On Tuesday night, the NBA playoffs kicked off with the play-in tournament, which saw two Michigan State basketball alums, Gary Harris and Draymond Green, win and stay alive in the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Spartans have continued to supply strong talent to the league, and there will be five different MSU alumni suiting up in the NBA playoffs.
We will break down each below:
Draymond Green
Headlining this list is the always controversial and entertaining Draymond Green. The former Spartan star turned four-time NBA champion and former Defensive Player of the Year continues his improbable career that started with him being selected in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft. The Warriors looked like their reign as one of the top teams in the NBA was one life support early this season, until Golden State made a move for Jimmy Butler. Now they are coming off a play-in win against Memphis and will be matched up against Houston in the first round of the playoffs.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Like Draymond Green, Jaren Jackson Jr. is also a former Defensive Player of the Year, but he hasn’t managed to win a title like Green. The Grizzlies will await the winner of the Mavericks vs. Kings match-up on Wednesday to see who they will face on Friday with a chance to earn a full spot in the playoffs. Speaking of the Mavericks…
Max Christie
Max Christie was essentially a footnote in one of the most infamous trades in NBA history, when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis (and Max Christie). However, since joining the Mavs, he has shown that he wasn’t just a throw-in. Christie has become a legitimate weapon for Dallas, impressing on both ends of the court, and will look to shine on Wednesday night against the Kings.
Gary Harris
Gary Harris only scored three points on Tuesday night, but the Orlando Magic cruised past the Atlanta Hawks to earn a playoff spot against the Boston Celtics, which leads us to our last Spartan…
Xavier Tillman Sr.
Xavier Tillman Sr. is an NBA champion. Tillman earned his first ring last year with the Celtics, and will look to get number two this year. Tillman played less minutes this season for Boston, but I could see that changing as the Celtics will probably need his defense to stop Magic star Paolo Banchero.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State basketball alumni in the 2025 NBA playoffs
On Tuesday night, the NBA playoffs kicked off with the play-in tournament, which saw two Michigan State basketball alums, Gary Harris and Draymond Green, win and stay alive in the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Spartans have continued to supply strong talent to the league, and there will be five different MSU alumni suiting up in the NBA playoffs.
We will break down each below:
Draymond Green
Headlining this list is the always controversial and entertaining Draymond Green. The former Spartan star turned four-time NBA champion and former Defensive Player of the Year continues his improbable career that started with him being selected in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft. The Warriors looked like their reign as one of the top teams in the NBA was one life support early this season, until Golden State made a move for Jimmy Butler. Now they are coming off a play-in win against Memphis and will be matched up against Houston in the first round of the playoffs.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Like Draymond Green, Jaren Jackson Jr. is also a former Defensive Player of the Year, but he hasn’t managed to win a title like Green. The Grizzlies will await the winner of the Mavericks vs. Kings match-up on Wednesday to see who they will face on Friday with a chance to earn a full spot in the playoffs. Speaking of the Mavericks…
Max Christie
Max Christie was essentially a footnote in one of the most infamous trades in NBA history, when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis (and Max Christie). However, since joining the Mavs, he has shown that he wasn’t just a throw-in. Christie has become a legitimate weapon for Dallas, impressing on both ends of the court, and will look to shine on Wednesday night against the Kings.
Gary Harris
Gary Harris only scored three points on Tuesday night, but the Orlando Magic cruised past the Atlanta Hawks to earn a playoff spot against the Boston Celtics, which leads us to our last Spartan…
Xavier Tillman Sr.
Xavier Tillman Sr. is an NBA champion. Tillman earned his first ring last year with the Celtics, and will look to get number two this year. Tillman played less minutes this season for Boston, but I could see that changing as the Celtics will probably need his defense to stop Magic star Paolo Banchero.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State basketball alumni in the 2025 NBA playoffs
