Carmelo Anthony says Sam Presti makes OKC Thunder 'the best-ran organization' in the NBA

OKC's Sam Presti is the longest-tenured active general manager in the NBA.

He joined the organization in 2007, back when it was still the Seattle SuperSonics. Presti has since helped OKC reach the NBA Finals in 2012, and this season's team is off to a 36-17 start.

Presti is in his 17th season as OKC's general manager for a reason, according to Carmelo Anthony. While the 19-year pro only spent one season with the Thunder in 2017, his brief time around Presti was long enough to make a lasting impression.

During a recent episode of his podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, Anthony was asked if OKC was the best-ran team he played for. And despite playing for six different organizations, including big-market ones such as the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, he was quick to answer.

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"Yes," Anthony said. "To me, it's the best-ran organization when it comes to understanding the needs of players, understanding how to communicate with players and hold players accountable."

Anthony got traded from the Knicks to the Thunder in September 2017.

He formed a Big Three with Russell Westbrook and Paul George, whom OKC traded for in July of that same year. Anthony said the trio wanted to "bring a little bit of flair" to the Thunder, which Presti supported.

But Presti also gave the team its marks. And when OKC struggled to hit that mark, going 48-34 with a first-round exit in the playoffs, it wasn't then-head coach Billy Donovan who Anthony and his teammates heard it from.

"It was Sam Presti coming in there and talking," Anthony said. "When he did that, I had a newfound respect for Sam Presti on the business side."

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OKC ultimately traded Anthony in July 2018 to the Atlanta Hawks, who bought him out of his contract a few days later.

It was a sudden end to what looked to be a promising tenure in OKC for Anthony. Still, the veteran forward holds Presti in high regard.

"To this day, me and Sam are like this," Anthony said while crossing his fingers to show the two are close. "He has no ill intentions in any of this. He wants what's best for the player. ... I wish a lot of GMs and presidents had that type of energy when it comes to running an organization."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Carmelo Anthony calls OKC Thunder the NBA's 'best-ran organization'