The Oklahoma City Thunder have been stirring things up on their way to the NBA mountaintop, and when you’re holding the Larry O’Brien trophy, that’s just part of the territory. Winning brings the spotlight-and with it, a few side-eyes from around the league.
One of the more entertaining subplots? A light-hearted but persistent beef that’s less about basketball and more about postgame vibes.
If you’ve been keeping tabs on OKC this season, you’ve probably seen it: after a win, the Thunder don't just walk off the court quietly. They celebrate as a unit, crowding around whoever's doing the postgame interview-whether it’s with Thunder reporter Nick Gallo or a national TV crew. It’s a quirky, tight-knit tradition that’s become part of their identity, a small but telling glimpse into the chemistry that’s helped fuel their rise.
But not everyone’s a fan. Some critics on social media have called it “corny,” and others have suggested the Thunder didn’t come up with the idea themselves. Enter Dillon Brooks.
Brooks, now with the Phoenix Suns, recently revisited his time with the Memphis Grizzlies during a livestream. And while he’s clearly moved on-averaging a career-best 21.1 points and quickly becoming a fan favorite in Phoenix-he hasn’t forgotten the culture that Memphis built during his six seasons there.
Alongside Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., Brooks helped lead the Grizzlies to back-to-back 50-win seasons and a couple of deep playoff runs. That team had swagger, edge, and a sense of togetherness that made them one of the league’s most watchable squads.
So when Brooks saw OKC’s postgame celebration routine, he couldn’t help but feel a little territorial.
“That squad we had in Memphis, we could’ve been on the OKC wave,” Brooks said. “OKC is on our wave.
All that stuff they be doing, that’s what we were doing. They just copied it.
Tried to steal our whole s--t. You know when they do their postgame and the whole team comes?
We were doing that first.”
Now, how much that really matters is up for debate. Traditions like these aren’t exactly patented, and in the grand scheme of things, it’s a minor footnote.
But it does speak to how tightly players hold onto the culture they helped build. For Brooks, that Grizzlies era meant something-and seeing another team get credit for something he feels Memphis started clearly struck a chord.
Brooks didn’t stop there. In the same stream, he took a playful jab at Thunder guard Lu Dort. When asked which team he thought “hacked” the most-aka fouled the most-Brooks didn’t hesitate.
“OKC. 100%,” he said. “Lu Dort, if you’re watching, Lu Dort, you’re a hack.”
That’s classic Brooks. He’s always leaned into the role of agitator, and it’s part of what’s made him such a polarizing figure.
But beneath the trolling, there’s usually a level of respect. Brooks and Dort know each other well-they both suited up for Team Canada during the 2024 Olympics, and their careers have followed somewhat similar paths as defensive-minded wings who’ve carved out bigger roles over time.
So while the comment might raise eyebrows, it’s likely more playful than personal. Brooks has built a reputation on getting under opponents’ skin, but he’s also been a winning player wherever he’s gone. His teams tend to reflect his edge, and his voice carries weight-even when it’s delivered with a wink.
At the end of the day, whether OKC borrowed a postgame routine or not doesn’t change what’s happening on the floor. The Thunder are winning, and they’re doing it with a youthful energy that’s hard to ignore.
If that includes a little borrowed flair from a former Western Conference rival? Well, that’s just part of the NBA’s ever-evolving culture war-one postgame huddle at a time.