Oklahoma City Thunder’s Sam Presi wins 2024-25 NBA Executive of the Year Award, past winners list.

Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder was announced Tuesday as the NBA’s executive of the year, the reward for building that team into a juggernaut that won a league-best 68 games this season.

It is Presti’s first time winning the award and the first time since 1994 that the franchise — which was then called the Seattle SuperSonics — had its top executive voted as the winner. Bob Whitsitt won it that season.

Presti, the Thunder’s executive vice president and general manager, got 10 first-place votes from a panel of 30 basketball executives — one from each of the NBA’s teams — who ranked their top three choices in order. Presti appeared on 22 of those 30 ballots.

Cleveland’s Koby Altman was second with six first-place votes, after the Cavaliers won 64 games and finished atop the Eastern Conference standings. Detroit’s Trajan Langdon also got six first-place votes and was third, after the Pistons went from a 14-win team to a 44-win playoff team in his first year leading that front office.

NBA Executive of the Year Award Past Winners List since 1973-2025.

The executive of the year award is not like most NBA season honors that are voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league and cast ballots shortly after the end of the regular season.

Take a look back at every Executive of the Year award winner in NBA history.

A year-by-year list of the NBA Executive of the Year Award Winners:

2025-26 — ...

2024-25 — Sam Presi, Oklahoma City Thunder

2023-24 — Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics

2022-23 — Monte McNair, Sacramento Kings

2021-22 — Zach Kleiman, Memphis Grizzlies

2020-21 — James Jones, Phoenix Suns

2019-20 — Lawrence Frank, LA Clippers

2018-19 — Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks

2017-18 — Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets

2016-17 — Bob Myers, Golden State Warriors

2015-16 — R.C. Buford, San Antonio Spurs

2014-15 — Bob Myers, Golden State Warriors

2013-14 — R.C. Buford, San Antonio Spurs

2012-13 — Masai Ujiri, Denver Nuggets

2011-12 — Larry Bird, Indiana Pacers

2010-11 — Gar Forman/Pat Riley, Chicago Bulls/Miami Heat

2009-10 — John Hammond, Milwaukee Bucks

2008-09 — Mark Warkentien, Denver Nuggets

2007-08 — Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics

2006-07 — Bryan Colangelo, Toronto Raptors

2005-06 — Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Clippers

2004-05 — Bryan Colangelo, Phoenix Suns

2003-04 — Jerry West, Memphis Grizzlies

2002-03 — Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons

2001-02 — Rod Thorn, New Jersey Nets

2000-01 — Geoff Petrie, Sacramento Kings

1999-00 — John Gabriel, Orlando Magic

1998-99 — Geoff Petrie, Sacramento Kings

1997-98 — Wayne Embry, Cleveland Cavaliers

1996-97 — Bob Bass, Charlotte Hornets

1995-96 — Jerry Krause, Chicago Bulls

1994-95 — Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers

1993-94 — Bob Whitsitt, Seattle SuperSonics

1992-93 — Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix Suns

1991-92 — Wayne Embry, Cleveland Cavaliers

1990-91 — Bucky Buckwalter, Portland Trail Blazers

1989-90 — Bob Bass, San Antonio Spurs

1988-89 — Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix Suns

1987-88 — Jerry Krause, Chicago Bulls

1986-87 — Stan Kasten, Atlanta Hawks

1985-86 — Stan Kasten, Atlanta Hawks

1984-85 — Vince Boryla, Denver Nuggets

1983-84 — Frank Layden, Utah Jazz

1982-83 — Zollie Volchok, Seattle SuperSonics

1981-82 — Bob Ferry, Washington Bullets

1980-81 — Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix Suns

1979-80 — Red Auerbach, Boston Celtics

1978-79 — Bob Ferry, Washington Bullets

1977-78 — Angelo Drossos, San Antonio Spurs

1976-77 — Ray Patterson, Houston Rockets

1975-76 — Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix Suns

1974-75 — Dick Vertlieb, Golden State Warriors

1973-74 — Eddie Donovan, Buffalo Braves

1972-73 — Joe Axelson, Kansas City-Omaha Kings

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NBA.com