A NATIVE OF Concord, Massachusetts, Sam Presti used Henry David Thoreau’s experience at Walden Pond to inspire his working space and pay homage to the history of his hometown. The Presti family refers to this small, spartan environment as the Walden Room. Inspired by nature and simplicity, this reading and writing room has no technology, plenty of natural light and a view into a woodland that experiences the four seasons in Oklahoma. The marble desk is a family heirloom used by Presti’s grandfather, who was an architect and builder in New York City in the 1940s following his service in World War II.
Since 2007, Sam Presti has served as general manager for the Oklahoma City Thunder professional basketball team. In May 2025, Presti was awarded Executive of the Year award from the National Basketball Association. This season, the Thunder finished as the top-ranked team in the NBA with sixty-eight regular season wins. They are the youngest team to ever reach the Western Conference finals.