MONTREAL — The Larry O'Brien Trophy will be in Montreal next week.
Lu Dort, who won an NBA championship in June with the Oklahoma City Thunder alongside fellow Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will have a two-day celebration in his home city.
On Aug. 20, Dort will be accepting a special invitation from Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante to City Hall. About 200 members of the sports community will be there to recognize his championship win and his dedication to youth in Montreal.
The following day, there will be a homecoming parade in Montreal-Nord, the borough where he grew up.
"This summer has been a dream come true — winning the championship and having the opportunity to come back home, with the trophy, to celebrate here in Montréal,” Dort said in a release. “I’m just grateful to share this with the people who have supported me from day one.”
The Thunder won the NBA title in seven games over the Indiana Pacers for just the second championship in franchise history.
The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There’s nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.
The 26-year-old Dort, in his sixth season with the Thunder, has been a defensive cornerstone and earned his first NBA all-defensive first team nod this past season. Oklahoma City had the best record in the regular season in the NBA at 68-14.
The Thunder were also the youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named Finals MVP after winning regular-season MVP and being the scoring champion, had a parade in Hamilton on Aug. 7. He was presented the key to the city and was honoured at the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' game against the B.C. Lions that night.
Dort will also be hosting the fifth edition of Camp Élite from Aug. 22-23, bringing together 50 of Québec’s top young male basketball players for two days of training, mentorship and motivation.
- With files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2025.
The Canadian Press
