You wouldn't peg an NBA powerhouse as a bunch of bookworms, but here we are. ESPN reports Sam Presti, the championship-winning general manager of the methodical Oklahoma Thunder borrows from Robert Caro, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of Lyndon Johnson. Presti discovered Caro years ago, first referencing him publicly during the NBA bubble in 2020, and he's since opened multiple preseason news conferences with lessons pulled from The Power Broker and the LBJ volumes, writes Baxter Brown. The coach often cites the historian's obsessive research technique as a blueprint for curiosity, discipline, and seeking advantages inside a small-market front office. When explaining the Thunder's commitment to leaving no idea or detail unexplored, Presti said, "You have to turn every single page," quoting Caro.
Oklahoma City staffers say Presti's Caro fixation shows up everywhere—from the way scouts file reports to the approach analysts use to organize internal research so nothing gets lost or skimmed. The Thunder's rise—built on patience, long-view thinking, and internal consistency—feels aligned with Caro's decades-long projects on Johnson and master builder Robert Moses, both shaped by the belief that the smallest overlooked detail can change an entire narrative. "It's about being curious," Presti said, crediting Caro's method for helping define the organization's identity. Caro himself says he's flattered to see his research philosophy echoed in basketball strategy, but he deflects credit. "It's flattering to think my motto played a role," he said, "but it's players and coaches that win championships—not authors." Read the full story.
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