Inside The Thunder

Mark Daigneault Reacts to LeBron James Praise

LeBron James and JJ Redick have praised Mark Daigneault on the latest episode of their Mind the Game Podcast. The Thunder bench boss reacts to their glowing review.

Rylan Stiles

Mar 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) moves the
Mar 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) moves the / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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The Oklahoma City Thunder (49-21) are in a heated race for the top seed in the Western Conference. A large part of the Thunder's success has been Mark Daigneault pioneering the rebuild and being able to maximize the player Sam Presti has brought to Bricktown.

With Daigneault as the front runner for the Coach of the Year Award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the heat of the Most Valuable Player Award conversation, a pair of rising stars in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren and a plethora of qaility depth, the Thunder prove at every turn to be one of the best teams in the NBA.

Last week, LeBron James and JJ Redick launched a new basketball podcast, Mind the Game. Ahead of episode two launching on Wednesday morning, they released a teaser trailer for the biggest topic of the show.

"Have you spent any time with Mark Daigneault, by the way?... He is ridiculous, he is so good," Redick said to James who replied "He is on his [expletive]," before the two mentioned that the Thunder bench boss is younger than them.

The clip cuts off there until the full episode drops tomorrow, but the Thunder head man was asked about the praise from the best player in the world ahead of Tuesday night's game in New Orleans.

“At the end of the day, all the individual stuff that anybody gets is downstream of the team. If I'm getting any individual recognition, it's because of the way that the team is playing. If any individual player is getting any individual recognition, it's because of the way the team is playing. That's what a team sport is. We've had a nice season to this point, and so individuals can get recognized as a result of that, but everybody has to understand that that's running downstream from the team," Daigneault said.

While that is the proper response, and on-brand to keep it team-oriented, Daigneault deserves credit as one of the best tacticians in the sport. Past that, his ability to make players buy into him is what makes him one of the best coaches in the NBA.

Typically, those conversations center on the postseason and this year, like the rest of this young Thunder roster, Daigneault will have a chance to bust onto the scene in the National spotlight.

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Rylan Stiles
RYLAN STILES

Rylan Stiles is a credentialed media member covering the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hosts the Locked On Thunder Podcast, and is Lead Beat Writer for Inside the Thunder. Rylan is also an award-winning play-by-play broadcaster for the Oklahoma Sports Network. 

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