Keep an eye out for this former West Virginia high school player in the NBA Finals
OKLAHOMA CITY (WBOY) — If you tuned in to Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday night, you may have seen Indiana Pacer Thomas Bryant on the hardwood, a player who spent the formative years of his career right here in West Virginia.
Bryant was born in Rochester, New York, but he spent most of his high school career at Huntington Prep School, where he averaged 17.3 points per game in his senior campaign with the Irish, ending with a 29-3 record, according to MaxPreps.
Bryant was recruited out of high school in 2015 by Indiana University and spent two seasons with the Hoosiers, starting 69 games and ending with a 45-24 record, according to College Basketball Reference. That 2015 Hoosier squad also made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, but lost to North Carolina.
Following his sophomore season, Bryant entered his name into the 2017 NBA Draft, where he was selected in the second round (42nd overall) by the Utah Jazz, according to Basketball Reference. He never made his debut for the Jazz, nor did he spend that long with the team, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on that same day for Tony Bradley. The center officially began his NBA career for the Lakers on Dec. 23, 2017, in a loss to Portland.
WVU Baseball vs. No. 6 LSU: How to watch
Following the 2017–18 season, Bryant was traded around the league, spending stints with Washington, Miami and Denver, which won the NBA Finals in 2023 with Bryant on the roster. He was traded from Miami to the Indiana Pacers in December 2024 and has been a significant contributor from the Indiana bench behind starting center Myles Turner.
Bryant made eight regular-season starts since being traded to the Pacers, and he put up a 39-17 record during Indiana's march to the NBA Playoffs. As of Friday, Bryant has played in 15 of the Pacers' 17 playoff games.
During Game 1 against Oklahoma City on Thursday, Bryant only saw the court for eight minutes, but he shot the ball perfectly, going 2-2 on his field goal attempts and making his one three-pointer in the win for Indiana, per ESPN.
You can catch Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, June 8, at 8 p.m. on WBOY-ABC.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Grizzlies' Zach Edey will have surgery after re-spraining his left ankle
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey has sprained his left ankle again and the team said Saturday that the All-Rookie team selection will need surgery. The Grizzlies said the 7-foot-3 Edey was working out this week when he injured the ankle again. Imaging revealed excessive ligamentous laxity, which will be addressed with surgery that will also restabilize his ankle. The two-time national player of the year at Purdue missed 12 games early in the season because of a sprained left ankle. He went on to play in 66 games, making 55 starts, and averaged 9.2 points and a rookie-leading 8.3 rebounds. The Grizzlies said a preliminary timeline for recovery will be provided after surgery and that Edey is expected to make a full recovery. ___ AP NBA:
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
49ers WR problem highlighted in PFF list of best QB-pass catcher duos
The San Francisco 49ers have a potential problem lingering with their receiving corps, and it was underscored in a list of every team's top QB-WR/TE duos created by Pro Football Focus. San Francisco's duo features tight end George Kittle paired with quarterback Brock Purdy. They landed at No. 14 on the list. The 49ers are one of only three teams with a tight end listed alongside the QB, joining the Arizona Cardinals (No. 17) and the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 20). Advertisement It's not a great sign for the 49ers' passing game that they don't have a receiver worthy of making the list. Brandon Aiyuk's knee injury continues leaving a sizable question mark over his potential contributions in 2025. Last year's first-round pick Ricky Pearsall also dealt with injuries in training camp before a gunshot wound he sustained in a robbery attempt the week before the regular season sidelined him for the first six weeks. He had flashes last year, but he's still a largely unproven commodity. Jauan Jennings led the team's WRs last season with 975 yards, but he still profiles as more of a secondary pass-catching option than a primary one. If the 49ers are going to have a sustainable, championship-caliber passing attack, they're going to need to find more consistent, legitimate production from their receiving corps. Advertisement On the other hand, part of the reason Kittle is listed with Purdy instead of any of the club's receivers is that Kittle is still an outstanding player. Via PFF: Purdy's 134.5 passer rating when targeting Kittle over the past two seasons ranks first among the quarterback-receiver duos on this list. They also have more than 2,100 yards together during that time. Purdy and Kittle have established an incredible connection, which has stood true in both high- and low-volume situations. Kittle has had a career resurgence since Purdy took over as the starting QB. From 2020-22 he didn't have a 1,000-yard season, but he's had more than 1,000 in each of Purdy's full seasons as a starter. He also set a career-high with 11 touchdowns in 2022 thanks in part to seven TDs over the final four weeks of that season with Purdy under center. Those seven touchdowns would've been a career-high for a whole season. In 2023 Kittle hauled in six TDs, which tied his previous career-high, and in 2024 he pulled down eight TDs -- the second-most in his career. The 49ers can get by if Kittle continues producing at an All-Pro level. They'll still need to find production from their receiving corps, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if Kittle is the team's leading receiver with another 1,000-yard campaign. Advertisement More 49ers: WATCH: Brock Purdy already building chemistry with free agent WR This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers roster: WR issue glaring in PFF list of top QB-pass catcher duos
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
49ers wide receivers coach says rookie has 'it' factor they're looking for
This offseason, the San Francisco 49ers made a few changes at wide receiver, dealing Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, signing Demarcus Robinson in free agency and allowing Chris Conley to sit on the market unsigned. On top of those moves, San Francisco placed Trent Taylor on injured reserve, ending his season, and they'll likely be without Brandon Aiyuk to start the year after he suffered a torn ACL in the team's Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. Advertisement With that, the 49ers are looking for someone to step up and be a reliable target for Purdy this season, especially early on if Aiyuk's not ready or not feeling himself. While there are plenty of options in San Francisco's wide receiver room, rookie wideout Jordan Watkins could be the man for the job. Watkins, 23, was a three-star recruit out of Butler Traditional High School in Louisville, Kentucky, before committing to Louisville in 2019. Over his two years with the Cardinals, he caught 43 passes for 586 yards and four touchdowns. However, in 2022, Watkins transferred to Ole Miss and appeared in 38 games over his final three seasons, recording 142 receptions for 2,096 yards and 14 touchdowns. Now, after San Francisco used a fourth-round pick on him, Watkins is impressing his position coach, Leonard Hankerson, who had a five-year NFL career of his own as a wide receiver. Advertisement "He has the speed to win at the first level," Hankerson said. "He's able to take the top off the defense and get downfield. On top of that, he has great hands. Just his mentality after the catch, he's always trying to score, which we pride ourselves on, guys who can run with the ball in their hands. He has done that. He's still raw, but he has that "it" factor, that speed that we could use. I'm excited about having him here. He's taking a step in the right direction and I'm excited to see where he can get to." Just because Hankerson likes what he see, that doesn't mean Watkins is a complete player. "[Route-running] that's an area where he still has to improve," Hankerson said. "Getting out of the cuts a little bit quicker. With speed guys, because they're moving at a faster pace, it takes them a little bit of time to get in and out of breaks. We're always talking about speed. As long as I can get out of the cut faster than the defender, it doesn't matter how long it takes me. But we want that speed and he has that." In an ideal world Watkins starts the season off a San Francisco's fourth or fifth receiver on the depth chart, but he may be given more opportunities throughout training camp and into the preseason. If he makes the most of them, he could earn himself a larger role in his rookie season. More 49ers: 49ers WR problem highlighted in PFF list of best QB-pass catcher duos This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers WR Jordan Watkins earns praise from his position coach
