Former IU basketball big man Thomas Bryant became the eighth former Hoosier to win an NBA title as a player on Monday evening when the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Miami Heat in Game Five.
Bryant was on the active roster for the Nuggets but did not make an appearance in the Playoffs.
He averaged 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game during the regular season for Denver after a midseason trade from the Lakers.
Congrats to our guy @nolimittb31!#ProIU | #BringItIn pic.twitter.com/mahuBArDtd
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) June 13, 2023
“This is what it’s all about right here. Winning this championship… I’m a champ! What up champ! What’s good champ!”
Thomas Bryant is living it up at the Nuggets locker room party 🏆🍾
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/iiJUJIP4wh
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 13, 2023
On the losing end with the Heat were a pair of former IU players — Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo.
Zeller played in all five games of the Finals and scored four points and grabbed five rebounds in a total of 27 minutes of action. Oladipo suffered a season-ending knee injury in April.
Also with the Nuggets is former IU All-American Jared Jeffries, who is on his second tour of duty with the franchise. Jeffries is a college scout with the organization, a role he took with Denver before this season.
After he retired from playing in the NBA in 2013, Jeffries became a scout for the Nuggets. In 2016, the team promoted him to director of pro personnel. Then he left the franchise in 2017 to pursue business ventures outside of the NBA before returning this season.
Jeffries can be seen in the below video posted to Twitter celebrating in the Nuggets post-game locker room on Monday evening.
Jared Jeffries just shotgunned a beer. pic.twitter.com/5Qb36K1BSs
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) June 13, 2023
Here is the complete list of former Hoosier players who have appeared in the NBA Finals:
(NBA Champions in bold)
- 2023 – Thomas Bryant (Denver), Cody Zeller (Miami), Victor Oladipo (Miami)
- 2022 – Juwan Morgan (Boston)
- 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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