It wasn’t the way OG Anunoby likely imagined, but the former Hoosier is an NBA Champion.
The Toronto Raptors clinched the championship in six games on Thursday night over the Golden State Warriors, and in the process, Anunoby became the 7th former Indiana University basketball player to win an NBA Finals.
#iubb NBA Champions:
🏆 Herm Schaefer ('49-50)
🏆 Dick Farley ('54-55)
🏆 Jon McGlocklin ('70-71)
🏆 Steve Downing ('73-74)
🏆 Quinn Buckner ('83-84)
🏆 Isiah Thomas ('88-89)
🏆 Isiah Thomas ('89-90)
🏆 OG Anunoby ('18-19)— ProBallHoosiers (@ProBallHoosiers) June 14, 2019
While Anunoby was a key part of the 2018-19 Raptors’ season, he almost missed their entire playoff run.
The former Hoosier star underwent an emergency appendectomy in April. It was revealed that Anunoby’s appendix had ruptured and he suffered infection complications after the surgery.
Anunoby was finally activated for game two of the Finals, but he did not appear in any of the games during the series.
The 6-foot-8 forward appeared in 67 games and started six times for the 2018-19 season. He averaged 7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in 20.2 minutes per contest.
According to nba.com, the Raptors were 16-2 this season when Anunoby scored at least nine points.
The 21 year old Anunoby was taken by Toronto as the No. 23 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Congrats to @OAnunoby and the @Raptors on winning the #NBAFinals!#ProIU pic.twitter.com/25bIVwx4RE
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) June 14, 2019
A total of 11 different former Indiana players have now appeared in 16 different NBA Finals, with IU players winning nine of those appearances. Here is the complete list of former Hoosier players that have appeared in the NBA Finals:
(NBA Champions in bold)
2019 – OG Anunoby (Toronto)
1990 – Isiah Thomas (Detroit)
1989 – Isiah Thomas (Detroit)
1988 – Isiah Thomas (Detroit)
1985 – Quinn Buckner (Boston)
1984 – Quinn Buckner (Boston)
1977 – George McGinnis (Philadelphia)*
1976 – Dick Van Arsdale (Phoenix)
1974 – Steve Downing (Boston)
1974 – Jon McGlocklin (Milwaukee)
1971 – Jon McGlocklin (Milwaukee)
1963 – Ron Horn (Los Angeles)
1959 – Bobby “Slick” Leonard (Minneapolis)
1955 – Dick Farley (Syracuse)
1950 – Herm Schaefer (Minneapolis)
1949 – Herm Schaefer (Minneapolis)
*McGinnis also won ABA titles with Indiana in 1972 and 1973.
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