What a way to wrap up a rookie season.
Two former college basketball stars in the state of Utah — Weber State’s Dillon Jones and Utah’s Branden Carlson — earned an NBA championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.
It’s the Thunder’s first-ever NBA title, as they beat the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
Jones is the first former Weber State player to win an NBA title — he was also the first former Wildcat to make the NBA Finals.
Carlson, meanwhile, is the fifth former Runnin’ Ute to be a part of the NBA title-winning team and the first since Kyle Kuzma won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Former Utah stars Arnie Ferrin, Michael Doleac and Andrew Bogut have also won an NBA title.
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin, left, drives as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Dillon Jones defends during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis.| Michael Conroy, Associated Press
Jones, a late first-round draft pick last offseason, ended up playing 10 total minutes over three games in the NBA Finals as a reserve. He finished the finals with four points, two rebounds and an assist.
He ended up averaging 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.3 steals in 10.2 minutes during 54 games played during the regular season. That also included three starts.
Jones played in 10 playoff games and averaged 2.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 8.0 minutes in those postseason appearances.
Carlson went undrafted last season and ended up signing a two-way contract with the Thunder. He was on that contract when the regular season ended, which made him ineligible to play in the postseason, though the 7-foot center could easily be seen on Oklahoma City’s sideline during its playoff run.
Carlson split time between the Thunder and their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, during the 2024-25 campaign.
Carlson, also a former Bingham High standout, played in 32 regular season games for the Thunder and averaged 3.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 0.4 assists and 0.2 steals in 7.7 minutes.
Oklahoma City Thunder's Branden Carlson plays during an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia.| Matt Slocum, Associated Press