NBA Finals Bring a Michigan vs. Michigan State Matchup
This season, I’ve been watching the NBA Finals like never before. As soon as football season ended with the Super Bowl in February, I switched to the NBA and have been watching ever since. Sadly, the Detroit Pistons, well, had a very difficult year. But, things are in the works, and hopefully the new president of basketball operations and general manager can put together a winning team around Cade Cunningham. All of that said, I’m not super excited about the two teams that are in the NBA Finals: the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. Not that I hate these teams, but I’m tired of seeing the same teams win. I was dreading watching (even though of course I still will) the NBA Finals, but then realized that there’s a Michigan vs. Michigan State matchup cooked into the NBA Finals this year.
NBA Finals and the Michigan vs. Michigan State Matchup
Let’s get into the Michigan vs. Michigan State matchup. As a Michigan State University graduate, basketball is in my blood. I’m from the Tom Izzo era. Who isn’t, right? The guy has been there for eternity. But, it’s always really exciting to see a former MSU basketball player in the pros. As it turns out, former Spartan Xavier Tillman Sr. is playing for the Eastern Conference champions, the Boston Celtics. So, he might make an appearance in the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, former Wolverine Tim Hardaway Jr. is playing for the Western Conference champions, the Dallas Mavericks. So, now I’m excited to watch and root for the, urgh, Celtics.
As for some history, the Celtics got Tillman in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season. So, he went from one of the weakest teams in the NBA to one of the best. Tillman was in Memphis for more than three years. He averaged 6.2 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game in 207 games. He also started in 56 games. As for Hardaway, he’s been in the NBA for 11 years, and this marks his sixth season with Dallas. What’s extra exciting for him is that this will mark his first time going to the NBA Finals. Hardaway was a Michigan guard and 2012-13 All-Big Ten honoree. It was a successful time for the Wolverines, and he helped take Michigan to the 2013 national championship, where they lost to Louisville. That said, if you’re a Michigan or Michigan State fan and looking for a reason to get into the NBA Finals, that’s pretty much all you should need. This Michigan vs. Michigan State matchup is going to be a fun one.
