Inside a 92-year-old landmark in downtown Oklahoma City sat two young men with a combined age of 42. Oklahoma City Thunder newcomers Cason Wallace and Keyontae Johnson’s first official stop in their National Basketball Association careers came at the historic First National Center on June 24, where six years of renovation brought a collapsing relic into a stunning refurbishment. It was a fitting location for the Thunder rookies’ introductory press conference, as both players will be tasked with the same hard hat mentality that the team has exhibited over the last few years. Building something from the ground up takes time. While teammates have laid groundwork, Wallace and Johnson will have to bring a like-minded approach to the business of elevating the Thunder to new heights.

Wallace and Johnson’s families were in attendance alongside Thunder staff, media and five Community Draft Picks — people from the Oklahoma City area who are making an impact in their own way. Dressed in pristine suits, Wallace and Johnson stepped to the podium with Thunder Executive Vice President Sam Presti honored and grateful to be the two newest members of the Thunder family. After an opening statement from Presti, answering questions from media and holding up their jerseys for the very first time, Wallace and Johnson had a chance to catch their breath and soak up the whirlwind of the last 48 hours.

During last week’s 2023 NBA Draft, the Thunder moved from the 12th to 10th pick to select Wallace, who is originally from Hamilton Park, Tex., which is less than three hours away from the site of Saturday’s press conference.

“It meant a lot to me knowing that they believed in me, that they saw something in me that I might not have seen in myself, and I thank them that I’m a part of this great organization, wonderful city and great fan base,” Wallace said.

Johnson had to wait 40 more picks before his name was called by the Thunder with the 50th selection, but his start in the NBA couldn’t be any sweeter given what he had to overcome to get here. Back in 2020 when he was at the University of Florida, Johnson collapsed on the floor and was put into a medically- induced coma due to a cardiac incident. Two years later, Johnson was back on the floor but with Kansas State University, where he was able to finish his college career in inspiring fashion before being drafted. “It’s a dream come true — surreal,” said Johnson, who was an all-conference performer with the Wildcats just like he was with the Gators.

“(Johnson) is someone that has gotten better and better and better,” Presti said. “I think everybody understands his story is all about perseverance, resilience and bounce back. You can’t put into words what his story means. It crosses and transcends sports. (It’s) incredible that he’s here today.”

Presti and the Thunder’s front office saw both players frequently over the last few years and have a good handle not just on their games, but their personalities and how their approach to the game will match what the Thunder is constructing. Competitiveness, physicality, two-way impact and the ability to play off of teammates are going to be critical values for all five players on the floor for the Thunder, and Presti noted that in selecting Wallace at 10, the Thunder is getting many of those qualities, but ones he must continue investing in with his work in the team’s development program.

“Cason is a quintessential two-way player, somebody that we are really excited to have,” Presti said. “He plays no-agenda basketball, and that’s one of the things that really attracted us to him. This guy got drafted in the Top-10 by just being an incredible team player, a guy that makes the right play all the time, and I think that’s a great lesson for a lot of young players out there.”

The new Thunder duo had a chance to soak up that weekend’s special time with their families, but before they knew it, the time came to hit the ground running with some of their new teammates. This week, the Thunder will get together informally to prepare for Summer League in Salt Lake City, which started Monday and ends Thursday before heading out to Las Vegas from July 7-17. While Thunder teammates have already reached out to Wallace and Johnson to congratulate them and welcome them to the group, they’ll get figurative and literal arms around their shoulders soon.

“Being on the outside looking in, you can see how much the players enjoy being here,” Wallace said. “On the court, they are always having fun. They look like they are free. They are out there and they all look like they’re together.”

“I could tell the connection the team had, just seeing how much the guys really respect each other,” Johnson said.

Oklahoma City Thunder 2023 National Basketball Association Draft picks Keyontae Johnson, left, and Cason Wallace, right, share a moment with Thunder Executive Vice President Sam Presti during June 24’s press conference at the historic First National Center.