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Lu Dort wins 2025 NBA Championship

Lu Dort becomes the sixth Sun Devil Men's Basketball product to win a NBA Championship.

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Lu Dort wins 2025 NBA ChampionshipLu Dort wins 2025 NBA Championship
by Connor Smith

Sun Devil Men's Basketball product Lu Dort won the 2025 NBA Championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dort helped lead the Thunder to a 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It is the first NBA Championship for Oklahoma City in Franchise history. Dort becomes the sixth Sun Devil to win a NBA Championship. Six Sun Devils have now combined to win nine titles in professional basketball's premier league. 

2025 NBA Championship run
Lu Dort was an integral piece of the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Championship run. He started all 23 playoff games at shooting guard and provided elite defense throughout the postseason. Dort was +63 during the playoffs, including a +12 mark in the deciding Game 7 victory. In Game 7, Dort stuffed the stat sheet in 35 minutes, finishing with nine points, seven rebounds, and three steals.

Sun Devils to win the NBA Championship (9 Championships by 6 players)
2025 - Lu Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder
2014 - Jeff Pendergraph (Ayres), San Antonio Spurs
2008 - Eddie House, Boston Celtics
1985, ’87, ’88 - Byron Scott, Los Angeles Lakers
1980, ’82 - Mark Landsberger, Los Angeles Lakers
1977 - Lionel Hollins, Portland Trail Blazers 

Lu Dort NBA First Team All-Defense
Lu Dort is widely-recognized as one of the elite defenders in the NBA. Thanks to his efforts, he earned a spot on the NBA's First Team All-Defense. He is just the third Sun Devil to accomplish the feat. This is the sixth time a Sun Devil has earned All-Defensive distinction. Dort finished fourth in voting for NBA Defensive Player of the Year, receiving 11 first-place votes.

First Team selections (3)
Lu Dort, 2024-25
Lionel Hollins, 1977-78
Joe Caldwell, 1972-73

Second Team selections (3)
Fat Lever, 1987-88
Lionel Hollins, 1978-79
Joe Caldwell, 1969-70

Canadian NBA champions
Lu Dort, a native of Montreal, Quebec, becomes just the 12th Canadian-born player to win a NBA Championship.

List of Canadian NBA champions
Lu Dort - 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 2025
Oshae Brissett - 2024
Jamal Murray - 2023
Andrew Wiggins - 2022
Chris Boucher - 2018, '19
Tristan Thompson - 2016
Cory Joseph - 2014
Joel Anthony - 2012, '13
Rick Fox - 2000, '01, '02
Bill Wennington - 1996, '97, '98
Mike Smrek - '87, '88

Representing Canada at the Olympics

  • Dort was the lone Sun Devil men's basketball player at the 2024 Olympics.
  • It was the eighth time a Sun Devil player had represented their country at an Olympic games.
  • Dort was the first representative in men's basketball from Arizona State since Ike Diogu made his second of two appearances with the Nigerian National Team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. 

    More about Lu ...
    In the pros
  • Helped lead Canada to the Bronze Medal at the 2023 FIBA World Championships, defeating Team USA in the third place game. 
  • Signed a 5-year, $87.5 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to the 2022-23.
  • Thunder finished with the best record in the Western Conference with Dort starting 79 of a possible 82 games in 2023-34.

    At Arizona State
  • Earned 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors, second-team All-Pac-12 distinction and a spot on the All-Defense team in his lone season at Arizona State.
  • Joined Jahii Carson (Co-Freshman of the Year in 2012-13), Ike Diogu (2002-03), Jamal Faulkner (1990-91) and Byron Scott (1979-80) as Sun Devils to win FOY. 
  • Became just the fourth Sun Devils to earn a spot on the All-Defense team since it was created in 2007-08.
  • ASU never trailed in the NCAA Tournament win over St. John's and had the lead for the final 37:45, with Dort's 21 points leading the way. It was the first NCAA win for the Sun Devils since 2009.
  • Scored 20 or more points nine times with in the maroon and gold. 

