregg Popovich, whose title then was Spurs head coach and GM. “All I can tell you,” Buford said, “is that by the end of the camp, Pop and I were convinced that some day he’d be running the league.” The job paid a pittance and began in the video room at the Alamodome, a converted custodial closet. Presti broke down all manner of basketball video and survived on a diet of Power Bars and Gatorade. It didn’t take long before Popovich and Buford understood they had found a singular talent. “He’s one smart dude, No. 1,” Popovich said. “That’s the first thing you figure out very quickly with Sam. The second thing you figure out, he’s a total team player, just a great human being who is comfortable in his own skin, loyal, hard-working. He couldn’t have been better for us, and he’s even better now.” San Antonio Express-News

Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Sam Presti, Gregg Popovich 

The new committee was hand-picked by Stern and consists of two owners, four GMs and three coaches. When they come up with rules changes, those will go directly to the 30 owners for their consideration and vote. The members are: owners Dan Gilbert (Cleveland) and Joe Lacob (Golden State); GMs Bryan Colangelo (Toronto), Mitch Kupchak (Lakers), Kevin O’Connor (Utah) and Sam Presti (Oklahoma City); and coaches Rick Carlisle (Dallas), Lionel Hollins (Memphis) and Doc Rivers (Boston). New York Daily News

Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Doc Rivers, Mitch Kupchak, CBA, Sam Presti, Bryan Colangelo, Dan Gilbert, Kevin O'Connor, David Stern, Joe Lacob, Lionel Hollins, Owners, Rick Carlisle 

The NBA on Wednesday announced the members of the league’s new competition committee, including Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor. The announcement follows a decision by the league’s board of governors last month to change the committee’s composition. The committee will now include two owners, four general managers, three head coaches and one representative from the NBA Players Association. Joining O’Connor are fellow GMs Bryan Colangelo (Toronto Raptors), Mitch Kupchak (L.A. Lakers) and Sam Presti (Oklahoma City); owners Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Joe Lacob (Golden State); and coaches Rick Carlisle (Dallas Mavericks), Lionel Hollins (Memphis Grizzlies), and Doc Rivers (Boston Celtics). Salt Lake Tribune

Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Doc Rivers, Mitch Kupchak, Sam Presti, Bryan Colangelo, Dan Gilbert, Joe Lacob, Lionel Hollins, Rick Carlisle, Golden State 

"I think NBA fans understand and appreciate the concept of rebuilding," says Joel Litvin, the league's president of basketball operations. "Whether that’s done through the draft, through signing free agents, it’s a process that is not helped when a team has a lot of highly paid players who are either in the middle or approaching the end of their careers. ... Go young. Lower your payroll. Draft intelligently. Be smart about your free agent signings and your rookie extensions and hope you can become the Thunder." ESPN.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Free Agency, Draft, Sam Presti, Joel Litvin 

Let him describe, harkening back to the summer of 2007: “OKC has the best record in the league right now, but people forget how hard it was when we started out that first year of the rebuild. There are a lot of parallels’’ between that and the Bobcats now, Cho described Wednesday. “We traded Ray Allen (to Boston) and drafted Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. People forget we won only 20 games that year. We had a 14-game losing streak, an 11-game losing streak and an eight-game losing streak. We started out the season 9-36. “So we go back into the lottery and draft (Russell) Westbrook. And we start out 3-29. We have another 14-game losing streak and an eight-game losing streak and a seven-game losing streak. Wind up the season 23-59. “So we go back into the lottery and draft James Harden. There’s a whole process and it’s not easy going through this process.’’ Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Rich Cho 

Cho’s point: Without a plan and the patience and conviction to stick to it, the Bobcats won’t get markedly better. That plan is about drafting wisely, managing the salary cap and looking for trades that add draft picks or young prospects. “Rod and I are definitely on the same page as far as where we are with the team,’’ Cho said. “We’re fortunate to have an owner who is very supportive and on the same page. It’s not easy going through it, but that’s part of the process.’’ What about the criticism in the short run? “If you don’t have a thick skin, you shouldn’t be in the business,’’ Cho replied. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Rich Cho 

