Lu Dort Pens Heartfelt Farewell to OKC

Long time Thunder fan favorite Lu Dort penned a heartfelt farewell to Oklahoma City, the organization, the team, the community and the fanbase 17 days after being traded to the Atlanta Hawks.

The touching goodbye was posted on Dort’s official Instagram page on Wednesday morning alongside an arguably even more moving video of his history in OKC. His post had already accumulated nearly 50,000 likes by the end of the night, as well as countless comments from both fans and his former Thunder teammates. It’s a must read/watch for any and all Oklahoma City fans.

Dort played seven seasons as a member of the Thunder. For context, that’s the same number of seasons beloved former defensive stalwarts Steven Adams and Serge Ibaka played for the Thunder. It’s one more season than previous lockdown perimeter defenders Andre Roberson and Thabo Sefolosha each played in Oklahoma City.

In those seven years, Dort made First Team All Defense, finished #4 in Defensive Player of the Year, started on two Western Conference Finals teams and started on an NBA Championship winning squad. And his OKC journey all started by signing with the Thunder as an undrafted free agent.

The connection and bond between Dort, the Thunder organization and the OKC fanbase is a strong one. It will be apparent the first time he plays at The Paycom Center next season as Loud City will shower him with likely the biggest ovation any former player not named Russell Westbrook has ever received.

And the bond was apparent in Dort’s goodbye message he posted on his Instagram on Wednesday morning.

“Dear OKC,

There are no words that could ever fully express what the 405 means to me, but one thing will always be true:

I'Il forever be grateful.

Thank you to the Oklahoma City Thunder organization for taking a chance on a young, overlooked kid from Montreal seven years ago. To the coaching staff, thank you for pouring so much into me day after day, year after year. To this city, thank you for making this HOME

- not just for me, but for my family. And to my teammates, thank you for every battle we fought together and every challenge we faced along the way.

To YOU, Loud City- I will forever appreciate the relentless support. Through all the highs and lows, you never stopped believing in us as we chased the goal of bringing this city its first championship.

I wouldn't trade my time here for anything. This place helped shape me into the man you see today, and I'll always carry these memories with me. I leave with nothing but the deepest sense of love, gratitude, and appreciation for everyone who made this chapter so special.

With love,

Luuuuuuuuu”