The Thunder booked a trip to the NBA Finals, and it was clear from the reaction of Sonics fans that the 17 years since the team left has done little to quell the anger.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play the winner of the Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks series beginning June 5.

“These guys are uncommon,” said Daigneault, who was an assistant at Florida when the Thunder lost to Miami in the ’12 Finals, was coaching Oklahoma City’s G-League team in ’16 and has been at the Thunder helm since 2020. “They do everything right. They’re professional. They’re high character ….”