Oklahoma Wrestling coach David Taylor sends 4-word message after viral moment at Thunder-Nuggets NBA game

The head coach of the Oklahoma State wrestling program, David Taylor, attended an NBA game. The former freestyle and folkstyle elite wrestler shared his thoughts on a viral moment during the Oklahoma City Thunder-Denver Nuggets playoff matchup.

David Taylor, who won the Olympic gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 86 kg category, is a three-time gold medalist in the World Championship and has a silver and a bronze medal as well. Along with his Olympic and World Championship feats, he has three gold medals from the Pan American Championships in the 86 kg category.

Under his tutelage, the decorated Oklahoma State wrestling program concluded its 2025 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships in third place. In an X post, he reacted when the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic made a successful throw from the 3-point line. Taylor said:

"That game was epic. #thunderup"

Under his guidance, Oklahoma State wrestlers Wyatt Hendrickson and Dean Hamiti Jr. clinched the individual titles in the 2025 championships.

Hendrickson achieved a historic feat by beating Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, while Hamiti beat the Keegan O'Toole, the two-time national champion, to win the title in the 174-pound category.

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David Taylor reflects on the elite Oklahoma State Wrestling program and the National Championship

David Taylor was announced as the head coach of the distinguished Oklahoma State wrestling program in May 2024. He's the eighth head coach in program history.

During his interview with FloWrestling after the 2025 Wrestling Championship on March 23, 2025, Taylor expressed his thoughts on the Oklahoma wrestling program and their National Championship goals.

"Oklahoma State and the standard of of excellence that we want to have as a program is like we're just trying to be the best at what we're doing you know and doing so, I mean, that's cleaning up all you know just cleaning things up and just being better every single week being better, better lifestyle, better way that you train, better way you compete mentally," he said [2:44 onwards]

Taylor added:

"So we're trying to be the best version. This is the pinnacle, we're trying to be national champions. This is a really hard tournament to win, you know and whoever's in your path, you can't predict who's going to be there, but when you step across the mat, you got to be ready to take some guys out."

During his collegiate career, David Taylor won two NCAA Division I National championships in the 165-pound category and two Dan Hodge trophies.