[lawrence-newsletter][lawrence-auto-related count=1]We are taking the BadgersWire “where are they now” series to the hardwood. Here is a look at where former Badger basketball stars are in their careers.
Michael Finley is a Wisconsin basketball legend. The Illinois native was a Badger from 1991-1995, and left UW as the all-time leading scorer in Wisconsin history, a record that was eventually broken by Alando Tucker in 2007.
The 6-7 forward went on to be the 21st pick in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. The Badger great enjoyed a 15-year NBA career, finishing with career averages of 15.8 points per game and nearly five rebounds per contest. Best known for his time with the Dallas Mavericks where he was a two-time all-star in 2000 and 2001, Finley finally reached the NBA summit by winning the 2007 NBA Championship with the San Antonio Spurs. He retired with the Boston Celtics in 2010, following their NBA Finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
So where is the former Badger star now? Finley has excelled in a front office role with the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA team he spent nine years with in his playing days. The 2007 NBA Champion is currently the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Mavericks, and according to Sports Illustrated’s dallasbasketball.com has even been in consideration for the open Chicago Bulls GM role.
Outside of basketball, Finley has found a new passion: filmmaking. Finley was a producer of the 2013 film The Butler, and then in 2016 was an executive producer of the Nat Turner biopic The Birth of a Nation.
Time will tell if the former Badger lands a general manager role in the NBA, but given his credentials it seems like only a matter of time.