OG Anunoby secures rare place in Indiana Basketball history with NBA Finals title

The New York Knicks secured their first NBA title since 1973 by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 on Saturday night. It was a wildly entertaining NBA Finals, and the Spurs actually led for 72% of the series. But in the end, the Knicks played their best when it mattered most and won the series 4-1.

Jalen Brunson was the unquestioned star of the postseason for New York, but it's fair to say that the Knicks don't win it all without the contributions from former Hoosier OG Anunoby. New York's title gives Anunoby his second NBA Championship ring, and puts him in a historic and exclusive club of Indiana basketball alumni.

OG Anunoby makes Indiana basketball history with second NBA title

After playing for the Hoosiers from 2015-17, Anunoby spent the first 6.5 seasons of his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors. He was a part of Toronto's championship team in 2019, as the Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in 6 games.

With New York's series-securing Game 5 win on Saturday night, Anunoby now now added a second NBA title to his name. Thus, he joins Isiah Thomas as the only former Indiana basketball players to win multiple NBA title. Not bad company.

Former Hoosier OG Anunoby shines bright in the NBA Finals

Anunoby was a reliable scoring force all throughout the postseason, and especially shined in the Finals. Brunson led the Knicks with 28.4 points per game in the playoffs, but Anunoby wasn't far behind finishing second on the team with 20.1 points per game of his own.

In the Finals, Anunoby shot 50% from the floor and averaged 21.2 points per game. After scoring 17 points apiece in Games 1 and 2, Anunoby exploded for a 28-point effort in Game 3 and a 33-point effort in Game 4.

He then delivered one of the most iconic moments in NBA Finals history in the closing moments of Game 4. His last-second tip-in gave the Knicks a 107-106 victory and helped them cap off the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. It also propelled them to a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Anunoby emerged into a reliable scoring threat during the 2015-16 season in Bloomington. He was averaging 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game through 16 contests before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He then chose to enter the NBA Draft and was selected in the First Round with the 23rd overall selection by the Raptors.

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Now in his third season with the Knicks, the 6'7" 240-pound guard gave New York extreme offensive efficiency and scoring prowess this postseason. There's no denying that his efforts played a vital role in the Knicks' historic championship.

In a time when the Indiana basketball program has missed the NCAA Tournament in 8 of the last 10 years, Hoosier fans are thrilled to see one of their own take home an NBA title.

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