    Sun Devils in the NBA Finals
    (16 appearances by 8 players)

Lu Dort, 2024-25, Oklahoma City Thunder (beat Indiana Pacers 4-3)
Jeff Ayres (Pendergraph), 2013-14, San Antonio Spurs (beat Miami Heat 4-1)
James Harden, 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder (lost to Miami Heat 4-1)
Eddie House, 2007-08 Boston Celtics (beat Los Angeles Lakers 4-2)
Byron Scott, 1990-91 Los Angeles Lakers (lost to Chicago 4-1)
Byron Scott, 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers (lost to Detroit 4-0)
Byron Scott, 1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers (beat Detroit 4-3)
Byron Scott, 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers (beat Boston 4-2)
Byron Scott, 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers (beat Boston 4-2)
Byron Scott, 1983-84 Los Angeles Lakers (lost to Boston 4-3)
Mark Landsberger, Los Angeles Lakers 1982-83 (lost to Philadelphia 4-0)
Mark Landsberger, Los Angeles Lakers 1981-82 (beat Philadelphia 76ers 4-2)
Lionel Hollins, 1981-82 Philadelphia 76ers (lost to Los Angeles 4-2)
Mark Landsberger, Los Angeles Lakers 1979-80 (beat Philadelphia 76ers 4-2)
Lionel Hollins, 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers (beat Philadelphia 4-2)
Dennis Hamilton, 1967-68 Los Angeles Lakers (lost to Boston 4-2) 

The two Sun Devils to play in the NBA Finals and not win a ring were 1,000-point club member Dennis Hamilton played for the 1967-68 Los Angeles Lakers, his rookie season, but they fell to Boston 4-2. James Harden was with the Thunder in 2012 when it fell to the Miami Heat in five games.

The last Sun Devil to win the NBA Finals

  • Jeff Pendergraph (Ayres) won the title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014.
  • Ayres was announced as a member of the 2025 Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame Class.
  • Ayres, who in December of 2008 earned a BA in economics from Arizona State, signed with the Spurs in summer of 2013 after playing in Portland (2009-10) and Indiana (2011-13).
  • He was the 31st overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after establishing himself as one of the most efficient and productive players in Sun Devil history after leading ASU to 25 wins in 2008-09 for the first time since 1974-75 and just the third time in school history.
  • In his four years as he set Sun Devil records for games (126) and starts (120) while his 1,588 career points (12.6 per game) was good for sixth on the school career list, just ahead of Byron Scott's 1,572.
  • His 942 career rebounds (7.5 per game) was second on the career list.
  • Ayres earned Pac-10 All-Freshman honors in 2005-06 (despite missing all of fall conditioning and most of November after fall surgery to remove a benign tumor in his left leg), Pac-10 honorable mention honors in 2006-07, third-team All-Pac-10 in 2007-08 and first-team honors in 2008-09.
  • He helped lead ASU to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in 14 seasons and for just the fourth time in 28 seasons in 2009.

    The first Sun Devil to play in NBA Finals
  • Dennis Hamilton, who passed away in the summer of 2012, is a member of the Sun Devil 1,000-point club and was a three-year starter on teams from 1963-66, including the Sun Devil's NCAA Tournament team in 1963-64 under Ned Wulk. 
  • He started in all three seasons, averaging 6.2 points in his first season followed by 17.3 in 1964-65 and 17.0 in 1965-66. 
  • He earned second-team All-WAC in 1965-66 after earning honorable mention honors in 1964-65. 
  • In his Sun Devil career he played in 80 games and notched 1,079 career points (13.6 points per game) and shot .813 from the free throw line (261-of-321). 
  • He signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 21, 1967 and was selected by the Suns in the NBA expansion draft in May of 1968. 
  • He was traded on September 11, 1968 by Phoenix Suns to the Atlanta Hawks for a 1969 third-round draft pick. 
  • He played professionally for the Lakers (1967-68), Atlanta Hawks of the NBA (1968-69) and the Pittsburgh Pipers (1969-70) and Kentucky Colonels (1970-71) of the ABA.

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