www.nba.com Open in urlscan Pro
2a02:26f0:e300:182::1f51  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

 * Teams
   Atlantic
    * Boston
    * Brooklyn
    * New York
    * Philadelphia
    * Toronto
   
   Central
    * Chicago
    * Cleveland
    * Detroit
    * Indiana
    * Milwaukee
   
   Southeast
    * Atlanta
    * Charlotte
    * Miami
    * Orlando
    * Washington
   
   Northwest
    * Denver
    * Minnesota
    * Oklahoma City
    * Portland
    * Utah
   
   Pacific
    * Golden State
    * LA Clippers
    * LA Lakers
    * Phoenix
    * Sacramento
   
   Southwest
    * Dallas
    * Houston
    * Memphis
    * New Orleans
    * San Antonio

 * G League
 * WNBA
 * BAL
 * NBA 2K
 * NBA Store
 * NBA League Pass


Oklahoma City Thunder
 * TICKETS
    * My Account
    * Ticket Memberships
    * Flex+
    * Single‑Game Tickets
    * Premium Seating
    * Partial Plans
    * Group Experience
    * Ticket Interest
    * Virtual Venue
    * Mobile Ticketing
    * STM Central
    * Private Events
    * NBA Code of Conduct
    * Accessibility Guide
   
   
 * TEAM
    * Team Roster
    * Team Stats
    * Front Office
    * Executive Team
    * Ownership Group
   
   
 * SCHEDULE
    * Full Schedule ‑ PDF
    * Add to Calendar
    * Home Schedule ‑ PDF
   
   
 * NEWS
    * News & Media
    * Videos
    * Podcast
    * Photos
    * Onward Series
    * OKC Thunder Films
    * Thunder Legacy Network
    * Broadcast Information
    * Radio Network
   
   

 * Community
    * Book Bus
    * Community Ticket Program
    * Devon Explorers
    * Donation Requests
    * Math Hoops
    * OG&E Safety Partner
    * Reading Challenge
    * Request Forms
    * Speakers Bureau
    * Spelling Bee
    * Teacher of the Game
    * Thunder Launchpad
    * Youth Basketball
   
   
 * Entertainment
    * Rumble the Bison
    * Appearance Request
   
   
 * Fans
    * Insider
    * Contact Us
    * Fan Assist
    * Love's Loud City
    * Bar Network
   
   
 * Careers
 * SHOP
    * New Arrivals
    * Jerseys
    * Mens
    * Womens
    * Youth
    * City Edition
   
   



Navigation Toggle

Navigation Toggle
 * TICKETS
    * My Account
    * Ticket Memberships
    * Flex+
    * Single‑Game Tickets
    * Premium Seating
    * Partial Plans
    * Group Experience
    * Ticket Interest
    * Virtual Venue
    * Mobile Ticketing
    * STM Central
    * Private Events
    * NBA Code of Conduct
    * Accessibility Guide
   
   
 * TEAM
    * Team Roster
    * Team Stats
    * Front Office
    * Executive Team
    * Ownership Group
   
   
 * SCHEDULE
    * Full Schedule ‑ PDF
    * Add to Calendar
    * Home Schedule ‑ PDF
   
   
 * NEWS
    * News & Media
    * Videos
    * Podcast
    * Photos
    * Onward Series
    * OKC Thunder Films
    * Thunder Legacy Network
    * Broadcast Information
    * Radio Network
   
   

 * Community
    * Book Bus
    * Community Ticket Program
    * Devon Explorers
    * Donation Requests
    * Math Hoops
    * OG&E Safety Partner
    * Reading Challenge
    * Request Forms
    * Speakers Bureau
    * Spelling Bee
    * Teacher of the Game
    * Thunder Launchpad
    * Youth Basketball
   
   
 * Entertainment
    * Rumble the Bison
    * Appearance Request
   
   
 * Fans
    * Insider
    * Contact Us
    * Fan Assist
    * Love's Loud City
    * Bar Network
   
   
 * Careers
 * SHOP
    * New Arrivals
    * Jerseys
    * Mens
    * Womens
    * Youth
    * City Edition
   
   





(Alex Dawson | OKC Thunder)


'AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE'

okcthunder.com
November 15, 20228:37 PM CST

THUNDER AND THUNDER FELLOWS WHITE HOUSE VISIT

By Nick Gallo | Broadcast Reporter and Digital Editor | okcthunder.com

Photography by Alex Dawson, Bree Maxwell and Zach Beeker








—



WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s braids grazed the bottom of a
decades-old chandelier. Mike Muscala ducked underneath a 6-foot door frame,
touching the original outer wall of the White House on his way through an
underground passage. In front of the famous South Lawn, however, players’ necks
craned upwards to get a full look at “the People’s House”. 

Kicking off the Thunder’s trip this week to Washington, D.C., the traveling
party – including the players and coaches – made a visit to the White House on
Tuesday. Joining the team were 14-year-old Nzinga Collins and 15-year-old Reece
Robinson, two of the Thunder Fellows highlighted in “Seeds of Greenwood,” a June
2022 film produced by OKC Thunder Films that documented the first year of the
team's  innovative after-school program in Tulsa.



