Former Marquette star Tyler Kolek is four wins away from an NBA championship as the New York Knicks prepare to face the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Game 1 tips off Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. CT in San Antonio, Tex. The Knicks are chasing their first title in more than 50 years.
As confetti fell inside Rocket Arena last Monday following New York's Eastern Conference Championship over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kolek's mom, Lynn Kolek, said the moment took her back to her son's playing days at Marquette.
"It reminded me of the Big East tournament being in Madison Square Garden with all that confetti coming down, and I could only imagine that to feel the same way in Cleveland," Lynn smiled.
Kolek was selected 34th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, via a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
"Couldn't be prouder. I mean, who wouldn't be, you know, but he's worked so hard. And that's what gets me the most, is I know the work he's put in, and I know he's ready for every moment he gets out there," she said.
Kolek's time on the floor has fluctuated throughout the year, but he has stayed ready when called upon, including tying a career playoff high with 8 points in the Knicks' Game 4 clincher against the Cavaliers.
Marquette head basketball coach Shaka Smart said Kolek's journey is a reflection of his character.
"He's a winner, so for him to be able to be part of a team that's in the NBA finals and on the precipice of winning the whole thing is really cool to see," Smart said.
While Kolek now wears a Knicks jersey, his time in Milwaukee remains a key part of his story.
"Milwaukee is as much of his home as, you know, now New York and, you know, based in Rhode Island," Lynn Kolek said.
Lynn said she and Tyler's dad will be in attendance for Games 3 and 4 when the series shifts to Madison Square Garden.
"He's just a young basketball gym rat from Rhode Island," Smart said.
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