Syracuse basketball fans should be rooting for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Here are all the details on why that’s the case.
Are you a Syracuse basketball fan? Do you enjoy hoops coverage and have no idea who to root for in the NBA Finals in 2019? If you said yes to either of those questions, we may have the solution for you!
You absolutely, positively, should be rooting for the Golden State Warriors, here’s why.
Currently on the Warriors roster is Swedish born player Jonas Jerebko. He’s a 32-year old power forward and nearly played collegiate ball at the University of Buffalo before everything fell through and he returned to his native country of Sweden to play professionally.
Often as a child, he visited Buffalo there are pictures of him at parades, visiting places like Niagara Falls and even watching a few Buffalo Bison games.
Although his last name should sound familiar to Syracuse basketball fans, that’s because Jonas’ father Chris once played for the Orange back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Here are some interesting details from his productive high school career which led to an opportunity with none other than Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim via Taylor Nigrelli of the Lancaster Bee:
"“Chris Jerebko was also a standout player in high school, opting to attend St. Francis. After four years of being a star player on a highly successful St. Francis team, he earned a scholarship to Syracuse University. He headed east to play under a fresh, young coach named Jim Boeheim (meanwhile, his brother Peter went to LeMoyne, where he played under current Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Beilein).”"
Chris played for the Orange from 1978 through 1981. Per the Syracuse Media Guide, Jerebko wore both No. 32 and No. 40 during his time with the Cuse.
He played in 58 career games for Syracuse but never started a game. In his best season, he averaged 6.4 points per game, 3.2 boards per contest, shot 65 percent from the charity stripe, and an efficient 58 percent from the field.
After his playing days with SU, he went back to Sweden to play professionally and did so for five years before meeting his wife Elaine and he eventually settled down to have a family.
Which brings us full circle to Jonas, his son, who made NBA history in 2009 becoming the first Swedish player to ever be taken in an NBA Draft (second round pick, 39th overall, Detroit Pistons).
Obviously, we all know the history of second-round picks in the NBA Draft, they usually don’t last long. Yet here Jonas is a decade later playing in the NBA Finals for the Golden State Warriors.
Jonas signed with Golden State this past offseason becoming his fourth different NBA franchise that he has suited up for in his professional career. This will be his first chance at basketball immortality in these NBA Finals.
"The definition of immortality is the ability to live forever; eternal life, per Dictionary.com."
After Jonas is done playing, a championship ring can ensure that his name Jerebko lives on forever, but he has greater dreams and that’s putting Swedish basketball on the map.
According to a report from last Summer, Jonas was the only Swedish basketball player in the NBA.
Which is a big reason Jerebko chose Golden State in the first place this past Summer. A chance at an NBA ring could put his quest to expand the horizons of Swedish basketball on the biggest stage imaginable.
"“When the best team in the world calls, you answer,” Jerebko said during his introductory media availability at the Warriors’ practice facility via Connor Letourneau of the SF Chronicle. “It’s an exciting time for me, and it’s an exciting time for Sweden.”"
Believe it or not, Jerebko has already cemented himself as the most accomplished hoops player in Sweden’s history.
His 635 career NBA games quintuple the only other Swedish basketball player to ever make it to the NBA (Jeffery Taylor with 132 career NBA games).
"“I’ve played in this league for 10 years, and a kid from Sweden could never dream of that,” said Jerebko via Connor Letourneau of the SF Chronicle. “So, I’m happy with where I’m at right now.”"