Luguentz Dort had mentioned that morning that he didn’t know what to expect in his first professional basketball game at the Bell Center. The 24-year-old star did everything she could to liven up Thursday night in her hometown’s packed amphitheater.
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“I remember coming here for games when I was younger, but I never thought that one day I would be playing here with my team. “This is big for me,” Dort said after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s morning practice, a few hours before their preseason game against the Detroit Pistons.
“As a Quebecer and a Montrealer, I feel truly honored and proud [fier] to represent you everywhere,” he said in French in the middle of the hall before initiating hostilities.
Visibly moved by the warm welcome, he touched his chest several times with his left hand as he surveyed the crowd. There he probably saw the many jerseys with his picture and the posters with his face.
A Hollywood scenario
Oklahoma City’s No. 5 player didn’t miss his appearance, having not played in Montreal since he was a teenager.
At that point, his family and friends — nearly 200 of them came to cheer him on — probably had no idea that Dort would be playing in the NBA or that he would be voted by his peers as the Silver Tour’s second-best defensive player in a year’s poll from The Athletic’s website.
“There are a lot of people who love basketball and it’s good that the NBA comes here every year [sept fois depuis 2012] » added the man who signed the most lucrative contract for a Quebecer last year in a five-year, $87.5 million deal.
As tradition dictates, the Thunder fans remained standing until the first basket. And as if it had been agreed upon with the audience, Dort made the 21,055 fans jump out of their seats with a great shot from downtown. The same scenario repeated itself every time the star of the night made a basket, a spectacular dunk or a free throw.
The 1.80 meter tall, 100 kilogram athlete sparked the first quarter with 13 points – he had a total of 24, leading both teams – in a loss of 128:125 – while the audience voted “MVP” for the most valuable player chanted [joueur par excellence] when his Toronto teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander touched the ball.
Before Cole Caufield
All of this under the watchful eye of the man who once made the Bell Center vibrate: Cole Caufield. The Canadian striker was particularly accompanied by the injured Chris Wideman and Christian Dvorack. Defender Arber Xhekaj and head coach Martin St-Louis were also there.
Luguentz Dort and his coach Mark Daigneault last January. Photo AFP
“I think the Canadiens have a competitive team, but Montrealers don’t often get the opportunity to see basketball of this quality,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, who joked that he feels at home because his name is French-Canadian and he did it. He owes his roots in Quebec to his great-grandfather.
“We are very proud to have players from all over the world and to have the chance to play for some of them. It’s really cool for Luguentz, but also for [le Torontois] Shai Gilgeous Alexander. It’s good to be able to get involved in the community [notamment avec l’ancienne école secondaire de Dort], which makes Lu very happy. It allows us to put things in perspective,” noted Daigneault, who also attended a Montreal Alliance game last summer wearing his No. 5.
Like two brothers
The chemistry between Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander was clear to see Thursday night. No wonder, as both players are entering their fifth season in Oklahoma City.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the gold medal game against the USA at the Basketball World Cup in September. Photo AFP
“He’s like a brother to me,” Dort said. And at the end of a game, when he has the ball in his hands, I know he’s going to score. »
Daigneault also debuted with the Thunder as an assistant at the same time as Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander. He has been leading the team since the 2020-2021 season.
“I remember in one of Lu’s first games, he made a big play at the end of the game,” Daigneault said. From the moment he stepped foot on an NBA court, he was that type of player and that has never changed, improving his understanding of the game and the league ever since. »
Riding the World Cup wave
Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander also teamed up to help Canada win its first (bronze) World Cup medal this summer.
“It’s really a great experience, but we can’t wait to go to the Olympics next summer,” the undrafted guard said.
The two teammates therefore hope to ride this wave for a long time, in which they defeated Slovenia, Serbia and the USA in particular.
“It was fun, ‘Lu’ played well and we’ll continue that momentum this season,” predicted Gilgeous-Alexander, who was enjoying his meal at Gibby’s in Old Montreal on Wednesday night, a suggestion from Dort, who was having a family meal enjoyed.