Shai’s our leader, and he sets the standard for what the group should look like. Coach is obviously the head of what we’re doing on the floor, and he has an IQ that I’ve never seen before in a coach. To come in and work the way that they do sets the tone for everybody. It takes grit and a lot of perseverance to be ready when your number’s called, regardless of how many minutes you’re getting a night. Credit to both of them, man, because those guys are a big part of why we had success this year. Started out with a bunch of DNPs, went from the G League to starting at the center position for us. And from that point on, he’d earned himself a consistent spot. We ended up winning, and he had something like 15 points. All of a sudden, the game’s going to overtime. And Isaiah just goes whack, whack, whack. I want to say we were down 16 points with four minutes left or something…. And I remember sitting there on the bench, and the game was pretty much over. Starting on the bench, from low minutes, trying to build your way into the rotation. No discredit to him, that’s just basketball. When he came into the team, he wasn’t playing at all. It’s only right that I start this thing with a quick story about Zay. You guys are the real deal, Loud City, and I wanted to write this note thanking you for all your support as we start the process of preparing for Year 3. Year 2 will always be a special one to me because of two relationships: The relationship with my teammates, and the relationship our team has with our fans and Oklahoma City. It’s wild to think that I’m already two years into my NBA career.

Just one day book