Former Thunder Assistant Darko Rajakovic Explains Why Oklahoma City Is Able To Develop Stars

The Oklahoma City Thunder have enjoyed a rich history since moving to town in 2008, with a ton of star players gracing the Bricktown hard wood. It is not by accident, and former Thunder assistant Darko Rajakovic explains why.

Since 2008, the Oklahoma City Thunder fanbase has been one of the most spoiled in the sport, from their near-instant success to the countless Hall of Famers who have passed through town and their historic success in the draft. 

In this short window of time, the OKC Thunder have seen superstars such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dawn a Thunder uniform. Three of those superstars really developed into top players in this league during their days with the Thunder. 

That list does not even include 2022 NBA Draft picks Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, who are well on their way to entering at least All-Star status in Bricktown. 

Independent of market size, that is an impressive run, even more so when you calculate that none of them were free agent additions. 

What makes this flyover state such a good environment for developing stars? Current Raptors head coach and former Thunder assistant Darko Rajakovic gave a good explanation. 

“There isn’t a lot of pro teams, so there is a lot of love for the team and a lot of support," Rajakovic said. "It’s always sold out and have great attendance. This organization always does a good job at drafting people and brings good character people into the organization.” 

Sam Presti has harped on the organization's focus on people, not just players, and this focus was consistent even during Rajakovic's tenure with the organization from 2012 to 2019. 

"It is an amazing place to live, not a lot of distractions, really good food scene," he would go on to say. "You can really just focus on work, not a lot of traffic going down, all you have to do is show up to work and focus on playing basketball." Rajakovic continued. 

This is high praise for the organization, which has focused on player development since its inception, giving each prospect the resources for success at both the NBA and G League levels. 

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