While there won’t be any former Virginia Cavaliers playing in the NBA Finals, there will be a Wahoo on the sidelines (R.I.P. the 2025 Cleveland Cavaliers). Rick Carlisle, the head coach of the Indiana Pacers, played two seasons for UVA. His Pacers have unexpectedly ripped through the Eastern Conference, and they’re four wins away from one of the most shocking Finals wins of all time.
Forty Years ago...
In 1981, 22-year-old Rick Carlisle transferred to UVA after two exceptional seasons at the University of Maine. He transferred before it was cool, and I don’t blame him at all.