FIVE DAYS BEFORE the Oklahoma City Thunder opened training camp following the franchise's first-ever NBA title, Sam Presti sat down at a table inside the team's practice facility about 10 miles north of the team's downtown arena.

"Morning everybody," the Thunder's general manager said at 10 a.m. local time as the assembled media settled in on Sept. 25.

Wearing a black button-up shirt, Presti cleared his throat and reached for several sheets of paper in front of him, squaring them up.

Presti read for the next 12 minutes, talking about the growth of the NBA and the challenges ahead for the Thunder's forthcoming season, which he referred to as Chapter 18, a nod to the team's 18th season in Oklahoma. The occasion marked Presti's annual preseason news conference, one of the rare instances

See Full Page