Familiar faces, final stage in NBL Finals

Monday, June 2, 2025

next stars

Johnny Furphy and Alex Ducas will face off to become the 10th Australian to win an NBA Championship ring.

The NBA Finals will feature both a Next Star and Australian flavour, with several names familiar to NBL fans vying for Championship rings.

Former New Zealand Breakers Next Star Ousmane Dieng is on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s roster, alongside Aussie Alex Ducas, who signed a two-way deal with the team in 2024.

Dieng was originally drafted by the New York Knicks with the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, before being immediately traded to the Thunder. He was an NBA G League Champion and Finals MVP in 2024.

Emerging Australian talent Johnny Furphy is perhaps the most likely to see court time during the Finals, having played 57 games for the Indiana Pacers this season. He’s already featured in seven Playoff games.

Ducas and Furphy will be competing to become the 10th Australian to win an NBA title.