Sitting on the NBA throne since late June, the Oklahoma City Thunder have learned firsthand how jealousy and bitterness seep throughout the rest of the league about their basketball dominance.
The Thunder have dominated the competition for two-plus seasons now. With that comes a price — albeit a semantical one that will get lost in the history books. Pure hatred from the rest of the NBA. That has grown over time. To the point that it’s undeniable.
Advertisement
Every other game, you see an opposing head coach go viral for ranting about the officiating against the Thunder — you can’t lay a finger on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or risk sending him to the free-throw line; on the other end, OKC’s league-best defense is fueled by unprecedented physicality and getting away with contact.
Wah. Wah. Wah.
The same sentiment populates your social media feed. Short TV clips make the rounds. Gilgeous-Alexander is a flopper, a foul-baiter, something-something ethical hoops. You should know all of the buzzwords by now.
We’ve seen every great team go through the same song and dance. At first, the blitzing is overwhelming. But when it happens literally every other night, you get accustomed to it. Now, the Thunder don’t seem to care that they’re the NBA’s top villains. If anything, they’re starting to embrace their heel turn.
Advertisement
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault explained how they’ve handled the outside noise. You can preach about keeping things within their building, but after a while, it becomes too much to overcome. He believes being universally hated is a rite of passage for every reigning NBA champion.
“What I’d say is we have had consistent success for a few years now, including the championship last year. If you look at the history of the NBA, there are things that come with the territory of that,” Daigneault said. “I’ll say first, we’re fortunate to have that success. There’s an element of whatever you want to call it — good fortune, luck — that goes into that success that we are benefiting from. It’s a privilege. But there’s also stuff that comes in the territory. If you just look at the history of successful teams, there’s nothing that should be surprising about what comes at us.”
Over the last handful of years, the Thunder have risen to the NBA’s forefront. They’re no longer just background characters. They’re a protagonist. Daigneault believes that’s likely the biggest reason public opinion has shifted from being a likeable, scrappy bunch to basketball’s Death Star.
“You’re more of a focal point with your competitors, you’re more of a focal point with the media. There’s just going to be more attention paid to you when you’re fortunate enough to be in that situation,” Daigneault said. “And again, that’s a privilege. We’re fortunate to be in this position, and now it becomes a challenge.”
Advertisement
Considering the amount of vitriol thrown at their direction, this is probably the healthiest way for the Thunder to handle things. They’re not going to change how they play basketball. It’s a formula that has led to historic success and at least one Larry O’Brien trophy.
If opposing teams and fanbases are going to cry about it, oh well. Can’t lose sleep. Sometimes in life, you just gotta be cool at being comfortable in your own skin and dealing with other folks not liking you.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Mark Daigneault says OKC’s villain arc ‘comes with territory’ of success.