Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort brings Haitian pride, lockdown defense to NBA playoffs

NEW ORLEANS – Every time the Oklahoma City Thunder play in New Orleans, Luguentz Dort is reminded of his Haitian roots.

By 1810, New Orleans’ population doubled when 10,000 predominantly Black migrants arrived from Haiti after its revolution. The popular red beans and rice and jambalaya dishes served in restaurants all over New Orleans have Haitian influences. In New Orleans, there is also a Mardi Gras parade celebrating Haitian culture called Krewe du Kanaval, and Haitian restaurants as well.

“I’ve watched a lot of documentaries about Haitian history,” Dort, a fifth-year guard with the Thunder, told Andscape. “Haiti was the first Black [republic]. I just went on YouTube and watched a bunch of stuff. If you look back, there were a lot of Haitians that came to New Orleans. They wanted their independence. I’m just intrigued by history, especially from my culture.

“Whenever Haiti beat the French, some of them came to America and landed in New Orleans. They brought so many things with them. There is a small Haitian culture where they have a Mardi Gras parade and other stuff going on that comes from Haiti. There are a lot of things in French Creole [culture] here as well. I thought about it and it’s crazy. It’s history.”

Dort has not only brought his Haitian pride with him into The Big Easy, he’s also been a defensive standout for the Thunder in their first-round playoff matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Thunder have taken a commanding 3-0 series advantage in large part because of Dort’s defense.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram averaged 20.9 points and 5.8 assists during the regular season. But with Dort as his main defender, the 2020 NBA All-Star is averaging 15 points and 3.0 assists per game on 37% from the field. Even when Ingram nailed a 3-pointer late in the third quarter in Game 3 Saturday, Dort was draped all over him defensively to the ire of the Pelicans and their fans. Ingram scored 19 points in the 106-85 Game 3 loss.

The 6-foot-8 forward is 7-for-22 from the field in the series when the brawny 6-4, 220-pound Dort is his main defender, according to Second Spectrum.

“It’s a different defender who is physical,” Ingram told Andscape after Game 3. “With a defender like that, you have to be on the same page with your team with timing. You have to get the right pass. You have to get the right angle to make things easier. Along with their coach, their game plan is pivotal to try to deter stuff.

“They know how we run our offense. He is able to beat me to the spot before I get there. You can tell he has done his homework. He uses everything that he’s got against you.”

“What [Dort] has done defensively, he’s been outstanding. We need more of it in the next game,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.

The young Thunder are known for their three offensive standouts, NBA All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. While Holmgren is a notable shot-blocker, the heart and soul of the Thunder’s defense is Dort.

The Montreal native says he first fell in love with defense when he was matched up against some of the top AAU players during his high school days. Dort is built more like a football linebacker than a basketball player.

During the former Arizona State star’s rookie season with the Thunder, then-teammates Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder told him that defense is his key to playing time.

“I was just trying to find some minutes and playing time,” Dort said. “Dennis and Chris were the first ones to stay if they put you on the court, guard the best player full court. And I just developed this mentality to do that, which has helped.”

Dort has used defense to solidify his role as a starter in 283 of 292 career regular-season NBA games for the Thunder while averaging 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He was nicknamed “Dortress” and the “Dorture Chamber” because of his standout defense. Dort, who consistently guards the opponent’s best player, has never been named to any of the All-NBA Defensive teams.

Dort, however, hope that changes this season and said “now is the time” for him to be considered one of the NBA’s elite defenders. According to pbpstats.com, Dort is No. 1 in the NBA in non-charge offensive fouls drawn (52) and second in the league in non-charge offensive fouls combined with charges drawn (56) behind only New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.

“Honestly, at this point, it’s always wired in my head,” Dort said of defense. “When I get ready in the offseason, I know I’m going to be matched up with some of the best players every game. That is how I made my name in this league. That is how I earned those type of contracts that I’ve had and [I’m] able to take care of my family. Now, it’s just wired. What I need to do now to mentally get ready, I can already do that.”

When asked what makes Dort special defensively, Daigneault said: “Physical strength. He has the profile there. He is really quick and agile moving side to side. But the biggest thing is just his will and determination. He is guarding the best players every single night.

“His matchup difficulty in the NBA has got to be the highest, if not, top five, top 10. So, he takes a lot of punches.”

During Dort’s rookie season, he also built a reputation for having one of the most unique social justice messages on the back of his jersey during the 2020 NBA bubble during the coronavirus pandemic. The most popular terms on NBA jerseys were “Equality,” “Black Lives Matter” and “Peace.” The back of Dort’s Thunder jersey had the words “Respekte Nou” above his No. 5. Respekte nou translates to “respect us” in Haitian Creole.

“I had a lot of pride,” Dort said. “There was a lot of stuff going on [in Haiti], too. It was big for me to put ‘Respect Us’ in Creole on my back because of all the stuff that was going on back there. It touched a lot of Haitians.”

Dort’s parents emigrated from Saint-Marc, Haiti, to Montreal when they were 21 years old, according to FIBA.com. His father was a school principal in Haiti and became a taxi driver and owner in Montreal while his mother made clothes at a manufacturer, Dort said. He was taught about Haitian history, pride and food during his youth. There are nearly 179,000 Canadians of Haitian origin in Canada, and most of them live in Montreal, according to Canada’s 2021 census.

“I was living in Canada, but I felt like I was in Haiti the whole time,” Dort said. “I was speaking Creole with my mom, dad and my family. My parents taught me that the Haitian people have come a long way. I’m really big on history and how Haitians had to fight to get what they got. It’s a big [point of] pride for me, especially where I am now. There are not a lot of Haitians who have got to this point. And I’m representing them.”

Dort says he went to Haiti with his family when he was about 5 years old but doesn’t recall much. He has dreamed of exploring his roots and visiting his family still in Haiti. He even hopes one day to host a basketball camp there and have an impact as a humanitarian.

However, Haiti is too dangerous for Dort or his family members to visit. Haiti has been in turmoil since 2019 after tens of thousands of Haitians held protests to demand the resignation of then-President Jovenel Moïse. In 2021, Moïse was assassinated, and the country has been ravaged by gangs, crime, rapes and violence ever since. The government of Haiti has struggled to crack down on a brutal gang war in the capital Port-au-Prince.

“I want to go back, but there is a lot going on right now,” Dort said. “When it calms, there are a couple things I want to do over there for sure. It’s hard. I have family there. It hurts that we can’t come together to try to fix what is going on over there. The best thing is to wait and believe that change can happen. We’re going to keep following what is going on and hope it gets better.

“Government stuff, I don’t have any say in that. If I can bring some joy one day by having a camp there or give to a charity to bring some help … there is a conversation right now going on with my foundation. That would be the next step.”

Dort says there isn’t a Haitian influence in Oklahoma City, but he’s proud that Haitian fans who attend NBA games in New York, Boston and Miami often speak to him in his native Creole. He added that he hopes to go to a Haitian restaurant in New Orleans.

“There are a couple Haitian spots that I’m looking for,” Dort said. “[Sunday] I have a day off, so I might as well eat something. Every time I’m in a city with a Haitian spot, I will go, man. My people are always surprised to see a basketball player being Haitian and speaking Creole.”