The Oregon Ducks will once again be represented in the NBA Finals after Payton Pritchard and the Boston Celtics advanced past the Miami Heat in a tightly contested Game 7 battle on Sunday.
Pritchard will become the fourth Oregon alumnus — and first since Jordan Bell in 2018 — to play in the NBA Finals when Boston takes on Bell’s old team, Golden State, starting with Game 1 on Thursday.
Bell was the first Duck to appear in the finals in nearly 40 years, a span that included the very successful careers of Terrell Brandon, Luke Ridnour and Blair Rasmussen among others.
Pritchard played a key role for the Celtics off the bench against Miami, averaging 6.5 points and two assists in the seven games. He adds solid defense and outside shooting to a squad that will need a sharp series in both areas to derail the return of the Golden State dynasty led by Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Here are the Oregon alumni who have played in an NBA Finals, and how they (and their squads) did: