As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the free-throw line, the OKC crowd seamlessly went from "MVP" chants to a standard ovation. The old saying goes that you never forget your high school sweetheart. Oklahoma City Thunder fans can attest to that with Russell Westbrook.

Russell Westbrook spent the first 11 years of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is the same team that drafted him fourth overall during the 2008 NBA Draft. It was also with the Thunder where Westbrook won the MVP title during the 2016-17 season.

It's the first time Sam Presti, who is in his 18th season with the Thunder franchise, has won the award that an executive from each team votes on.

Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder was announced Tuesday as the NBA’s executive of the year, the reward for building that team into a juggernaut that won a league-best 68 games this season