Over 24 hours before the 2021 NBA Finals start, we only know one thing: Torrey Craig is already an NBA champion. The Phoenix Suns swingman is ready to help his squad win the title this campaign, but Craig can still get a ring even if he loses.
If we talk about being at the right place at the right time, this man did it twice within the same season, starting with the Bucks and finishing with the Suns. Craig will be an NBA champion regardless of what team ends up lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy. After playing 18 games with the Bucks, he was traded to Phoenix for cash considerations.
Congratulations Torrey Craig for winning his first championship!
No matter who wins the Finals, he will get a ring for playing for both the Suns and Bucks this season.
(Submitted by @wholecake3) pic.twitter.com/ChpLWKH8es
— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 4, 2021
Now his new team is four games away from winning the NBA championship, but Craig can receive a ring if Milwaukee wins, too.
This has been a common situation in the league in the past couple of years. Last year, Dion Waiters started the season with the Miami Heat, was traded to Memphis, and then signed with the Lakers. The purple and gold faced the Heat in the Finals, with the player eligible to get a ring if either team win.
Before that, Anderson Varejao found himself in a similar position. The Cleveland Cavaliers offered him a ring after beating the Golden State Warriors (the team that traded for Andy) in the 2016 NBA Finals. Contrary to Waiters, he was part of the losing team, declining that ring by the Cavs.
Craig joined this list after the Bucks secured their spot in the Finals over the weekend. It’s unclear if he will accept a ring from the team that exchanged him for money, but he can already call himself an NBA champion.
