Pittsburgh Native TJ McConnell Making NBA Finals Debut

When the NBA Finals tips off on Thursday night, one of Pittsburgh’s own will be taking part in the festivities.

TJ McConnell, who plays guard for the Indiana Pacers, will be making his NBA Finals debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Thursday night’s game will tip off at 8:30 p.m. est. in Oklahoma City.

McConnell is averaging 9.1 points per game and 4.4 assists per game this year for the Pacers in 17.9 minutes per contest. He has played in 79 games.

McConnell signed a lucrative contract with the Pacers last offseason.

Western PA Native TJ McConnell Signs Four-Year, $45 Million NBA Contract

Out of high school, McConnell spent two seasons at Duquesne, averaging 11.1 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game over two seasons before transferring to Arizona after two seasons.

After sitting out the 2012-13 season, he averaged 9.4 points, 5.8 assists and 3.7 assists, on 48/34/74 shooting splits, across the next two seasons at Arizona. McConnell went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft. McConnell finished seventh in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting in the 2024 season (his ninth NBA season), as a key piece for the Pacers of the bench. He averaged a career-high 10.2 points, 5.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds on 56/41/79 shooting splits that year, as the Pacers made a deep run in the playoffs but came up short in the end.

McConnell’s younger sister, Megan, made headlines this past week as she earned her first WNBA contract with the Phoenix Mercury. She made her debut earlier this week with the Mercury, making a three pointer and dishing out three assists to her teammates in the loss. However, McConnell left the game due to injury.

Megan McConnell Helped Off Floor with Injury in First WNBA Game