Tag: Mike Conley Jr.

Mike Conley joins growing list of former Ohio State players to donate to NIL collective

Conley is a Buckeye for life. #GoBucks

Since Ohio State athletics continually pumps out professional athletes, it should not surprise anyone when those same athletes to give back to their alma mater.

Current Houston Texans and former star quarterback C.J. Stroud made a donation to The Foundation, one of the Buckeyes Name, Image and Likeness collectives. On Thursday, it was announced that another former Ohio State star has done the same, current Minnesota Timberwolves guard [autotag]Mike Conley Jr.[/autotag]

After nearly winning a national championship with the Buckeyes, he was selected in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft, pick No. 4 by the Memphis Grizzles. Conley has had a fantastic career and now will give back to his former home.

Like Stroud, Conley gave a big donation to The Foundation, showing he still cares about Ohio State athletics. After all, once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X. 

Nikola Jokic gives former Ohio State guard Mike Conley high praise

The MVP was impressed by Conley’s play. #GoBucks

If you didn’t see the NBA Western conference semifinals earlier this week, the Minnesota Timberwolves went into the defending champions’ arena and knocked out the Denver Nuggets.

Three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, had his team rolling into halftime, but the T-Wolves mounted a huge comeback and eventually outlasted the Nuggets. Former Ohio State star guard, [autotag]Mike Conley Jr.,[/autotag] finally ended his Game 7 woes, and following the victory, Jokic had some high praise for the Buckeye.

Jokic went on to say that Conley is “the most underrated player in the NBA probably. I love that guy. He’s so good.” The guard scored just 10 points, but did have 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in the series-clinching victory.

Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

If you would have told me that that Conley would have has the best career out of the 2007 Buckeyes team, I would have thought you were crazy, but here we are. He now is just eight wins away from his first NBA Championship.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X. 

Former Ohio State guard Mike Conley Jr. wins NBA Sportsmanship Award

Congrats to a great OSU basketball ambassador. #GoBucks

This is becoming a pretty regular thing. For the fourth time, former Ohio State and current Minnesota Timberwolves guard, Mike Conley Jr. is the recipient of the 2022-2023 NBA Sportsmanship Award.

Each team nominates a player for the award annually, with six chosen as finalists before players vote on a winner. And perhaps nothing means more than receiving an award from your peers like Conley has now done more than any other player in the history of the NBA.

Conley broke into the League when he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. He spent 12 seasons with the Grizzlies where he became the team’s all-time leading scorer before being traded to the Utah Jazz and then moving on to the Timberwolves.

You can watch Conley get surprised with the award in the below video shared to the NBA’s Twitter account.

Conley has had a very lengthy and productive career on the court, averaging 14.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game over his 17-year career. But he has always shown class and high-level sportsmanship in addition.

This is just another example of what a great ambassador for the Ohio State basketball program Conley is.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

Former Ohio State guard Mike Conley Jr. surpasses 15,000 points for NBA career

In case you missed this — what an underrated career. #GoBucks

I mean, we started to get an idea of what former Ohio State guard Mike Conley Jr. could do throughout the Buckeyes’ run through the 2007 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. It’s not like he wasn’t good during the regular season, but he made himself into a first-round draft pick with his ball-handling and big shot-making throughout all of the March Mayhem.

And to think, many thought he was just a throw-in with the bigger perceived commitment of the No. 1 ranked prospect, Lawrence North teammate Greg Oden.

While Oden’s career got sidetracked and ultimately derailed because of injuries, Conely’s has turned into one of the best any former Ohio State player has ever had.

And, for more proof, the Minnesota Timberwolf just surpassed 15,000 career points in the NBA during a 151-131 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

“It’s just a testament of longevity and being able to play this game for as long as I have been. It’s a blessing,” Conley told reporters after the win. “I wouldn’t ever have thought as a kid I’d even be close to that. Just truthfully grateful and humbled to continue to be playing.”

Conley’s career should probably get more notoriety than it has. He’s made just one All-Star team in 2020-2021 season with the Memphis Grizzlies but is just the 149th player of all time to surpass 15,000 career points. For his 16-year career, Conley has averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 3.0 rebounds.

Congrats. That’s flat-out getting it done.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[mm-video type=video id=01gx3vb09qwyqstc14ch playlist_id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx3vb09qwyqstc14ch/01gx3vb09qwyqstc14ch-dd68df4fa5a4e654e31b981b3e9c54fb.jpg]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

On this date 16 years ago, No. 1 Ohio State basketball gave us a game for the ages

Does this make you feel old Buckeye fans? #GoBucks

Since the Ohio State basketball season has been over for some time for all intents and purposes, let’s take a look back on some better days. Back to a time when the shorts were much longer and the Buckeyes were on top of the basketball world and the polls with the “Thad 5.”

On Feb. 25, 16 years ago to the day, Thad Matta’s No. 1 Ohio State squad took on No. 2 Wisconsin at Value City Arena. It was a back-and-forth affair seeing OSU in unfamiliar territory, down a point with just 16 seconds left on the clock.

The ball ended up in eventual first-round pick Mike Conley Jr’s. hands. Conley split a pair of Badgers to put a running floater in the air that rattled home to give the Buckeyes the win.

