A year ago, the OKC Thunder left the court, bruised and battered from an exhausting seven-game playoff series against the Houston Rockets.
They had just lost, but in our hearts, they had won. Lu Dort had just finished his remarkable rookie season and was answering media questions, emotional and reflective of the year he had. He said “It was tough going undrafted, and this team gave me a lot of confidence…they really trusted me. It’s a blessing just to be here, coming from Montreal and being here with all these guys.”
You realized how much it meant to him from his tears, from the conviction and feeling in his voice, that what we had just witnessed was only the beginning.
So to celebrate his 22nd birthday, in no particular order, I present to you a combination of some of his top moments, achievements, and lessons we’ve seen and learned from Dort in his young career.
1) Dort locks down LeBron James
We often ask the question of “who can stop LeBron James”, not expecting an answer but just emphasizing his greatness. But we have an answer for that: the one and only Luguentz Dort.
Back on February 10th, the OKC Thunder came close to beating the King and his Los Angeles Lakers.
OKC forced overtime and Dort forced James to throw an air ball late in the game. His hounding defense and tenacity were remarkable. The whole defensive sequence is amazing to watch.
Lu Dort's defense on LeBron was incredible 👀 pic.twitter.com/jExLIUsoSn
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 11, 2021
2) Buzzer-beater to overcome Spurs
This is one I’m sure Thunder fans will remember for a very long time. It was Dort’s first buzzer-beater in all his years of playing basketball. Game on the line, nothing but ice in his veins and a Dort dagger.
DORT CALLS GAME and the Thunder defeated the Spurs 102-99.
3) Making a 40 point game look easy
Who in their second game back from a concussion injury implodes for 42 points against the number one team in the NBA?
Lu Dort.
His 42 point career-high against the Utah Jazz was sensational. Not to mention seven 3-pointers and four steals. Just casual Dort things.
4) Dort stops Dame time
There are countless examples of Dort dominating superstars. Even Damian Lillard wasn’t able to overcome Dort in the OKC Thunder’s 125-122 January 25th win over Trail Blazers.
With 20 seconds left on the clock, and Lillard with an opportunity to shoot a 3-pointer to get his team closer to victory, Dort said not today.
He mirrored Lillard as he got to his favorite spot on the court, out of range, and just like that Dort got a hand on it and the rest was history.
5) The entire 2020 first-round playoff series vs. Houston Rockets
Though he hasn’t reached his best just yet, in my opinion, the playoff series against the Rockets was Dort’s “arrival moment.” A series that reaffirmed our beliefs that this kid from Canada is special.
He was tasked with guarding an MVP in James Harden as an undrafted rookie, and he thrived.
It was highlighted by his 30 points and six 3-pointers in game seven, making him the only player 21 years or younger to score that many points in a decider.