Former Tennessee and current Boston Celtics guard Jaden Springer is an NBA Champion after just three years in the league. Springer is also an NBA G League Champion and an NBA G League Finals MVP.
Springer will receive his first ring in the league with the Celtics after Boston took down the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the NBA Finals. The Celtics closed the series in a dominant game in front of their home crowd in Boston on Monday night.
The former Vol began his third NBA season in Philadelphia this year but was traded to the Celtics on Feb. 8 in exchange for a second-round draft pick.
Springer is the third Tennessee player to win an NBA Finals joining Jordan McRae with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and Reggie Johnson with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983.
ring him 💍
VFL Jaden Springer, NBA Champion pic.twitter.com/NAhauxH2ql
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) June 18, 2024
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Springer averaged 3.3 points and 1.6 rebounds during the 2023-2024 season for the 76ers and the Celtics and did see time on the court in the playoffs and during one game of the NBA Finals.
Springer had eight minutes of action in a blowout win over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the conference quarterfinals and logged two points on one-of-one shooting in the victory. The 6-foot-4 guard had two points in five minutes of action during a loss in Game 2 of the Conference Finals against the Cavaliers and one minute of action in Game 5 of the same series.
Springer’s last time on the court this season came during a huge loss to the Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, recording two rebounds in eight minutes on the court for the Celtics.
In total, Springer had 22 minutes of postseason action en route to his first NBA Championship with four points on 2-of-3 shooting, three rounds, one assist, one block, and two turnovers.
Springer spent one season at Tennessee under head coach Rick Barnes during the 2020-2021 season. The Charlotte, NC, native was named to the 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team and was a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week during his career on Rocky Top. Springer started 15 of 25 games for Tennessee during the COVID-altered season, averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.
Jaden Springer was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft and spent the majority of his rookie year with the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G-League team.
Springer led the Blue Coats to the NBA G-League title and was named the G-League Finals MVP during the 2022-2023 season.
