Luguentz Dort honors Haitian and Canadian roots as Thunder celebrate NBA championship

Luguentz Dort celebrates Thunder championship, credits team culture, honors his roots, and shares how fatherhood shaped his NBA journey.

Tuesday, June 24th 2025, 10:23 am

By: Graham Dowers

OKLAHOMA CITY -

As fans lined the streets of downtown Oklahoma City for the Thunder's first-ever NBA championship parade, one of the franchise's longest-tenured players, Luguentz Dort, took time to speak about the road to the title, from personal growth to team unity and pride in his roots.

Speaking with reporters just before the parade began Tuesday, Dort praised the perseverance of his teammates, especially Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whom he’s played alongside for years.

“He's one of the greats, honestly,” Dort said. “He just put a lot of time in his work, and you know he really deserved that.”

Dort, a central piece of the Thunder's rebuild, said the team’s culture has played a major role in their success.

“I mean, just everything the way that the foundation is set,” he said. “Chefs to trainers to at recovery, everything is just so professional..”

Dort credited assistant coach Chip Engelland for helping him improve his shooting, saying they spent two years refining his form and approach.

"This city deserved this championship"

Dort wrote an op-ed during the playoffs emphasizing that the city of Oklahoma City deserved a championship. Thinking about those words now, he said it felt even more meaningful to deliver on that belief.

“This fan base has been amazing,” he said. “A lot of ups and downs, you know, seen a lot of great players, a lot of good stuff, but you know we I'm glad that we were.”

The Thunder’s family-like chemistry was also key, according to Dort. “Brothers fight sometimes,” he said. “We go through all the emotions, but at the end of the day, we stay together.”

A celebration of culture and sacrifice

A proud representative of both Canada and Haiti, Dort spoke emotionally about carrying the flags of his heritage throughout the postseason.

“It means a lot,” he said. “My community has supported me so much to this point, so you know. You know, just me showing, showing my flags, you know, at the biggest stage is huge.”

Dort also acknowledged the sacrifices his family has made. Though he hasn’t been home to Montreal in 10 months, he said friends and former teammates from earlier in his career, including Chris Paul and Dennis Schröder, reached out to congratulate him.

Balancing fatherhood and the NBA spotlight

Now a new father, Dort said his perspective has shifted.

“You go through so many emotions in the playoffs, you know, happy, sad, disappointed if anything, good game, bad games, whatever,” Dort said. “I just go home to my son, just smiling and not knowing anything, and he's just happy to see me.”

As parade celebrations continue, Dort said he’s looking forward to returning home to Montreal and celebrating with those who’ve supported him from the beginning.