In a year of improbable triumphs and surging pride across the state of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s stunning run to the NBA Finals has stirred a powerful wave of emotion—and a pointed response—from one of the state’s most influential figures in football circles. Oklahoma Sooners General Manager Jim Nagy, a longtime architect of elite rosters and a respected voice in college football talent evaluation, has made one thing abundantly clear: excellence is contagious, and the standard has officially been raised.
In the immediate aftermath of OKC’s thrilling Game 6 victory to punch their ticket to the Finals, Nagy didn’t waste time with the usual congratulatory platitudes. Instead, his message was direct, unmistakable, and rooted in something deeper than sports. It wasn’t just about the Thunder. It wasn’t about basketball. It was about Oklahoma. All of it.
“If this doesn’t light a fire under every single team and every program in this state,” Nagy said via social media, “you’re in the wrong business.”
That statement spread like wildfire. It was picked up by national analysts and former Sooners alike. Some praised the boldness. Others sensed the challenge. But everyone understood the intent: the Thunder’s success wasn’t just a basketball story. It was a state story, a cultural moment, and Nagy was calling on every team under the Oklahoma banner—especially his own—to meet the moment.
To understand the weight of his words, you have to understand where Jim Nagy comes from. Before becoming GM of the Oklahoma Sooners—a position unique in college football but increasingly relevant in the NIL era—he was best known for his work directing the Senior Bowl and evaluating NFL talent. His eye for skill, discipline, and competitiveness has been lauded by league executives and head coaches alike. When Oklahoma tapped him to help build the football program into a powerhouse through strategic recruiting and NIL development, many saw it as a game-changing move.
But Nagy has always seen his role as bigger than just football. His background in evaluating greatness across the spectrum of American sports—and his belief in the connective power of community—gives him a distinct voice. So when the Thunder, a young team that wasn’t supposed to be here yet, reached the sport’s grandest stage, Nagy saw not just a celebration but a message.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen this soon,” Nagy said in a follow-up interview on Oklahoma sports radio. “But that’s the thing about culture. When people buy in, when there’s alignment from the front office to the locker room to the fans, everything changes. That’s what we’re building here too.”
Indeed, the parallels between the Thunder’s rise and the Sooners’ ambitions are striking. Just as OKC built around young stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, Oklahoma football is attempting to rebuild its foundation under head coach Brent Venables, developing a roster that’s a mix of homegrown talent and savvy portal additions. In both cases, patience has given way to proof.
Nagy has been particularly hands-on in ensuring Oklahoma maximizes its NIL strategy, blending tradition with opportunity in a way that appeals to recruits and their families. In his words, “the goal isn’t just to get kids to Norman—it’s to develop them into professionals, into leaders, into champions.” He sees what the Thunder have done as a blueprint, not just a basketball success story.
“They’ve created a culture where young men want to play hard, play together, and win for each other,” Nagy said. “Isn’t that the goal in every locker room?”
What sets Nagy apart is how he connects sports to identity. His statement wasn’t meant to diminish the Thunder’s achievement or redirect the spotlight. Quite the opposite. It was about harnessing that spotlight, using it as fuel. In the age of NIL, college football is a 12-month arms race, and culture—real, sustained, visible culture—is often the separator. To Nagy, OKC just provided the perfect recruiting pitch for the entire state.
“Recruits are watching this Finals run,” Nagy said. “Don’t think they aren’t. They’re seeing how the Thunder carry themselves, how the city rallies, how the fanbase shows up. That’s Oklahoma. That’s what we’re selling. And now, the whole country sees it.”
The impact has already been felt. Just a day after the Thunder advanced, four-star wide receiver Tyree McCullers, a Georgia native, posted a photo of himself in an Oklahoma jersey with the caption, “There’s something special in this state.” It got thousands of likes. Nagy reposted it with a simple comment: “Facts.”
Within Oklahoma’s football operations department, the Thunder’s Finals run has become a reference point, a rallying cry. During weight room sessions, strength coaches have reportedly played Thunder highlight reels on the big screens. Some players even showed up to practice in Thunder gear. The synergy is real.
Defensive lineman Davon Sears called the Thunder’s run “motivating as hell” in a post-practice media session. “We see what they’re doing,” he said. “Young dudes, playing with heart, making a run nobody expected. Why not us?”
It’s that phrase—“Why not us?”—that has become something of a mantra for Oklahoma athletics in 2025. With the SEC move complete and a new era fully underway, every department from softball to gymnastics to football is feeling the urgency. And Jim Nagy, never one to shy away from a moment, is leaning into that urgency with everything he’s got.
