Being around a winning team can be a galvanized experience for players.
The Oklahoma City Thunder aims to become a dynasty, which starts with becoming the first NBA team in seven years to maintain the title.
There’s a long way from 2025 to 26, and as the season begins, one of their players is about to continue his winning habits.
Ousmane Dieng is active for France at Eurobasket and is determined to win another title.
Oousmane Dieng, 22, played a periphery role in the Thunder success, featuring in just 37 regular season games and three playoff games.
After his third season with the team, Dien believes he has learned a lot from past seasons.
He told the French media:
“Making a title is a dream come true, but I learned a lot along the way, and from the playoffs I learned that all of my possessions are important.
Dien had mentioned the loss of individual games against the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers. In both series, OKC recovered and clinched 4-3.
He aims to bring the lessons to Eurobasket, saying, “It’s not only an important experience for the future, but also an important experience for the French team. I learned how to win the title.”
France is one of their favourites to win the Eurobasket, and one of their major competitors is Serbia, led by Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
They will also feature Dien’s Thunder teammate Nicola Topic.
The topics in the NBA Summer League have been impressed, and while increasing the game time before the season is beneficial for both him and Dieng, there is only one winner.