Recovering from a torn ACL, Thomas Sorber won’t let his lost first year put him in a bad mood for the rest of the year. The 19-year-old has stayed upbeat since he sustained the season-ending injury in September. He joined Chet Holmgren and Nikola Topic as OKC rookies to sit out their first year.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the NBA’s best team. The reigning NBA champion looks ready to go back-to-back with a historic 24-1 record and plus-17 point differential. They’ve normalized blowout wins as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seldom plays the fourth quarter.
While that’s going on, Sorber has stayed in touch. He’s helped out in pregame warmups and usually is on the bench at home games. The Thunder added him with the No. 15 pick of the 2025 NBA draft. A one-and-done year at Georgetown was enough to nearly land in the lottery.
As the Thunder travel to Las Vegas, they hope to capture the 2025 NBA Cup. They finished just shy last year when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. The nice grand prize can help Sorber reimburse himself for his latest gift.
As Christmas nears, Sorber posted on social media that he’s gifted his mother a brand-new car. Every kid growing up dreams of doing that. It’s cool to see the 19-year-old do that with his NBA contract.
Once Sorber is cleared to return, it’ll be interesting to see how the Thunder handle upcoming roster decisions. He could be Isaiah Hartenstein’s replacement, but he’s proven to be too valuable, so you might need to reconsider that decision.
That’s a long way away, though. Until then, Sorber will continue to rehab in the background. Meanwhile, the Thunder continue to make NBA history.

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