A century after the Tulsa Race Massacre, the film explores how today’s
generation of Black high school students in Tulsa is being planted and nurtured
within the fertile soil of the historic Greenwood District. The program’s
curriculum includes data science and coding with networking opportunities in the
sports and entertainment industries. The film follows the birth of Thunder
Fellows, and the inspirational journeys of students in the inaugural class.

“They (Collins and Robinson) are great representatives and ambassadors of that
program,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “We’re incredibly proud of
the program and especially proud of the kids that represent it and for them to
be on site with us today was awesome.” 

On Tuesday, Collins and Robinson were a part of a partial screening of the film
that was attended by Thunder players and White House staff. Afterwards, there
was discussion of the film and a variety of policy issues between the players,
Fellows and White House staff that ranged from education to healthcare to
criminal justice. 

“We always talk about growth as basketball players, but the best growth in life
is as human beings. To see those kids transform themselves in such a short
amount of time is special,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had plenty to
learn as a Canadian national. “They have bright futures and I’m glad to be a
small part of that program.” 

“It was really cool to get our voices heard and be able to have an open
discussion about different things we see,” added rookie guard Jalen Williams.
“It was cool that they were willing to hear us and it was cool we were able to
give our opinion as well.” 

Before the screening and discussion, the Thunder moved about the East Wing of
the White House on a history-laden tour, passing the hallways that presidents
and first families have used since the wing was constructed in 1902. The East
Wing traditionally hosts social gatherings like the Easter Egg Roll, Fourth of
July festivities, state dinners and championship celebrations. 

The Thunder’s visit began in the White House Family Theater, which was converted
from a cloakroom in 1942. There the team was briefed on countless features of
the White House by a few Secret Service staff who are a part of the 200-plus
member team that serves the 55,000-square-foot premises. The president, first
lady and their children and grandchildren all have Secret Service details, and
the same goes for the vice president and their family. On Tuesday, the Thunder
had its own detail too. 

“It’s definitely astonishing. I never thought I would be here at the White
House,” said Collins with a grin. “I would like to be the president, so vote for
me in 2044.” 

While the Thunder waited for a “movement” by the Secret Service of First Lady
Jill Biden from one part of the White House to another, Thunder forward Kenrich
Williams, who likes to stay off social media and out of the limelight, asked a
very on-brand question. He was curious if there was anywhere on White House
grounds that presidents can have privacy. The answer: only upstairs on the top
floors of the residence. 

Once given the “all-clear”, the contingent of 60-plus members of the Thunder
organization walked through a hallway of iconic photos of former presidents and
into the Vermeil Room where portraits of first ladies are displayed. Then it was
onto the White House library, the Roosevelt Room and the China Room – where
dishes from presidents all the way back to George Washington are displayed in
glass cases on the wall. 

Thunder players took selfies and documented their journey throughout the East
Wing, but nowhere were there more photo ops than back outside, in front of the
majestic and precisely manicured South Lawn that spills down towards the
Washington Monument. Even with a steady dripping of cool rain coming down,
Thunder players made sure to get a full view and take it all in. They were
really at the most prestigious building in the country, an experience rarely
granted but humbly accepted. 

“We’re in the season and the games are emotional and it narrows your scope and
these types of experiences broaden it,” said Daigneault. “It’s important to be
able to put these life experiences into the larger context of our guys’ lives
and experiences as players.”

“There’s a lot of things we try to do to develop the whole player and person,”
noted Thunder VP of Basketball Operations Will Dawkins. “This was a great
opportunity to talk about things that are important to them and important to the
community and bringing it to the White House and have discussions about that.
It’s a good off day when you talk about developing the full profile of a
person.” 

Once back inside, Muscala passed his hands along the stone walls that were built
in 1792 and survived the War of 1812, a fire in 1929 and the wear and tear of
old age. Most of the White House underwent a massive renovation in 1952, but in
1973 a special addition was made to the basement – a one-lane bowling alley. The
Thunder’s own nine-pin aficionado, Tre Mann, was gauging how close to 300 he
could roll in the underground lane. Teammate Aaron Wiggins reminded him the
narrow confines would be like a road game for him, not the familiar lanes he's
used to back in Oklahoma City. 

The final stop on the tour before the screening and discussion was upstairs in
the Blue Room, where players peeked through incredibly thick glass to get a
glimpse of The West Wing. In the East Room, players stood by as White House
staff prepared for a visit from tribal leaders from across the country for
Tuesday night’s celebration of Native American Heritage Month, an event that the
Thunder’s own Lindy Waters III attended.

Before everyone left the through Entrance Hall and back downstairs, Collins and
Robinson stood outside the Blue Room, where the presidential seal hangs just
above the doorway. Alongside them was Thunder Fellows Executive Director Cedric
Ikpo. They had to sneak in one last selfie together, under that iconic emblem,
to document the gargantuan journey from the ideation of the Thunder Fellows
program in the Summer of 2020 to a visit to the White House just a little over
two years and one film debut later. 

