The Oklahoma City Thunder gave the Washington Wizards a small victory after they won the NBA Finals. The Wizards have had a former player go on to win a championship every season dating back to 2017. Now, there is only one more of these NBA Finals records Washington would rather have broken sooner rather than later.
Former Wizards Players’ Finals Record Finally Ends
Headed into game seven, it seemed a close reality that this record would continue. However, when Tyrese Haliburton got hurt midway through the first quarter, the Thunder jumped on the opportunity. While there were two former Wizards on the Indiana Pacers‘ active roster, only one got to touch the court.
Thomas Bryant finished the game with only one minute on the court and was held to zero stats across the board, except for a missed three-point shot. While Bryant didn’t make a significant impact on the floor during the finals, his impact on the Pacers goes beyond stepping on the floor.
His energy is always felt on the bench. In every game, he can be seen being extremely energetic and hyping the crowd up, as well as his teammates on the bench. Bryant might not be the contributor he was during his time in Washington, but he still may have found a long-term roster spot in Indiana.
Did This Record Really Matter?
While this record is rather in-depth and insignificant to the actual finals being played, it’s still important for Washington. Why? It signals that Washington has been able to help build and mold players who end up contributing to a championship. Regardless of how small or large their roles are, every spot on the roster is important.
Players like Bryant, and other role players such as Shaun Livingston, JaVale McGee, and Otto Porter Jr headline many of the former Wizards players. The best player among them is Kristaps Porzingis, who shouldered much of the offense, when healthy, during his time in Washington. In turn, he became a much-needed piece to the 2024 Boston Celtics, who eventually won the title.
A total of 14 different former Washington players have made the finals during this streak. Which truly is insane when comparing that to the franchise’s success since the streak began.
While former players have been in and out of the finals and winning championships, the last time the Wizards made the finals was in 1979. That was before Washington even changed its name. Since the streak began in 2017, the Wizards have only made the playoffs three times, and made it past the first round only once. It’s hard to believe a team with such a miserable start to the century can have a record quite like this. It not only hurts the franchise, but the fans suffer as well. For them, knowing that former players have had so much success after leaving their favorite team is heartbreaking.
The Last Word
After nearly a decade, this Wizards’ NBA Finals streak finally ends. Washington has much more to look forward to in the years to come. However, it still stings. Hopefully, in the next few seasons, the Wizards will begin to climb back towards the top of the East. Which in turn, will push this record far into the past. Obviously, Washington has been able to consistently help players develop, but only because they all get the keys to the offense when arriving. With the current rebuild, hopefully, they can switch the current narrative. Maybe even begin a playoff streak of their own soon.
Featured image: © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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