Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA Champion
The Oklahoma City Thunder captured their first NBA championship in franchise history last night, with former Grind Session standout Luguentz Dort playing a crucial role in the team’s storied season. Dort and the Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103‑91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to secure the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Dort’s high school journey included stints with three different teams in the Grind Session – Arlington Country Day (2015-2016), Conrad Academy (2016-2017), and Athlete Institute (2017-2018).
Dort is the third former Grind Session star to become an NBA champion. He joins the elite company of Jamal Murray and Thomas Bryant, who won a ring with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.
- 2017 BioSteel All Canadian
- 2018 BioSteel All Canadian
The Star Alliance – an elite European collective featuring top-tier prospects from Italy’s Stella Azzurra and Orange1 Bassano – has been officially selected to compete in the upcoming 2025-2026 Grind Session season. This marks the first time a European team has joined the prestigious winter circuit of elite high school basketball events.
In addition to playing a full slate of games from late November until early March, The Star Alliance will host a Grind Session event in Europe. An exact place and date has yet to be determined.
The 2025 NBA Finals began last night, and the seven-game championship series will feature a trio of stars – Luguentz Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Thomas Bryant and Isaiah Jackson of the Indiana Pacers – who have risen from the Grind Session to the pinnacle of professional basketball.