“Coming here today and being called out by name by people who work so high up,
it was motivational to see myself here one day,” said Robinson. “It was an
amazing experience. I never expected that movie would take me so far to see the
White House.”
























TAGS

Jalen WilliamsMark DaigneaultShai Gilgeous-Alexander





TICKETS

 * GROUP EXPERIENCES
 * PREMIUM SEATING AND SUITES
 * ADA
 * Bag Policy
 * Community Tickets


TEAM

 * Roster
 * Team Leaders
 * Basketball Operations


NEWS

 * News & Media
 * Photos
 * Videos


OKC BLUE

 * Tickets
 * Roster
 * Schedule


FAN ASSIST


CONNECT



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2022 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms of Use
 * Customer Support
 * Accessibility and Closed Captions
 * Do Not Sell My Personal Information
 * Manage Cookies

If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit
our Accessibility page.

NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLC’s Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital
Network




COOKIE POLICY

We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique
IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your choices
by clicking below or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will
be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

Click here to see our Cookie Policy.

If you are not ready to make a choice yet, please click the "Continue without
Deciding" link in the upper right hand corner. You can change your preferences
with the "Manage Cookies" link in the footer.




WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS DATA TO PROVIDE:

Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for
identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Select basic ads.
Measure content performance. Select personalised ads. Create a personalised ads
profile. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile.
Apply market research to generate audience insights. Develop and improve
products. Measure ad performance. List of Partners (vendors)

I Accept I Decline Show Purposes
Continue without Deciding


ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY

We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the
delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our
website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent.
You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at
a partner level in the link under each purpose. These choices will be signaled
to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Click here to see our cookie policy.
Allow All


MANAGE CONSENT PREFERENCES

STORE AND/OR ACCESS INFORMATION ON A DEVICE

Store and/or access information on a device

Cookies, device identifiers, or other information can be stored or accessed on
your device for the purposes presented to you.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

SELECT BASIC ADS

Select basic ads

Ads can be shown to you based on the content you’re viewing, the app you’re
using, your approximate location, or your device type.

 * BASIC ADS
   
   Switch Label label
   
   

 * NON IAB ADVERTISING AND AMP TRACKING
   
   Switch Label label
   
   

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

MEASURE CONTENT PERFORMANCE

Measure content performance

The performance and effectiveness of content that you see or interact with can
be measured.

 * CONTENT PERFORMANCE
   
   Switch Label label
   
   

 * NON IAB MEASUREMENT
   
   Switch Label label
   
   

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

SELECT PERSONALISED ADS

Select personalised ads

Personalised ads can be shown to you based on a profile about you.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

CREATE A PERSONALISED ADS PROFILE

Create a personalised ads profile

A profile can be built about you and your interests to show you personalised ads
that are relevant to you.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

USE PRECISE GEOLOCATION DATA

Use precise geolocation data

Your precise geolocation data can be used in support of one or more purposes.
This means your location can be accurate to within several meters.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

SELECT PERSONALISED CONTENT

Select personalised content

Personalised content can be shown to you based on a profile about you.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

CREATE A PERSONALISED CONTENT PROFILE

Create a personalised content profile

A profile can be built about you and your interests to show you personalised
content that is relevant to you.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

APPLY MARKET RESEARCH TO GENERATE AUDIENCE INSIGHTS

Apply market research to generate audience insights

Market research can be used to learn more about the audiences who visit
sites/apps and view ads.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

DEVELOP AND IMPROVE PRODUCTS

Develop and improve products

Your data can be used to improve existing systems and software, and to develop
new products

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

MEASURE AD PERFORMANCE

Measure ad performance

The performance and effectiveness of ads that you see or interact with can be
measured.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

ACTIVELY SCAN DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS FOR IDENTIFICATION

Actively scan device characteristics for identification

Your device can be identified based on a scan of your device's unique
combination of characteristics.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

ENSURE SECURITY, PREVENT FRAUD, AND DEBUG

Always Active

Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent fraudulent activity, and ensure
systems and processes work properly and securely.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

TECHNICALLY DELIVER ADS OR CONTENT

Always Active

Your device can receive and send information that allows you to see and interact
with ads and content.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

MATCH AND COMBINE OFFLINE DATA SOURCES

Always Active

Data from offline data sources can be combined with your online activity in
support of one or more purposes

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

LINK DIFFERENT DEVICES

Always Active

Different devices can be determined as belonging to you or your household in
support of one or more of purposes.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

RECEIVE AND USE AUTOMATICALLY-SENT DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS FOR IDENTIFICATION

Always Active

Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it
automatically sends, such as IP address or browser type.

List of IAB Vendors ‎ | View Full Legal Text Opens in a new Tab

NBA STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms.    You can set your browser to
block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then
work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Back Button


PERFORMANCE COOKIES



Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Confirm My Choices