Former Syracuse basketball star advances to NBA Finals with Boston Celtics
Oshae Brissett just became the first former Syracuse basketball player to advance to the NBA Finals since Dion Waiters.
Brissett’s Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers, 105-102, on Monday night to complete a 4-0 sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals. Brissett did not play in the tight game, but has appeared in seven games during the postseason, including getting a game-high three steals and a monster dunk in Game 2 vs. Indiana.
The Celtics, who are chasing Boston’s 18th NBA championship, will next face either the Dallas Mavericks or the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavs, led by Luca Doncic and Kyrie Irving, are currently up, 3-0, in the Western Conference Finals.
Brissett, meanwhile, could make his own history.
Waiters, who was part of the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster when L.A. won the 2020 title, and Marty Byrnes are the only two former Syracuse basketball players to win an NBA championship. Byrnes played one minute in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals as his Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers, while Waiters did not see any playing time in the Finals.
So not only could Brissett become just the third Syracuse University alumnus to get an NBA championship ring as a player, he could also be the first to get playing time in the finals in 44 years. Brissett has appeared in half of Boston’s 14 playoff games, averaging 5.3 minutes, 1.3 points, and 1.6 rebounds.
