Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff met with SGA, Cason Wallace at Thursday's Thunder practice

NBA training camp opened up earlier this week ahead of the start of the 2025-26 regular season, which begins at the end of the month. Mark Pope used it as an opportunity to meet up with a couple of notable UK alums after he wrapped up his own practice back in Lexington.

Following the Oklahoma City Thunder’s training camp session on Thursday, Pope and most of his coaching staff stopped by the franchise’s practice facility to catch up with former Kentucky men’s basketball players Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace. Pope was joined by several of his assistants, including Alvin Brooks, Cody Fueger, Mark Fox, and Nick Robinson, along with Rock Oliver, who serves as UK’s Executive Associate AD for Student Success.

Multiple Thunder reporters were on hand at practice to give us the video/photo proof. Alabama head coach Nate Oats was also in the building, chatting it up with Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.

Pope and his staff were seen hanging out with Gilgeous-Alexander, who recently became the first former ‘Cat to win the NBA’s MVP award, Wallace, and other Thunder players. What exactly was most of the Kentucky staff doing out in OKC? That’s a good question, but picking the minds of the defending NBA champions and the reigning league MVP is never going to be a bad thing, especially when there’s a connection to the Wildcats.

Kentucky coach Mark Pope among several college coaches at Thunder practice today pic.twitter.com/kcIjc2XLtX

— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) October 2, 2025

Thunder training camp day 3 ft. Mark Pope pic.twitter.com/IP2fhsRirf

— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) October 2, 2025

Former Wildcat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chatting it up with Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope and members of his staff today at Thunder training camp. pic.twitter.com/f4v63GXGt7

— Michael Martin (@MichaelOnSports) October 2, 2025

Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the top players in the world, while Wallace is an elite young defender. Those would surely be interesting conversations to be a fly on the wall for. Maybe Pope is doing some celebrity guest recruiting for next weekend’s Big Blue Madness?? We shall have to wait and see…

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