Former UCLA Players Contribute to Warriors' Title

2017 Golden State Warriors (photo by Getty Images)

june 13, 2017 | UCLA MEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE | POST LINK

Barnes, Looney and Myers all helped Golden State in the team's 2017 championship quest. 

Former UCLA basketball players Matt Barnes and Kevon Looney were members of this season's Golden State Warriors team that won the 2017 NBA Finals on Monday evening.

In addition, UCLA alumnus Bob Myers has served as the Golden State Warriors' general manager since April 2012, helping the organization earn its second NBA Finals title in the last three years.

Including Barnes and Looney, former UCLA players have now helped their NBA team win the NBA Finals 31 times – this includes 26 different players representing the UCLA basketball program.

Barnes was a four-year player for the Bruins from 1998-99 through 2001-02, while Looney excelled at UCLA during the 2014-15 season before being selected in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. Barnes averaged 8.8 points in 121 career games at UCLA. Looney registered 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in 36 games for UCLA in 2014-15.

Myers played for UCLA for four seasons (1993-94 through 1996-97) after graduating from Monte Vista High School in Danville, Calif., nearly 25 miles east of Oracle Arena, the Warriors' home venue. Myers started his UCLA career as a walk-on in 1993-94 and concluded his collegiate career having registered 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in 76 contests.

This season's NBA Finals, between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, marked the 59th time in which former UCLA basketball players competed on a team that had advanced to the NBA Finals. In addition to Barnes and Looney with Golden State, former UCLA standout Kevin Love helped lead Cleveland to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive season.

The most recent best-of-seven series marked the second straight year in which UCLA had former players competing on both NBA Finals teams.

Aside from Barnes, Looney and Love, other former UCLA players who have represented the University in the NBA Finals over the last 10 seasons have included Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City in 2012), Jordan Farmar (Los Angeles Lakers in 2008, 2009 and 2010) and Trevor Ariza (Los Angeles Lakers in 2008 and 2009).