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OKLAHOMA CITY – As the 2025 NBA Finals tips off tonight, UC Santa Barbara Men’s Basketball is proud to have representation. Gaucho alum Ajay Mitchell and the Oklahoma City Thunder will battle the Indiana Pacers on basketball’s biggest stage.
 
After spending three years at UC Santa Barbara, Mitchell was drafted in the second round—38th overall—in the 2024 NBA Draft. Originally on a two-way contract, he immediately earned significant playing time for the Thunder, who made it apparent that they were the best team in the Western Conference. Mitchell appeared in all of the team’s first 34 games, averaging 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while playing 16.6 minutes per game. Up to that point, he was one of only two rookies to be shooting at least 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. Oklahoma City was 29-5 and on a 14-game winning streak.
 
In early January, the guard required surgery due to a right great toe sprain, halting his solid start. It was not all bad news for Mitchell, though, as the Thunder converted his two-way contract to a standard contract—through the end of the 2025-26 season—on February 6.
 
As the Thunder finished with an NBA-best 68-14 record, Mitchell returned for the last two games of the regular season. The Thunder then swept the Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs before beating the Nuggets in seven games. In the Western Conference Finals, they beat the Timberwolves in five games. Mitchell has played in half of the team’s 16 playoff games, logging two games with double-digit points and three with over 13 minutes played.
 
Mitchell is the second Gaucho in the past three years to reach the NBA Finals, as Gabe Vincent did so with the Miami Heat in 2023. During his time in the Thunderdome, the Ans, Belgium native earned honors such as Big West Freshman of the Year, Big West Player of the Year, Big West Championships MVP, and was a three-time All-Big West selection.
 
A Finals win for the Thunder would be their first championship since moving to Oklahoma City and second as an organization. In 1979, the Seattle SuperSonics defeated the Washington Bullets in a five-game series.

Gaucho fans, tune in to support Ajay throughout the NBA Finals by watching on ABC, with tonight’s game one tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. PT.