LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – On Thursday night, the first game of the NBA Finals will tip off between the Western Conference 1-seed Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, a 4-seed in the Eastern Conference.

In the 2024 NBA Finals, there were two players with ties to the Natural State, Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks and Jordan Walsh of Boston, squaring off for the title. This year, there are two players from Arkansas competing, as well as several other players with ties to the state.

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Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe

• Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) looks to score between Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) and forward Jaylin Williams (6) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 7, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
• Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) handles the basketball as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) and guard Isaiah Joe (11) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
• Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) prepares to shoot between Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) and guard Isaiah Joe, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
• Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (22) dunks between Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6), guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and guard Isaiah Joe, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
• Indiana Pacers guard Trevelin Queen, right, drives around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
• Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry (25) looks to pass the ball away from Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams, upper left, and guard Isaiah Joe, lower left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

The Oklahoma City Thunder are powered by a pair of former Hogs, Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe. Williams and Joe were both born in Fort Smith, both graduated from Northside High School and both played for the Razorbacks, just not at the same time.

Joe played for the Hogs from 2018-20 and was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round. Williams played for coach Eric Musselman from 2020-2022 and was a big part of the team’s run to the Elite Eight in back-to-back years.

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Dueling Bulldogs

• Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard, left, wears part of a basketball net as teammate Chet Holmgren gestures towards him after the team won the West Coast Conference regular season championship, after an NCAA college basketball game against Santa Clara, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
• Arkansas forward Jaylin Williams (10) drives to the basket against Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard (3) during the first half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament in San Francisco, Thursday, March 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
• Arkansas guard Au’Diese Toney, right, scores over Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren, middle, during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament in San Francisco, Thursday, March 24, 2022. Also pictured is Arkansas’ Jaylin Williams, left. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
• Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard, right, and center Chet Holmgren speak at a news conference for the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. Gonzaga faces Arkansas in a Sweet 16 game on Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
• Oklahoma City Thunder forwards Chet Holmgren, left, and Jaylin Williams, right, guard Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele, middle, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
• Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) makes a pass in front of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, April 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

During the Hogs’ run to the Elite Eight in the 2021-22 season, Jaylin Williams and company upset the 1-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs 74-68 in the Sweet Sixteen, a team featuring Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard.

Though they were once teammates playing for a title, the two will now face each other in the NBA Finals. Holmgren plays center for the Thunder and Nembhard plays guard alongside Tyrese Haliburton for the Pacers.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

• Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2), middle, celebrates with teammates after Game 5 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
• Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes to the basket against Indiana Pacers’ Isaiah Jackson (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
• Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dunks during the second half of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
• Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr., right, drives against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, center, as Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 21, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
• Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2), front, stands on the court before Game 5 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
• Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Though reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the superstar propelling the Thunder franchise to new heights was born in Canada, he does have ties to the Natural State.

In 2016, SGA played for the Arkansas Wings as part of Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League circuit for players 17 and under prior to attending college. After initially committing to Florida, he ended up playing one season of college basketball from 2017-2018 for the Kentucky Wildcats, which were led by current head Hog John Calipari.

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John Calipari

• Kentucky coach John Calipari, right, calls to his team as guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22) heads downcourt during the first half of a first-round game against Davidson in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament Thursday, March 15, 2018, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
• Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes to the basket against Indiana Pacers’ Isaiah Jackson during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
• Kentucky coach John Calipari, center, talks to Devin Askew (2), Olivier Sarr (30) and Isaiah Jackson (23) during the second half of the team’s NCAA college basketball game against Morehead State in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/James Crisp)
• Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (22) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, April 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
• Kentucky’s Cason Wallace (22) makes a point with head coach John Calipari during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. Kentucky won 88-68. (AP Photo/James Crisp)
• Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) drives past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t the only player formerly coached by Calipari to be playing in the NBA Finals this year, in fact he isn’t even the only one on his team.

Cason Wallace now plays for the Thunder, but he played for Calipari’s Wildcats during the 2022-23 season alongside Jacob Toppin, brother of Pacers forward Obi Toppin. Former Wildcat and current Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson played for Calipari during the 2020-21 season, he also played alongside Jacob Toppin.