Thunder’s Lu Dort To Have NBA Title Parade In Montreal Next Week

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Lu Dort will have a two-day celebration in his home city of Montreal. The Arizona State University product won the NBA championship in June alongside fellow Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Lu Dort To Accept Special Invitation From Montreal Mayor

On Wednesday, Aug. 20, Dort will be accepting a special invitation from Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante to City Hall, according to The Toronto Star and The Canadian Press.

The Larry O’Brien Trophy will also be in Montreal next week.

Hundreds of members from the sports community will be in attendance to recognize the championship win. 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 Montreal,” Dort said in a release. “I’m just grateful to share this with the people who have supported me from day one.”

Lu Dort, 26, earned his first NBA All-Defensive First-Team selection last season after averaging 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, a career-high 1.1 steals, and 29.2 minutes per contest in 71 games.

In Oklahoma City’s 110-104 road loss to the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 19, he recorded six points and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in 32 minutes of action.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Received The Key To The City Of Hamilton

Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander received the key to the city of Hamilton from Mayor Andrea Horwath at a public rally last Thursday at Hamilton Stadium.

Horwath gave Gilgeous-Alexander the first key to the city to be presented by a Hamilton mayor since September 1998. The last recipient was professional wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

“Shai, you’ve not just inspired Hamilton, not just Canada, but fans around the world. And you’ve done it with humility, with heart and an unwavering connection to the city you call home,” said Horwath. “On behalf of all Hamiltonians, we could not be more proud.”

Horwath also announced that the reigning NBA MVP will have a street named after him.

“Growing up as I traveled across the world, to countless states, cities and countries people always asked where I was from,” Gilgeous-Alexander told the cheering crowd after hoisting the NBA championship trophy over his head.

“I took pride in letting everyone know I was from Hamilton. I liked telling them what Steel City meant to me. Hamiltonians carry a different sense of grit, determination and pride, and energy than the rest of the province.

“And honestly, I couldn’t shy away from that. I carry that with me every day and everywhere I go, so you guys can only imagine how [much] overwhelming joy there was when I found out I was getting a key to the city I love and a street named after me.”

Thunder Won First NBA Title Since Relocating To Oklahoma City

Gilgeous-Alexander, who also averaged 30.3 points in the 2025 NBA Finals, joined an exclusive list of players to win the MVP and Finals MVP in the same season.

The only others to accomplish that feat are Michael Jordan (four times), LeBron James (twice), Larry Bird (twice), Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Willis Reed.

SGA led Oklahoma City to a league-best 68-14 record in the regular season.

The Thunder went on to win the NBA title in seven games over the Indiana Pacers in June, claiming their first championship in Oklahoma City and just the second in franchise history.

When the club played as the Seattle SuperSonics, the franchise won its first NBA title against the Washington Bullets (Wizards) in 1979. The team relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 after 41 seasons in Seattle.