Before Presti was charged with putting together players who worked together on a roster for OKC, one of his responsibilities when he was with the Spurs was to put songs that would work together as mix CDs for Brown. "He used to be into music. I don’t know if he is now, but he used to make me music CDs," Brown said before the Lakers' game against the Thunder on Thursday. "I listen to all types of music. I like the jazz, smooth, mellow type. He turned me on to that a little bit. He’s a good guy." ESPN.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Coaching, Sam Presti, Mike Brown 

Presti is actually a pretty good drummer, but his most impressive solo to date didn't involve music. Rather, it was drumming it into the Spurs' organization's head that Tony Parker was the right person to draft with the No. 28 pick in the first round in 2001. "[Presti] worked extremely hard. You could tell he was bright," Brown said. "He was the one that convinced us to basically draft Tony Parker." ESPN.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Coaching, Sam Presti, Mike Brown 

Brown recalled he and another assistant coach putting through a young guard from France named Tony Parker through a workout. Brown didn't think Parker looked like NBA material at the time, but Presti persuaded the team to take a second look. Parker performed much better the second time. The Spurs said their prayers and then watched him fall to them in the draft. The rest is history. Parker became an NBA champion and an All-Star with the Spurs. Presti became the general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007, drafted Kevin Durant from the University of Texas and then moved with the team to Oklahoma City in 2008. "He was the one who basically convinced us to draft Tony Parker," Brown said of Presti. "He worked him out and he was terrible. We told Tony he needed to develop a medium game. He was quick but he couldn't really shoot. "Sam and R.C. (Buford, the Spurs' general manager) convinced us to bring him back in San Antonio. He worked out against Jamison Brewer and another guy, and he just torched everybody. … We took him. It was Sam and R.C. who led the charge. Los Angeles Daily News

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti 

There were no shortcuts those first two years. Brooks had been a finalist for the coaching job in Sacramento before the Kings hired Reggie Theus before the 2007-08 season. When Brooks didn't get that job, he went north to be Carlesimo's top assistant in Seattle. Brooks emphasized defense when he came in, but again, everybody emphasizes defense when they come in. "I knew his basketball background and I knew how much he knew about the game," Durant said. "But to be honest, once they got rid of P.J., I didn't know he would be the interim coach. I didn't know they'd bring him in as a coach. But once they did, the concepts and the identity that he tried to bring to this organization was something I believed in, and I knew it was going to be good for our organzation. I always, since Day One, I believed in Sam Presti and the guys in our organization." NBA.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Sam Presti 

"He just looks like a smart guy," Durant said of Presti, with a laugh, as if he was trying to explain why one might like chocolate ice cream. "He just looks like he knows the game of basketball. Since we traded Ray Allen to get Jeff Green, and they brought in myself, I knew that was a bold move. I knew he saw something. And ever since then, I've been a Sam Presti fan. Every person he's brought through here has been a class guy, and basketball-wise, a hard worker. He knows his stuff ... NBA.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Sam Presti 

The beginning of this season has been crazy for everyone. How crazy do you think it has been for coach Scott Brooks? Sam Presti: "Scott deserves a tremendous amount of credit for keeping our guys focused in such a unique year. Scott has done a great job of identifying the core principals that we'll try to improve upon as the year goes on. I think you just have to grind that out and periodically look back and evaluate where you are." Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Coaching, Sam Presti, Scott Brooks 

What, if anything, have you done differently with a 66-game schedule? "Our organization is a collection of people who embrace the daily grind. I feel really fortunate to come to work with a group of people who have a common vision, who understand that to sustain success in the NBA is a process, not an event. We're going to have to continue to work at it and stick together as we go through that." A 10-2 record in the first 18 days. Not bad. "We're certainly pleased, but not content. As I said before, Scott and the players deserve a lot of credit for coming into the season prepared to get started on the right foot, but we all know the season is a marathon and not a sprint and we're going to have to maintain a high level of focus and discipline." Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Coaching, Sam Presti, Scott Brooks