2023 NBA Finals: Where the starters played high school basketball
The 2023 NBA Finals will begin tonight between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat. The most talented player on the floor will be two-time league MVP Nikola Jokic, who grew up in Serbia. Denver’s star point guard Jamal Murray is also an international player from Canada. However, the rest of the expected starters for both teams played at least some of their high school basketball in the United States.
Here’s where all 10 of them are coming from.
Miami Heat
PG Gabe Vincent: St. Mary’s (Calif.)
SG Max Strus: Amos Alonzo Stagg (Ill.)
SF Jimmy Butler: Tomball (Texas)
PF Caleb Martin: Oak Hill Academy (Va.)
C Bam Adebayo: High Point Christian Academy (NC)
Denver Nuggets
PG Jamal Murray: Grand River (Ontario, CA)
SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Greenville (Ga.)
SF Michael Porter Jr.: Nathan Hale (Wash.)
PF Aaron Gordon: Archbishop Mitty (Calif.)
C Nikola Jokic: Mega Basket (Serbia)
The Nuggets were supposed to be here after posting the best record in the Western Conference during the regular season (53-29). They swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals. Meanwhile, the Heat will continue playing the Cinderella role, having upset three straight opponents after squeaking into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
According to BetMGM’s latest odds, Denver is considered an 8.5-point favorite for Game 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
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