The long drought has ended, which is at least one positive takeaway from this year’s playoffs.
Syracuse Orange supporters have one thing to rejoice from this year’s NBA Finals, regardless of which professional team they support.
The Boston Celtics ended a decades-long title drought by defeating the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. It is not about the winning squad, but about one of its players.
Oshae Brissett, who played two collegiate seasons at Syracuse, recently became the first former Orange to appear in a Finals game since Marty Byrnes in Game 6 of the 1980 series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers. And, with Boston winning the series in Game 5, he becomes the fourth alum to win an NBA championship, joining Dion Waiters, Byrnes, and Billy Gabor. (Waiters was injured during the Lakers’ 2020 championship run and did not play past the Western Conference playoffs.)
Brissett played in ten postseason games this season, including three in the Finals, and scored 16 points while grabbing 14 rebounds. His seven points in Game Four are the most by any Syracuse graduate in the Finals.
Following the final buzzer on Monday, he shared an already-iconic moment with Celtics player Jayson Tatum:
Brissett started 71 games for Syracuse over two years, averaging 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds. He was instrumental in the team’s march to the 2018 Sweet 16, scoring a team-high 23 and 12 points in the First Four versus Arizona State. He also established the freshman free throw record with 174, surpassing Carmelo Anthony.
After returning for his sophomore season, OB went undrafted and signed with his hometown Toronto Raptors. Oshae was waived after his rookie season and then selected by the Indiana Pacers’ G-League club. He ultimately made it to the parent club, where he stayed until the 2022-23 season before moving to Boston last summer.
On behalf of Orange Nation, congratulations to Oshae on your championship!
