Think the University of Arizona is fired up about the 2016 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers? Absolutely. More than a few players and coaches have ties to the perennial Pac-12 powerhouse: three players and four coaches cut their teeth in Tuscon.
Game 3 of The NBA Finals is fast approaching and the entire City of Cleveland is praying for a turnaround. The city has gone without a championship in a major league professional sport since 1964, when the Cleveland Browns won the pre-Super Bowl NFL Championship (yes, that actually happened). The drought in the City by the Bay isn't quite that long — their major sports teams (the Warriors, 49ers, Sharks, and Giants) have won ten titles since 1964 — but if you think that dulls their hankering for another championship you're crazy. And ring number 11 isn't likely coming from San Jose, thanks to the Pittsburgh Penguins (who lead the Stanley Cup Finals 3-1).
One city guaranteed a title in this mess? Tuscon. Here’s a look at the seven U of A alums (complete with video highlights, in most cases) battling for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
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Andre Iguodala (2001-2003), G/F, Golden State Warriors
It’s easy to forget that it was Iguodala, and not Steph Curry, was was last year’s NBA Finals MVP. It’s also easy to forget that Iguodala was a two-year star at Arizona (9.6 ppg and 6.6 rpg in 92 games), signing with the Wildcats after being released from his letter of intent with Arkansas after Nolan Richardson’s firing. “Iggy” became just the second Pac-12 (then Pac-10) player to record multiple triple-doubles in a season and had more than a few memorable moments with the ‘Cats.
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Steve Kerr (1983-1988), Head Coach, Golden State Warriors
Arguably one of the more successful Wildcat alumni to grace the NBA, Kerr has had more than his fair share of brushes with NBA history. Between stints as a player with the Chicago Bulls (1996-1998) and San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003), Kerr boasts five NBA championship rings as a player (oh, and one as a head coach from, um, last season). But, before Kerr iced the Bulls’ fifth NBA crown or before setting up Michael Jordan with one of the most iconic shots in NBA history the following year, Kerr was a key cog in ‘Zona’s 1988 Final Four team. Kerr would average 11.2 ppg and 3.4 apg in his four seasons in Tuscon.
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Luke Walton (1999-2003), Assistant Coach, Golden State Warriors
Although he is more well known as Bill Walton’s son, Luke Walton has more than made his mark on the NBA, albeit in an indirect way. A reserve on the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2009 and 2010 NBA championship teams, Walton is currently an assistant with the Warriors and will return to L.A. as the Lakers’ new head coach (where he will inherit a Kobe Bryant-less work-in-progress that is the LA franchise). During his four seasons at Arizona, Walton averaged 9.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 4.5 apg.
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Bruce Fraser (1984-1987), Assistant Coach/Player Development, Golden State Warriors
While we weren’t able to scrounge up any stats about Bruce Fraser, his road to the NBA is an interesting one to say the least. After transferring from Long Beach (Calif.) City College, Fraser was a reserve for the Wildcats, where he became close friends with Steve Kerr. After graduating, Fraser became a grad assistant for three seasons under Lute Olson, then worked in the private sector for a few years before he became an assistant to Larry Brown with the Indiana Pacers. Fraser eventually found his way back to the Grand Canyon State, this time as a scout for the Phoenix Suns and general manager … Steve Kerr. Fraser would follow Kerr to Oakland and the rest is history. Although we couldn’t find any playing highlights, we did find this interesting clip of Fraser talking about his U of A days.
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Channing Frye (2001-2005), F, Cleveland Cavaliers
During his four seasons at Arizona, Channing Frye averaged 13.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg in 133 career games for the Wildcats. After taking a year off due to heart issues, Frye finds himself in his first career NBA finals after stops in New York, Portland, Phoenix and Orlando. And, as you can tell from this Fox Sports Arizona promo, he might be one of the most enthusiastic U of A alums in the NBA.
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Richard Jefferson (1998-2001), F, Cleveland Cavaliers
Jefferson’s three-year collegiate career in Tucson ended with his Wildcats making an appearance in the 2001 national championship game. Despite the loss, Jefferson left Arizona early to play in the NBA, where after 15 seasons, he gets another crack at winning an NBA title, his first shot since he helped lead the (East Rutherford) New Jersey Nets to back-to-back Eastern Conference titles in 2002 and 2003. But, more importantly than his 11.2 ppg career average, Jefferson’s impact was felt off the court as well with a $3.5 million donation towards a basketball/volleyball facility that bears his name.
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Bret Brielmaier (2004-2008), Assistant Coach, Cleveland Cavaliers
Had Brielmaier had played for the Wildcats when Kerr and Fraser were part of that roster, he’d probably be affectionately described as one of the “Gumbies” (bench players). While Brielmaier averaged 1.7 ppg in 92 career games for the U of A, we may have stumbled onto one of his most enduring legacies during his time in Tucson – this video project, presumably from one of his college classes (worth noting that it has not been independently verified that this is in fact the same person, but the spelling of the name matches).
