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OKLAHOMA CITY -- At the beginning of the video the Oklahoma City Thunder play before their starting lineups are announced, theres a message on the scoreboard. Haloti Ngata Elite Jersey . RESILIENCY. IT DEFINES OUR TEAM. That was especially true during the Thunders comeback from an 18-point deficit Wednesday night to beat the San Antonio Spurs and clinch a spot in the NBA finals. But thats only the final step in a remarkable turnaround. It was only three seasons ago that Oklahoma Citys new team was 3-29 and just hoping to avoid the worst record in NBA history. "You can look at it as a negative, but I think as a group and as an organization, weve seen some light, and weve seen that one day wed be at this moment, and one day wed have an opportunity to win a championship," said Russell Westbrook, who may best personify the transformation by turning himself from a rookie struggling with turnovers into an All-Star. Back when Scott Brooks was hired as coach around Thanksgiving 2008, his first task was trying to get the team to be competitive in the fourth quarter. Now, opponents cant seem to put the Thunder away when it comes to crunch time. "Even back then, we werent losing games. I was telling the guys we were learning how to win games, and theres a big difference between that because we had guys that worked every day and it gave me hope that when we were down they were still practicing, still working hard," Brooks said. All that hard work paid off with the franchises first shot at the title since 1996 as the Seattle SuperSonics. The teams only NBA title came in 1979 back in Seattle. The Thunder will host Game 1 of the finals Tuesday night, against either Boston or Miami. "Im not as excited as I thought Id be," said Nick Collison, the only holdover who played in Seattle except for Kevin Durant. "I think we all know we have more work to do. I dont think any of us dreamt about making it to the finals. I think we all dreamt about winning it." Oklahoma City has gotten this far with a youthful core featuring homegrown first-round draft picks Durant, Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka that has blended with a trio of veterans who already have championship rings -- Kendrick Perkins, Derek Fisher and Nazr Mohammed. To get to the finals, Oklahoma City had to go through the only three teams to win the West since 1998 -- Dallas in the first round, the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semifinals and then San Antonio. "Its almost like a Hollywood script for OKC in a sense. ... Those three teams represent 10 of the last 13 championships, and now theyre going to go to the finals and play either Boston or Miami, and thatll be 11 of the last 13 championships," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I dont know if anybody has ever had a run or gone through a playoff playing those kinds of teams. Its just incredible, and I think its pretty cool for them." The Thunder have made a steady progression since rallying to finish 23-59 that first season in Oklahoma City. After adding Harden and Ibaka, who was kept overseas for an extra year of development, the club made the playoffs and lost in the first round to the eventual champion Lakers. Last year, the Mavericks knocked out Oklahoma City in the West finals before also going on to win it all. "Weve been through a lot, not just this year but first getting here, moving to Oklahoma City and losing and then the way we lost in the playoffs," said Durant, who has won the past three league scoring titles. "Weve been through a lot. We dont call each other family just to say it. We really believe in that." Along the way, the Thunder have never let their youth be an excuse. And all the talk about them being too young to win it all, its only driven the team to prove any doubters wrong. "I coach them hard. I dont give them the benefit of the doubt because theyre only 22 years old and 23 years old," Brooks said. "Theyve got a job to do. We all have a job to do, and you have to do it every day. "Just because youre young doesnt mean that you cant play hard, you cant practice hard, you cant have a great attitude for your teammates, and our guys have done that." Torrey Smith NFL Jersey . According to RDS.ca in Montreal, the Alouettes released the non-import running back on Saturday. Ed Reed Jersey . The players union claimed Goodell is prohibited from punishing players for any conduct before the CBA was signed last August. The union also sought to have player appeals heard by Art Shell and Ted Cottrell, who are jointly appointed by the league and union to review discipline handed out for on-field conduct. http://www.nflravensfansshop.com/ray-lewis-jersey/ . It was a good day for the Chicago White Sox. Pinch hitter Eduardo Escobar lined an RBI single in the 10th inning and the White Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers 1-0 Sunday. Ray Lewis Jersey . Stringing together 11 goals and 23 points in the last 21 games – currently in the midst of a four-game point streak in which hes registered nine points – the 28-year-old impending UFA is asserting himself as a rather integral part of a club pushing toward the postseason (currently 8th in the East, 8-4-1 in the New Year). Ray Rice Camo Jersey . Over the past two seasons, Peter Mueller, Kyle Turris, Viktor Tikhonov and Mikkel Boedker have all spent significant time with his Phoenix Coyotes prior to celebrating their 20th birthday. DALLAS -- A former Baylor basketball player pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to extort $1 million from Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III by threatening to expose damaging information, prosecutors said. Richard Khamir Hurd, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communication of a threat related to extortion. He faces two to three years in prison when hes sentenced Nov. 21. The U.S. attorneys office said Hurd, a former walk-on basketball player at the school where Griffin won the Heisman Trophy, contacted one of Griffins agents in June with a demand of $1 million in order not to release information that would damage the quarterbacks reputation. According to an FBI affidavit, Hurd first gave the agent a deadline of June 18 but extended it to give the agennt time to discuss the offer with others. Joe Flacco Youth Jersey. Griffins agent contacted authorities. Under the FBIs direction, the agent reached an agreement to pay Hurd $120,000 for the information and his signature on a non-disclosure agreement. Hurd arrived June 22 at a law office to sign the paperwork and collect the check. FBI agents arrested him afterward. Hurds attorney didnt immediately return a phone message. Leaving court Thursday, Hurd responded to a request for comment with, "Sic em, Bears," the Waco Tribune-Herald reported. Griffin was drafted No. 2 by the Redskins this year and signed a four-year deal for more than $21 million. He has thrown for 747 yards and four touchdowns in three games. The Redskins are 1-2. A team spokesman declined to comment. ' ' '