Anunoby Earns NBA Championship Ring With Toronto Raptors
6/15/2019 12:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - With the Toronto Raptors winning the 2019 NBA Championship, former Indiana University wing OG Anunoby, who played a big part in helping IU win a Big Ten Championship in 2016 as a freshman, became the first former Hoosier player to win an NBA title since Isiah Thomas led the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back titles in 1990 and 1991.
Anunoby, who suffered a torn ACL midway through his sophomore season in 2017, was selected with the 23rd pick in the NBA draft by Toronto later that summer. He started 62 games as a rookie and averaged 5.9 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 36 percent from three-point range that season. He started all 10 playoff games as a rookie and averaged 7.9 points in the post season.
In 2018-19, he played in 67 games during the regular season and started six times. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds. Prior to the playoffs, he underwent an emergency appendectomy and did not return to action in the post season.
IU and the NBA Championship
Isiah Thomas, 1990 and 1991 Detroit Pistons: Thomas, who led IU to the 1981 NCAA Championship, led Detroit to championship series wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trailblazers and was a 12-time NBA All-Star. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Quinn Buckner, 1984 Boston Celtics: Buckner was the undisputed leader of the last undefeated basketball team in college history, the 1976 Hoosiers. After playing his first six seasons in Milwaukee, he joined the Celtics in 1982 and was a key role player for Boston as they beat the Lakers in seven games. He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Steve Downing, 1974, Boston Celtics: Downing, a member of the 1973 Final Four and Big Ten title team, was a first round pick by the Celtics following his senior year. As a rookie, he was part of a team that defeated Milwaukee in seven games to capture the NBA title.
Jon McGlocklin, 1971, Milwaukee Bucks: The Franklin, Indiana native was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in 1965 and joined Milwaukee in 1968 after being selected in the expansion draft. The Bucks swept the Washington Bullets in the NBA Finals and averaged 14.8 points in the playoffs and 15.6 in the regular season. He retired after the 1976 season.
Dick Farley, 1955, Syracuse Nationals: A member of the Hoosiers 1953 National Championship team, Farley was drafted by Syracuse and averaged 5.9 points as a rookie for a team which beat the Fort Wayne Pistons in a seven-game series for the league title. He played two more seasons and served two years in the military from 1956-58. He died of cancer at 37 in 1969.
Herm Schaefer, 1949 and 1950, Minneapolis Lakers: A member of the first IU National Championship squad, Schaefer was a part of two Minneapolis teams which won the titles in 1949 and 1950. He averaged 12.4 points in the 1949 BAA Finals against the Washington Capitols. Following a merger with the NBL the following year, they beat Syracuse in six games in the inaugural NBA Championship where he averaged 4.3 points in 12 games.
IU and the ABA Championships
The ABA was in existence for nine seasons from 1967-76 and two former Hoosiers were at the forefront of the Indiana Pacers championship teams in 1970, 1972 and 1973. The man who hit the free throw to win the 1953 NCAA Championship for Indiana, Bob "Slick" Leonard, served as the head coach for the franchise from 1968-80 and former IU All-American George McGinnis played his first four seasons with the Blue and Gold and was part of the '72 and '73 title squads.
The Pacers beat the Los Angeles Stars in six games in the 1970 Championship Series, toppled the New York Nets in six games in 1972 and took down the Kentucky Colonels in seven contests in 1973. McGinnis averaged 15.5 points in 1972 and 23.9 points in 1973 during the post season. Leonard was named as a 2014 inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
and McGinnis was enshrined in 2017.
Anunoby, who suffered a torn ACL midway through his sophomore season in 2017, was selected with the 23rd pick in the NBA draft by Toronto later that summer. He started 62 games as a rookie and averaged 5.9 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 36 percent from three-point range that season. He started all 10 playoff games as a rookie and averaged 7.9 points in the post season.
In 2018-19, he played in 67 games during the regular season and started six times. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds. Prior to the playoffs, he underwent an emergency appendectomy and did not return to action in the post season.
IU and the NBA Championship
Isiah Thomas, 1990 and 1991 Detroit Pistons: Thomas, who led IU to the 1981 NCAA Championship, led Detroit to championship series wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trailblazers and was a 12-time NBA All-Star. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Quinn Buckner, 1984 Boston Celtics: Buckner was the undisputed leader of the last undefeated basketball team in college history, the 1976 Hoosiers. After playing his first six seasons in Milwaukee, he joined the Celtics in 1982 and was a key role player for Boston as they beat the Lakers in seven games. He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Steve Downing, 1974, Boston Celtics: Downing, a member of the 1973 Final Four and Big Ten title team, was a first round pick by the Celtics following his senior year. As a rookie, he was part of a team that defeated Milwaukee in seven games to capture the NBA title.
Jon McGlocklin, 1971, Milwaukee Bucks: The Franklin, Indiana native was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in 1965 and joined Milwaukee in 1968 after being selected in the expansion draft. The Bucks swept the Washington Bullets in the NBA Finals and averaged 14.8 points in the playoffs and 15.6 in the regular season. He retired after the 1976 season.
Dick Farley, 1955, Syracuse Nationals: A member of the Hoosiers 1953 National Championship team, Farley was drafted by Syracuse and averaged 5.9 points as a rookie for a team which beat the Fort Wayne Pistons in a seven-game series for the league title. He played two more seasons and served two years in the military from 1956-58. He died of cancer at 37 in 1969.
Herm Schaefer, 1949 and 1950, Minneapolis Lakers: A member of the first IU National Championship squad, Schaefer was a part of two Minneapolis teams which won the titles in 1949 and 1950. He averaged 12.4 points in the 1949 BAA Finals against the Washington Capitols. Following a merger with the NBL the following year, they beat Syracuse in six games in the inaugural NBA Championship where he averaged 4.3 points in 12 games.
IU and the ABA Championships
The ABA was in existence for nine seasons from 1967-76 and two former Hoosiers were at the forefront of the Indiana Pacers championship teams in 1970, 1972 and 1973. The man who hit the free throw to win the 1953 NCAA Championship for Indiana, Bob "Slick" Leonard, served as the head coach for the franchise from 1968-80 and former IU All-American George McGinnis played his first four seasons with the Blue and Gold and was part of the '72 and '73 title squads.
The Pacers beat the Los Angeles Stars in six games in the 1970 Championship Series, toppled the New York Nets in six games in 1972 and took down the Kentucky Colonels in seven contests in 1973. McGinnis averaged 15.5 points in 1972 and 23.9 points in 1973 during the post season. Leonard was named as a 2014 inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
and McGinnis was enshrined in 2017.
Players Mentioned
Forward
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