For the first time in 44 years, a former Syracuse basketball player has appeared in the NBA Finals.
Oshae Brissett played nearly 3 minutes in Game 1 for the Boston Celtics Thursday night, becoming the first Syracuse University alumnus to see action in the NBA Finals since Marty Byrnes in 1980. Brissett didn’t take any shots or record any other stats, but he was on the court for the final 2:40 of the Celtics’ 107-89 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Boston.
Byrnes, who played at SU from 1974-1978, was on the floor for one minute in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals as his Los Angeles Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA championship.
Besides Brissett, Dion Waiters is the only ex-Orangeman since Byrnes to be part of a team’s roster in the NBA Finals. However, Waiters did not see any playing time in the finals when his L.A. Lakers won the 2020 title.
Brissett also got a brief moment in the spotlight on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Thursday night when teammate Al Horford spilled the tea on which Celtics player has the worst tattoo.
“I hope he doesn’t get mad at me, but I’m going to go with Oshae Brissett,” Horford told Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick, Guillermo, in an NBA Media Day segment that aired on ABC before the game. “He’s a big Spider-Man fan. He’s got some really good ones, but then there’s one that’s not so good.”
Guillermo, who was dressed like Boston’s leprechaun mascot, then asked Brissett to show his Spider-Man tattoo. “Brissy” rolled up his pant leg and revealed a picture of Spidey on his left calf.
“What a nerd,” Guillermo teased.
“What you say?” Brissett said with a smile.
“No, nothing,” Guillermo quickly lied to Brissett, who’s at least a foot taller. “I said I like it.”
Skip ahead to 3:06 to see Guillermo’s segment with Horford and Brissett:
Brissett is a backup forward behind All-Stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, averaging 4.9 minutes, 1.1 points and 1.4 rebounds over eight games in the 2024 postseason. Brissett was a bigger part of Boston’s rotation during the regular season, averaging 11.5 minutes over 55 games.
Only two other Syracuse players have competed in the NBA Finals: Dennis Duval, who went on to become the city of Syracuse’s police chief, scored one basket in Game 3 of the 1975 finals for the Washington Bullets before losing the series to the Golden State Warriors; and Bill Gabor, who averaged 3.3 points over four games with the Syracuse Nationals in the 1954 finals, which the Nats lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in seven games.
Brissett, 25, played two seasons at Syracuse University before going undrafted in 2019 and signing a two-year deal with his hometown Toronto Raptors. He was waived by the Raptors after his rookie year, but then found a role with the Indiana Pacers, appearing in more than 150 games for Indiana over three seasons. He signed a two-year contract to join the Celtics last summer.
“The vibe around Boston is different,” Brissett told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard in August. “The banners are everywhere. There’s posters. There’s statues. I just hope that I’m able to… help win a (championship), add another banner for the team. That’s all I want to do. That’s the only thing that’s been on my mind since I signed that contract.”
The Celtics and Mavs will tip off Game 2 of the NBA Finals Sunday, June 9, at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ABC; fans can also watch a live stream on fuboTV (free trial).