With not much in the way of highlights this year, you can relive the exciting moment below.

Ivan Harris led the young Buckeyes that day with 13 points, while Conley and fellow freshman phenom, Greg Oden, each added 11 points.

It’s hard to believe this game was played almost two decades ago. Here’s hoping Ohio State can get back to dominating on the hardwood sooner rather than later. Until then, we can reminisce about the good ol’ days.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[mm-video type=video id=01gs6p66kwssyz6pdsrz playlist_id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gs6p66kwssyz6pdsrz/01gs6p66kwssyz6pdsrz-c6789f34cf01a330d5d2ba2d4f125c75.jpg]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. 

WATCH: Mike Conley talks about what former players coming back to Ohio State means

Conley is proud to have been a part of the Ohio State program. See why. #GoBucks

Ohio State might be known as a football school, but the basketball pedigree is pretty good too. There have been some iconic players that have afforded themselves well at the next level, and it’s all throughout history. OSU had success in the early years of the game and has had recent success as well.

Those guys that have gone on to the NBA and overseas recently to play at a higher level often come back to Columbus to be around the guys today. It’s something that makes the program feel like a family atmosphere and adds to the culture of a place like Ohio State.

One of those guys is current Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. He came back to the banks of the Olentangy to mix it up and be around other former Buckeye greats and the current team, and has plenty to say about Ohio State and the city of Columbus.

Watch and listen to Conley tell everyone about the atmosphere at OSU and what the city of Columbus means to some of the players that come through the program.

Conley is a great ambassador for the Ohio State program and it’s guys like him that sell all things scarlet and gray to potential recruits. He believes in what OSU is all about, and it shows.

[mm-video type=video id=01g8c201tsqd2rq1xmft playlist_id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g8c201tsqd2rq1xmft/01g8c201tsqd2rq1xmft-98090a61c4af3208041fc5656a52a55d.jpg]

[listicle id=91579]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

3 NBA players who need to crank things up a few notches on Thursday night

It’s not too late for these three players to turn it around.

Everything in the NBA playoffs is magnified. A big missed free throw here and a blown coverage there can make all the difference in the outcome of a series.

And like those handfuls of plays that swing the pendulum one way or the other, a viewer can often directly pinpoint which players are impacting wins and losses. It could be as simple as the star player either taking the game over or underwhelming. And other times it’s the role players who either rise to the occasion or don’t.

Such is the case for tonight’s three-game NBA slate. Let’s highlight a few guys who have not been good enough but could help their teams get back on track with big games Thursday.

Mike Conley, Jr. signs new contract with Utah Jazz

Congrats to Conley! This is a great contract to potentially fulfill the end of his career.

Former Ohio State point guard Mike Conley, Jr. has agreed to a new three-year contract with the Utah Jazz according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Conley has already had a long — and if we’re being honest — a very underrated NBA career. It all started out with Conley being drafted as the fourth overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2007 NBA draft. He spent the first 12-years of his career in Memphis before being traded to the Utah Jazz after the 2018-2019 season where he has been for the last two campaigns.

For his career, Conley has averaged 14.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 32.2 minutes of play.

Now, it appears as though Conley will be able to potentially finish out his career in Utah where he made his first All-Star appearance of his 14- year career during the 2021 season.

The deal is reported to be for three years, and according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, worth $72.5 million. Congrats to Conley, our favorite H-O-R-S-E champion, on getting paid at the tail end of his career.

[lawrence-related id=49715]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

Every devastating injury the NBA’s star players have dealt with so far in the playoffs

Ban injuries.

Injuries are absolutely ruining the NBA’s playoffs. They’ve had major impacts on nearly every series we’ve seen so far and we’re not even halfway through it.

From Anthony Davis all the way down to Mike Conley Jr., nearly every team has dealt with an injury in one form or another. And, while the basketball this postseason has been good, it’s hard not to think about how all of these injuries and ailments have impacted it.

That thought weighs even heavier today after seeing news that both Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard will miss some time — Paul because of COVID-19 protocols and Leonard because of a knee sprain.

There are so many to keep up with at this point, but here’s a list of every player in the playoffs that has missed important time so far.

LOOK. Mike Conley wins Oscar Award.

Believe it or not, former Ohio State and current Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley, Jr. took home an Oscar Sunday night. See why.

Sometimes, sports and the world of movies collide. That’s exactly what happened Sunday night for one former Ohio State basketball player.

In case you missed all the hubbub, the Oscars were taking place last night on a television or streaming device near you, and former Buckeye basketball star and current Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley too himself home a golden statue better known as an Oscar.

So how did a sports star get himself into the world of cinematic entertainment? It was because of a short film he was the executive producer on titled “Two Distant Strangers.” It won the night’s Best Live-Action Short Film.

You too can watch the film if you have a Netflix account, but in short, it follows a man that gets stuck in a “Groundhog Day” type loop trying to get home to his dog.

I have to admit, I was not aware that Conley was a movie-making prodigy in the making and will likely dial this one up myself in the next day or so. The only question now remains what is the greatest accomplishment? Making a Final Four, becoming an NBA All-Star, winning the made for television HORSE competition last year, or securing an Oscar?