Though the Boston Celtics haven't been too successful lately, their extensive success dating back to the Isaiah Thomas days makes it unsurprising that they would have alumni make it to the NBA Finals.
In fact, after the blowup they just had, it wouldn't have shocked anyone if one of their departed players from last summer had made the finals. It wasn't a given, but knowing their talent, it was within the realm of possibility that Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and/or Luke Kornet could have all been in the NBA Finals this season.
This could have extended back not too much further to the days of Robert Williams III or Dennis Schroder, for that matter.
In the end, Kornet actually did, but that's not surprising, given how good San Antonio has been and his role in their leap this past season. But there's another Celtics alum on that team that also returned to the NBA Finals that no one would have thought of to return to the NBA Finals: Kelly Olynyk.
Because he hasn't factored much into San Antonio's success, many have forgotten that they acquired him for spare parts last summer. Since leaving Boston, Olynyk has been quite the journeyman. This season, he's been in the doghouse.
Celtics fans should still remember the Olynyk era pretty vividly. He was only on the team for four years, but everyone remembers the moment that cemented his legacy as a playoff legend. No one should forget that epic Game 7 vs. Washington in 2017.
The only reason Boston didn't keep him was that they couldn't afford to after they signed Gordon Hayward the following summer. Even so, that performance gave him so much goodwill that fans chose to revere him for what he did that night. So much so that they should be more than happy to see him compete for a title this week.
The only shame of it is that he's returning to the NBA Finals, since the first time he did so was with the Miami Heat, who reached the 2020 NBA Finals by... You know what? Let's not even say it.
It'd be cool to see Olynyk win before he calls it quits
At 35 years old and not playing as much as he used to, the writing's on the wall that the end is near for Olynyk's basketball career. He may stay another year or so, but the days of him giving meaningful contributions to a winning team seem to be past him.
That's why it'd be cool to see him go out on top. Olynyk has never been a star, but he has fit well into the modern NBA as a high IQ stretch big. It's made him a valued commodity for over a decade, as he's made over $100 million for his services.
Not bad for a mid-first-round pick. Sure, he's the guy who Boston picked over Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Olynyk made an important enough mark on Celtics history that Boston should be ecstatic if he and the Spurs take home the title.
Add us as a preferred source on Google