Finley Captures First Ring
June 15, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Former Wisconsin men's basketball standout Michael Finley and the San Antonio Spurs captured the NBA title Thursday night with an 83-82 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, completing a four-game sweep. Finley is the second former Badger to play on an NBA title team. Wes Matthews won two rings with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987 and 1988.
'It's a great feeling,' Finley said after the game. 'These guys are good guys. They dedicated this Finals to me [and] it just shows you what type of guys these are. For them to give me the game ball, they played the championship for me ... I mean, I'm blessed. What more can I ask for''
Finley started all 20 games of the Spurs' championship run through the playoffs, averaging 11.3 points and shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range in 26.9 minutes per game.
"This one is for Michael Finley," said Tony Parker, the Finals MVP. "He made the right decision coming to San Antonio."
"To me, the most unbelievable part of this was watching Michael Finley," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He was the epitome of happiness, and that made it worthwhile for all of us."
Finley is in his 12th season in the NBA. Drafted in the first round by the Phoenix Suns in 1995, Finley was traded to Dallas midway through the 1996-97 season. He went on to play eight seasons for the Mavericks and averaged more than 20.0 points per game in five of those seasons.
'I had my time in the spotlight with all the glory, and I didn't win a championship," Finley said. "We were never the best team.
"But now, my role has changed, and no matter what anybody says about me now, whether they bad-mouth me or anything, they're going to finish that sentence with: He's a champion."
For more on Finley and the Spurs, check out Jemele Hill's story on the former Badger on page=hill/070611"> --> ESPN.com .
The Associated Press contributed to this story
