From growing up in Bureau County to winning a NBA ring, Matt Tumbleson shares his life experiences

On a BCR Senior Spotlight form during his senior season playing football at Bureau Valley, Matt Tumbleson said he wanted to become the PR director for the Chicago Bulls one day.

He lived and breathed Michael Jordan and Bulls basketball. His grandmother, Winnie Carlson, had that clipping framed in her house in Chicago until her passing last summer.

While he never made it to the Bulls, Tumbleson has made a 21-year career for himself in the NBA, including the past 14 years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. If you looked closely after the Thunder’s NBA championship 103-91 victory over the Indianapolis Pacers on June 22, you would have seen Tumbleson coordinating all the postgame interviews on the Paycom Center arena floor in Oklahoma City.

He is in his eighth season as the team’s Vice President of Basketball Communications & Engagement, responsible for promoting the endeavors of the Thunder players, coaches and front office staff both on and off the court.

He’s also worked for the Memphis Grizzlies, New Jersey Nets and San Antonio Spurs

It’s been a dream come true job from the Bureau County boy from Buda.

Tumbleson, who was a member of Bureau Valley’s first of three state basketball teams in 1999-00, found time to chat with BCR sports editor Kevin Hieronymus after the excitement of the championship night and followup wound down, talking about his roots, life lessons learned playing for the Storm, chasing his boyhood dream and how to encourage any other youngsters from home to chase theirs.

BCR: How’s a boy from Buda, Ill. make a career in the NBA and get a NBA Championship ring?

Tumbleson: “It was good fortune, sticking with it with some hard work sprinkled in there. And also the support of people along the way helping me out and looking out for me and putting wind into my sail at different times. There’s a lot of people from home I’m still connected with … Andy Lanson, Tim Pratt, Justin Yepsen … they’ve been so supportive. I feel it and it’s just the greatest thing really. For me, it’s what I wanted in my life and I gave it a shot. I’m just so, so lucky to be in this terrific organization that’s just about all the right things. I’ve just been very, very fortunate every step of the way with people looking out for me.”

BCR: You came pretty close to that BCR Spotlight, didn’t you?

Tumbleson: “Grandma had your story framed. I’d see it and I was like, ‘OK. I’ve got to keep going.’ My goal was to be the head PR person and I got there for a team. Being here with the Thunder is amazing. It’s been a driving force, especially early in my career. I said I wanted to do it and I had to find a way to do it. I’m very proud of the fact that I got here and I got to this point. When I was little. I loved the Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan. I wanted it so bad and to have the chance to have one this … I’ve had good fortune and incredible good luck to get here. I stuck with it, took chances and I worked hard. Worked really hard in school because I desperately wanted to work in the NBA. This is like the perfect organization to be a part of. Our leadership, our players, they’re just great people in a great community. I feel very, very fortunate to be here.”

BCR: What was it like for you on championship game night and days after?

Tumbleson: “It’s been super busy. My job is organizing all the interviews after the game. I work with the NBA and it’s like, ‘Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) is doing GMA, Chet’s going SportsCenter, Mark Daigneault, our coach is doing Scott VanPelt. There’s NBA TV. There’s all sorts of different things happening. It’s like the game ends and it’s go time, getting players from Point A to Point B. The moments immediately after the game are super fun, wild and just like the most wonderful chaos to be a part of.

The game ends, you celebrate that night and you’re right back to the arena at 6 a.m. the day after the championship game for TV show hits the next morning. It was wonderful chaos after the game and it was a wonderful tired feeling (the next morning).

The day after that we had the parade and that was so awesome. I had two of my kids on Shai’s bus with me. They absolutely loved that. Shai gave my oldest son (Teddy) the trophy for a second. I was like, ‘put that thing down, buddy. I don’t need you dropping that thing down the side of the bus.’”

BCR: I bet your kids think dad’s pretty cool!

Tumbleson: “It’s like any parent. I don’t think it’s anything different than any other dad or mom that’s doing stuff for their kids. I’m just trying as hard as I can for them. They get to do a couple fun, unique things, I suppose. I travel full-time with the team, so I miss a lot of stuff and games. But they get to do some fun things, too, like that.

BCR: Your wife must be the MVP of your family.

Tumbleson: “My wife, Christina, and I met working for the New Jersey Nets and she is by far the most talented person in the family, the smartest person in the family and she sacrifices the most for sure so this can happen. Without question, she is the key to all of it.”

BCR: What’s the most fun part of your job?

Tumbleson: “I’m enjoying my job now more than ever and I love this job and I always have because I can share some of these experiences with my kids. My wife and kids were at all the finals games. My mom (Linda) and dad (Dan) came to a couple finals games. I like to think my dad is a legend in Bureau County from his football days at Western, so that was like big time for me. All of my siblings, Jimmy, Tommy, Katie, came to the finals games. It is the most fulfilling portion of my career with Christina and the kids being a part of it and sharing with them. When I started I was on my own. When I was with San Antonio it was amazing and the Spurs won a championship in 2005. And now to experience this 20 years and have this fullness of life with a wife and kids, it’s been like the most fortunate experience I could never ask for much more than this. The tangible part of the job I like the most, we have these tremendous players who mean a lot to the community and fans and a lot of people and helping put them in the best position to help them out in any way that I can that is very much my favorite part of my job.”

BCR: How does this experience compare to going to state with the Bureau Valley basketball team?

Tumbleson: “Some of those experiences I had with those teammates, those are some of the best basketball memories I’ve had too. I love those guys, like Yeppy (Justin Yepsen), and Adam (Endress), Phil (Endress), John Elliott, Reuben (Slock), (Eric) Wiggim, Chris Heward, Jim Durham ... all those guys. There’s nothing like that period of time for me. This (the NBA) is amazing, amazing, amazing, but that was awesome, too.”

BCR: What things did you learn at Bureau Valley that you have taken with you on the job today?

Tumbleson: “Coach (Craig) Johnson and Coach (Brad) Bickett are like monuments to me. The things I’ve learned from them are humility, hard work and every single day coming in and chipping away with the same attitude and the same approach. It was a baseline to build on from there for my life and career. Being a part of those teams growing up at Bureau Valley they were very connected, especially coach Bickett’s basketball teams. Every thing was about the team. I’m one of those support staffers (with the Thunder), so our job is to fully support our players, our coaches, our GM and ownership group. Learning to develop that humility at a young age, really help to form those building blocks of who I would become later in my professional career.”

BCR: What would you say for another young person growing up in Bureau County wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Tumbleson: “I’d say go for it, give it a go and know I’m here if you need some help. If you want to talk to somebody coming from Bureau County … I mean, if I can do it, they can do it. It’s been this terrific go."