Basketball champion brings NBA Finals trophy to Montreal

Luguentz Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated the championship in a triumph for his home city

SportsDusty Goldberg — Published September 2, 2025 4 minutes

As a result of the Oklahoma City (OKC) Thunder’s Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, the trophy arrived on the island to celebrate one champ in particular: Luguentz Dort. Dort is a Montreal native and the starting shooting guard for the Thunder.

"Any success I have, I want to share with my people,” Dort said at the championship parade in Montreal-Nord. “There's not a lot of us that get to make it to the big stage. As soon as we won, I was like, 'Yeah, I gotta come back home.’”

Mathis Barbusci was among the crowd celebrating the trophy’s visit to the island. While staying loyal to the Toronto Raptors, Canada’s sole NBA team, he applauded the Thunder’s title run. 

“I’ve been following the team since [Dort] became a Thunder player,” Barbusci said. “We would’ve loved it more if it came to Montreal with the Raptors, but if it’s going to come to Montreal, I’m really happy that it’s with the OKC Thunder.”

Dort’s accomplishments inspired the city of Montreal even before he won a championship. 

After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, he signed with the OKC Thunder as a free agent. Over the last six years, he steadily improved his game, gaining notoriety for his smothering defensive capabilities. He eventually cemented his position as a starter in the Thunder’s backcourt, alongside fellow Canadian and reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.  

This occasion marks the second time that the NBA Finals trophy has visited Montreal; the first was in 2019, when Chris Boucher brought it home after the Toronto Raptors’ Championship run.

This time feels different: Dort wasn’t just celebrating because he got a ring; he was a major player in the series. He not only contributed significantly to the team's offence as a starter but also handled the task of guarding Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who saw a massive increase in offensive production just last year.

Matthew Chabot, a youth basketball coach in Montreal, attended the parade with his son. He congratulated Dort on the accomplishment and praised his influence in the Montreal community.

“I think he’s amazing,” Chabot said. “He sets a really great example as a defensive player, which is something that young kids struggle with nowadays.”

Festivities in the city began on Aug. 20, with a ceremony held for Dort in the Hall of Honour of Montreal’s City Hall.

With more than 250 fans, friends and family in attendance, Dort was invited by Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal, to inscribe the city’s Livre d’or. Only esteemed guests have the privilege of leaving a signature or message in the city’s guestbook, solidifying Dort’s place as a legend in his home city.

“I want to recognize his exceptional journey, built on determination, perseverance and the idea of giving back,” Plante said. “I am so proud to have an athlete like you, who makes us shine, who upholds the values of kindness and support for others.” 

Furthermore, the Conseil du sport de Montréal bestowed Dort with a medal recognizing his hard work on the court as well as his community work on the island.

In 2022, Dort created his own non-profit, Maizon Dort, an organization that supports Montreal’s youth in their athletic endeavours. Maizon Dort is responsible for renovating several basketball courts in the boroughs of Saint-Laurent and Montréal-Nord.

“I think he’s a really great example on and off the court,” Chabot said. “I’m really happy to have him as a role model for our kids.”

Dort also hosts his own youth basketball camp, Lu the Beast Camp, in Montreal every summer as of August 2021.

The day after the ceremony, a parade for the champion was held in Pilon Park, Montréal-Nord, in the neighbourhood where Dort was raised. Artists painted eight-foot-tall murals of Dort as a documentary about the hometown hero played on the main stage.

Among these displays were activity booths, free food, and tons of Montrealers huddled around a recently renovated basketball court, hoping for a chance to step onto the asphalt.

“It’s always a pleasure to come back,” Dort said to the crowd. “Every summer I come out here and enjoy my off season in Montreal. I carry Montreal on my back […] I’m so happy to represent Montreal wherever I go.”

Dort eventually arrived, followed by a Haitian marching band, a nod to his close ties to Montreal's Haitian community. He took a victory lap of the park before stepping on stage to speak to the crowd. Both Montreal's Haitian community and youth athletic groups turned out in massive numbers to support him.  

Dort made another appearance later that night at the Montreal Alouettes home game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He paraded around Percival Molson Memorial Stadium to roaring applause, the Larry O’Brien Trophy in his arms, capping off a busy couple of days for the shooting guard.

Dort and the Thunder play their first game of the 2025-26 season on Oct. 21 against the Houston Rockets. With a largely unchanged roster, Oklahoma City looks poised for another strong season and a deep playoff run.

While this is only the second time the Larry O’Brien Trophy has paraded around Montreal, it will hopefully be the second of many more to come.

This article originally appeared in Volume 46, Issue 1, published September 2, 2025.