You may remember the name, but I bet you didn’t know the Louisville story.

Louisville has always been a hot bed for elite hoops, dating all the way to the 60s and 70s. Whether it’s the Louisville Cardinals, the myriad of local high school teams, iconic basketball events like the Dirt Bowl, or even the grassroots youth leagues across the city – there’s talent all over.

With Louisville and Kentucky being national blue bloods, players who aren’t quite at that level tend to sneak through the cracks. That’s exactly the case for former Eastern Eagle and Butler alumni, Kameron Woods.

Cut from his 7th grade and 8th grade teams at Crosby Middle School only to go on and play D1 basketball following a big time career at Eastern High School, Woods is the personification of persistence and never giving up. Quietly he has become a weapon in the ever growing arsenal of the Oklahoma City Thunder – a team entering its second NBA Finals in organization history.

Leading up the OKC Blue – Oklahoma City’s G-League affiliate – Woods is quickly establishing himself as one of the top up and coming coaches in the NBA at a youthful 32 years of age.

His story is one that many in the 502 can relate to. From another city, established and raised in Louisville, finding opportunities outside of the city but always relying on home roots. Kameron Woods played at Eastern High School from 2008-2011, helping guide the Eagles to two Sweet 16’s in four years. At times, Woods was overshadowed by a bevy of other D1 talent – including Remy Abell who played at IU and Xavier, Lyonell Gaines who played at IUPUI and Morehead State, as well as names like Armaan Marks, Byron Sanford, and others.

From Louisville to the record books

The 2011 Eastern High School team was special – and a big part of that was Woods. As a classmate, friend, and teammate, I saw it first hand. Whether it was playing in P.E., or during the days of AAU, Kam was a KILLER. At 6’9 and 170 pounds soaking wet, he showed tons of potential as a dominating rim protector and inside scorer. He wasn’t a guy who Jason Couch drew up plays for – but he was a guy capable of taking over a game with his defense and length. A 31-3 record was good enough for an Eastern record and heading into March of 2011 the team was nearly a shoe in to win state.

While that didn’t happen, Woods’ performance put him on the map and sky rocketed his college opportunities. After considering offers from Boston College, EKU, Morehead State and other, Woods chose to play for the rising Brad Stevens at the University of Butler, fresh off the Bulldogs back to back trips to the National Championship. I remember at the time how cool that was. Woods, a rising big man, going to play for a head coach who took a mid-major to the Natty not once but twice.

Stevens ultimately moved to the NBA, Woods blossomed at Butler. As a full time starter in three seasons, Woods went on to put his stamp on Butler history – finishing second all time in program history on the boards.

Woods would spend a few years playing in the NBA Development League before moving into coaching. And since, there may not be a coach who has won at such a youthful age, like Woods. Cutting his teeth in the Summer League, Woods showed early on the ability to command his team to win. Even as a young head coach leading players the same age as him, there was a demeanor Woods showed that ultimately led to his rise in the organization.

Read on State of Louisville: Four things to do in Louisville, Part 2

Now as the Oklahoma City Thunder move into the NBA Championship on the other side of the KD era, Mark Daginault and Sam Presti may have a secret weapon when it comes to talent development. Presti long considered a genius in the basketball ranks, knows a thing or two about talent. As the orchestrator of arguably the greatest youth development franchise in the NBA, Presti saw potential first hand in a kid from Louisville.

Pretty insightful answer from Kam Woods on why Sam Presti goes on an OKC Blue road trip every season and what he gains from that experience: pic.twitter.com/OmgKFYFOWY

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) March 19, 2025

Developing a championship mentality

The Thunder have built through the draft since moving to Oklahoma City from Seattle. Following the emergence and subsequent movement of names like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Serge Ibaka the Thunder have once again struck gold with youth. A huge portion of that development of young stars is due in part to Woods. 

Since Woods joined the OKC Thunder organization, the team has had 10 total draft picks spend time with the team’s affiliate. And Woods wasn’t just part of the system — he was leading it.

After serving as an assistant, Woods took over as head coach of the Blue in 2021, becoming one of the youngest head coaches in G League history. In just his second season, he led the team to a G League title — a sign of his ability to both develop and win with young talent.

Under his guidance in the Summer League and G League, the Thunder have watched recent draft picks like Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Tre Mann, Ousmane Dieng, and Cason Wallace blossom — players who are now key rotation pieces for an OKC team contending for an NBA championship.

Woods’ emphasis on player development, defensive discipline, and culture-building has earned him the trust of both GM Sam Presti and head coach Mark Daigneault, with many around the league taking notice. Daigneault has praised Woods’ “elite ability to connect with players,” while Presti has called him “a rising star in the coaching ranks.”

And the numbers back it up. Since Woods’ arrival, the Oklahoma City Thunder have become one of the league’s best teams at converting potential into production — with one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, they finished at the top of the Western Conference and as the NBA’s best team.

It’s no secret the Thunder are ahead of schedule – just look at the 2025 playoff run.

The secret weapon helping fuel their rise? It might just be the 6’9 coach from Louisville who’s been quietly developing stars behind the scenes. Kameron Woods isn’t just coaching the future — he’s building it.

As much as I love the Pacers – our “local team”, I’ll be rooting for Woods and the Thunder to bring the title home.