NBA Finals set for young Aussie showdown

Australia is guaranteed to have another NBA champion, with two rising stars to face off in the 2025 Finals. 

A pair of Aussie rookies will vie for the chance to claim a championship ring, with Johnny Furphy and the Indiana Pacers taking on Alex Ducas and the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The two Conference champions will now battle for the Larry O'Brien Trophy, as both youngsters attempt to become the first Australian NBA title winners since Jack White in 2023. 

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NBA Finals set for young Aussie showdown

Both Johnny Furphy and Alex Ducas will look to become the next Australian NBA champion, when the NBA Finals tip off Friday. 

Furphy, the 35th pick in the 2024 NBA draft, is part of a red-hot Indiana Pacers squad who have made a Cinderella run, taking down Milwaukee, Cleveland, and New York en route to their first Finals appearance since 2000. 

FURPH POSTER 🤯🤯

Johnny Furphy rises up for the MONSTER slam 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EsbdRGVXrz

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 11, 2025

For Ducas, he signed a two-way deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder after being undrafted the same year, and was part of the team that won a blinding 68 regular season games, and beat Memphis, Denver, and Minnesota in the playoffs.

West Australian Alex Ducas ends his rookie regular season in the NBA with the winningest record of any NBA player in the last 50 years with at least 10 games played.

Ducas celebrated wins in 20 of his 21 games played (95.2%) for the Thunder. #NBL26 pic.twitter.com/Xz8XFMrEKk

— AusBoomersFacts (@ausboomersfacts) April 14, 2025

It also marks the third straight year an Australian has played in the NBA Finals, with Josh Green and Dante Exum falling to the Boston Celtics in five games as part of the Dallas Mavericks last season. 

With both franchises seeking their first-ever title, history is on the line no matter which way you slice it, the Australian element an added extra for basketball fans down under. 

Australian NBA Champions