History of Kentucky Wildcats in NBA Game 7s

Former Kentucky Wildcats Bam Adebayo and (hopefully) Tyler Herro are set to make their NBA Game 7 debuts on Sunday night against the Celtics in the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Herro is questionable with a groin injury and Bam has been a little inconsistent, but they would become the 23rd and 24th Wildcats to take the floor in a Game 7. In light of these big stakes, let’s take a look back at how other Kentucky Wildcats have faired in Game 7s over the years.

A few housekeeping notes: I cut off my research at 30 years, so these stats only go back until 1992. Also, this list only looks at players who actually saw game action. There were more than a handful of “Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision” designations that I omitted.

Without further ado, here are my findings:

Kentucky Wildcats who have played in NBA Game 7s

Overall, 22 former ‘Cats have seen the court in an NBA Game 7 over the last 30 years, making 45 total appearances. In those contests, they have a combined record of 20 wins and 25 losses.

Rajon Rondo tops the list in most appearances (eight) followed by Tayshaun Prince (six) and still-very-young Jamal Murray (four).

Here is the complete list with each player’s number of appearances, their win-loss record, and average stats.

Player	Games	Wins	Losses	Points	Assists	Rebounds
Rajon Rondo	8	5	3	11.5	8.6	6.4
Tayshaun Prince	6	4	2	11.8	2.5	4.7
Jamal Murray	4	3	1	24.3	4.5	4.3
Chuck Hayes	3	0	3	4.7	0.7	3
Jamal Mashburn	3	1	2	13	3.3	5.7
Patrick Patterson	3	2	1	12.7	1.3	7.7
Eric Bledsoe	2	1	1	15.5	2.5	3
Jamaal Magloire	2	0	2	3	0	5.5
Aaron Harrison	1	0	1	0	0	1
Devin Booker	1	0	1	11	2	3
Enes Kanter	1	1	0	12	1	13
Jodie Meeks	1	0	1	2	0	0
John Wall	1	0	1	18	11	7
Mark Pope	1	0	1	2	0	0
Nazr Mohammed	1	1	0	6	0	1
Nerlens Noel	1	0	1	2	1	1
Scott Padgett	1	0	1	3	1	6
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	1	0	1	19	4	3
Terrence Jones	1	1	0	8	1	3
Tony Delk	1	1	0	0	0	0
Tyrese Maxey	1	0	1	2	3	1
Walter McCarty	1	0	1	0	0	0

Chart Toppers

When Rajon Rondo was with the Celtics in the late 2000s and early 2010s, they pretty much took every series the distance and because of it, he leads the pack of former Kentucky Wildcats in Game 7 experience. If it weren’t for a 2019 Game 7 when he played limited minutes with the LA Clippers, his already impressive stats would be even higher. He has two Game 7 triple-doubles and his 14 assists in 2012 against the Miami Heat ranks 11th all-time in most single-game assists in a Game 7.

The other former Kentucky Wildcat to etch his name in Game 7 lore is Jamal Murray. It feels like we just recently saw him shoot arrows into the Rupp Arena rafters after each 3-pointer he made, and injuries caused him to miss all this season, but somehow he has already racked up four Game 7 appearances at the tender age of 25. And in each one, he brought a quiver full of arrows.

In these clutch games, Murray has averaged 25, which includes dropping a 40-spot against the Clippers in the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals. This performance places him 19th in Game 7 history in single-game scoring.

And lest we forget about Tayshaun. His block heard around the world against Reggie Miller did not occur in Game 7, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t stellar in those games too. If you throw out the 2014 first-round when he was a limited contributor for the Memphis Grizzlies, the only Game 7 Tayshaun lost was in the NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs. He won his other four and played a key role in each, as he was the perfect fit for the Pistons during their phenomenal mid-2000s run.

Solid Contributors

The shortest player ever to start at center in the NBA, Chuck Hayes, had a sneaky long NBA career after not being drafted. He played 11 seasons in the league, mostly with the Hoston Rockets, and started all 82 games for them in 2010.

Despite not routinely filling up the stat sheet, he recorded five steals against the Lakers in Game 7 of the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals, which ties him for second all-time in that category in Game 7 history.

Need another random stat to stump your UK basketball-loving uncle at a family reunion? Ask him which player, who has played in at least three, leads all former Kentucky Wildcats in average rebounds in Game 7s. It will take him a long time to get all the way down to Patrick Patterson.

Aside from sky-rocketing Kentucky Sports Radio’s popularity, Patterson is best known for being a tremendous role player for many NBA teams over a long career. He piqued in the mid-2010s with the Toronto Raptors, which is where he showcased his reliability in three Game 7s, helping his team win two of them.

And to round out the list of solid contributors, let’s throw it back to Jamal Mashburn, who played in three Game 7s back in 1997, 2000, and 2001. As a member of the Charlotte Hornets in 2001, he recorded 21 points and nine rebounds in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, proving Monster Mash did not stop being a monster after he left Lexington.

A Couple of Underwhelmers

Devin Booker is arguably the best shooting guard in the NBA right now. He doesn’t get as much love as he should, but the man is an absolute dog on the court. He is a scoring savant, doing most of his damage in the midrange game, but in Game 7 of the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals just a few weeks ago, the ice in his veins transferred over to his shot.

I actually attended that game and it was ugly from the start. Booker had just 11 points, not even half his season average, and looked disjointed from the tip. Not to worry, though. Book has plenty more Game 7s in his future where there is no doubt his true self will show up.

Another big name that underwhelmed in their single Game 7 appearance was John Wall. Before his contract was considered the league’s worst, he was a five-time All-Star and trying to get his Washington Wizards over the hump of being good to being great.

In 2017, his Wizards battled the Celtics (who have played a league-high 34 Game 7s where they are an incredible 25-9) in the Eastern Conference Semifinal, but Wall let the big win dance away from him in Game 7. Despite nearly posting a triple-double, he shot a mere 34 percent from the field including 1-8 from behind the arc, and had two key fourth-quarter turnovers that spelled the end for the Wizards.

Surprise Participants

A few names made my eyebrows raise during my research, but perhaps none more than Mark Pope, who logged one minute and 21 seconds with Milwaukee against Philadelphia in a 2001 blowout loss. Not one to stop playing because of the scoreboard, Pope recorded two points in that game, his last bucket as a member of the Bucks.

Getting into the Game 7 scoring column can’t be said for Aaron Harrison, Tony Delk, and Walter McCarty, who all played meaningless minutes in less-than-dramatic series conclusions.

As clutch as he was for Kentucky, Aaron Harrison had a mere cup of coffee in the NBA, but he did manage to sneak into five minutes of Game 7 action as a member of the Hornets against the Miami Heat in the first round of 2016.

Similarly, NCAA Champions Tony Delk and Walter McCarty got a taste of a Game 7 when Delk helped mop up a 2006 Pistons win and McCarty got on the floor for a whopping five seconds as a member of the Clippers against the Suns that same year.

With Bam and possibly Herro becoming the 23rd and 24th former Kentucky Wildcats to play in a Game 7, look for this number to continue to grow over the next few years. There are a ton of Kentucky guys on quality teams now, which makes it a fun time to cheer on former ‘Cats making a name for themselves in the NBA.