Tonight could be the first time since June of 1998 that a former Notre Dame player wins an NBA championship as a player.
That player was Joe Kleine of the ’98 Chicago Bulls, but a couple of points to be made about him:
- Kleine transferred to Arkansas from Notre Dame
- Kleine didn’t play a second of the 1998 NBA Finals
If the Milwaukee Bucks are to beat the Phoenix Suns tonight, Pat Connaughton will become the first former Notre Dame player to play in and win an NBA championship since John Paxson with the Bulls back in 1993. In case you’re wondering, Connaughton was all of six months old when that happened.
In attendance tonight to watch his former player will be Notre Dame head basketball coach Mike Brey, who announced his plans for the evening on Twitter:
Heading to G6 of the @NBA Finals tonight.
Gotta support the @NDmbb family! pic.twitter.com/2mfZZz6eEe
— Mike Brey (@NDMikeBrey) July 20, 2021
Brey either gets to see a former player win a championship or another former Notre Dame player force a game seven as a head coach in Monty Williams.
It’s up to be a nice little Tuesday night either way.
Related: Notre Dame in the NBA Finals – Game 5 Photo Gallery