Shai Gilgeous-Alexander And Cason Wallace Are Latest John Calipari Recruits In NBA Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) points during the first half of Game 5 of ... More the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
John Calipari's tenure as the University of Kentucky's head coach ended in disappointing fashion. During the first round of the 2024 NCAA tournament, the No. 3 seed Wildcats lost to No. 14 seed Oakland, the fourth consecutive season they didn't advance past the second round. Within a month, Calipari signed a deal with Arkansas.
Still, Calipari left an indelible mark in his 15 seasons at Kentucky. He finished second all-time among Wildcats' coaches in victories, won the 2012 national title and advanced to three other Final Fours and three Elite Eights. He also had 50 players selected in the NBA draft, including two guards who will be playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in this year's NBA Finals.
On Thursday night in Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, former Kentucky star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be in the Thunder's starting lineup, while former Wildcats player Cason Wallace will be one of the first players off the bench.
Gilgeous-Alexander last month won the league's Most Valuable Player award, becoming the second player coached by Calipari to earn that honor. Former Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, who played for Calipari at Memphis, won the MVP in 2011.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring (32.7 point per game) and averaged 6.4 assists and 5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9% from the floor, including 37.5% on 3's. He was first team All-NBA for the third consecutive season.
During his lone season at Kentucky, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game and helped the Wildcats advance to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16. The Charlotte Hornets selected Gilgeous-Alexander 11th overall in the 2018 draft but traded him that night to the Los Angeles Clippers. After his rookie season, the Clippers dealt Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder in a blockbuster trade that saw the Clippers acquire Paul George, who had finished third in the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year voting that season.
In hindsight, the Thunder got by far the better end of that deal, just like it looks like they did in July 2023 when they acquired Wallace from the Dallas Mavericks for Dereck Lively II. The Mavericks selected Wallace 10th overall in the 2023 draft after he averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game as a freshman at Kentucky, which lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Wallace, who doesn't turn 22 until October, is a two-way guard who could be an important member of Oklahoma City's rotation for years to come. During this postseason, Wallace is averaging 22.4 minutes per game, seventh on the team and second among reserves only behind fellow guard Alex Caruso. And in the playoffs, he is first in the league in net rating (21.6) and defensive rating (97.9) and second in assist ratio (31.2), according to NBA.com.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Wallace are just the latest players Calipari coached at Kentucky to appear in the NBA Finals. Former Kentucky P.J. Washington started for the Mavericks in last year's Finals, while ex-Kentucky stars Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) and Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets) faced off in the 2023 Finals, ex-Kentucky guard Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) started in the 2021 Finals and former Kentucky center Anthony Davis won the title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
In all, 36 Kentucky players were first round NBA draft picks during Calipari's tenure, including three overall No. 1 picks in John Wall (2010), Davis (2012) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015). Six of the NBA's top 20 scorers this season played for Calipari at Kentucky: Gilgeous-Alexander, Booker (25.6), Davis (25.7), Towns (24.4), Tyler Herro 23.9) and De'Aaron Fox (23.5). Meanwhile, Towns, Davis, Gilgeous-Alexander and Herro all played in the All-Star Game.
Calipari is coming off a debut season at Arkansas in which the Razorbacks struggled at times before making the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16. The team should enter next season in the Associated Press top 25 with the return of guard D.J. Wagner and forwards Karter Knox, Trevon Brazile and Billy Richmond III and the addition of transfer forward Malique Ewin (Florida State) and freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr.
Calipari, who is 66 years old, has seemingly found a good fit in Arkansas to continue his Hall of Fame career. Still, despite the ending at Kentucky, he remains tied to the school due to his success on the court and developing players for the next level. Just watch the NBA Finals for proof of his impact.
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