A year ago to the day, almost to the minute, the Oklahoma City Thunder took the biggest risk in the 10-year history of the franchise.
With rumors swirling everywhere but OKC in 2017, the Thunder emerged from the shadows to land Paul George for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. The motivation was obvious: The Thunder were putting themselves on the clock, with a year to somehow convince George Oklahoma City was a place worth staying. The odds were long. It felt dangerous. It felt desperate.
But at a private party on Saturday hosted by Russell Westbrook at a mansion near Lake Arcadia, music from echoing off the tall Oklahoma oak trees, George walked on stage fresh off a private jet grabbed the microphone.