The NBA Finals matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers features many players who won major awards in high school or were named to MaxPreps All-America teams.
Thunder star
Chet Holmgren was the MaxPreps National Player of the year in 2021 at
Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.). In 2020 he was a MaxPreps Junior All-America first team selection.
Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers was an All-American in 2014 at
Trinity (Euless, Texas). His Indiana teammates
Thomas Bryant and
Jarace Walker were both on MaxPreps All-America squads all four years of high school.
MaxPreps began naming All-America teams in 2006. Freshman, sophomore and junior squads were first selected in 2010. MaxPreps State Player of the Years have been chosen since 2020.
Read on for a complete rundown of award winners for both teams.
(Graphic: Chris Stonebraker)
- 2015 Junior All-America fifth team
Thomas Bryant, Bishop Kearney (Rochester, N.Y.)/Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.)- 2012 Fresh All-America third team
- 2013 Sophomore All-America honorable mention
- 2014 Junior All-America honorable mention
- 2015 All-America fifth team
Isaiah Jackson, Old Redford Academy (Detroit, Mich.)- 2018 Sophomore All-America honorable mention
Myles Turner, Trinity (Euless, Texas)- 2014 All-America honorable mention
Jarace Walker, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)- 2019 Freshman All-America second team
- 2020 Sophomore All-America honorable mention
- 2021 Junior All-America honorable mention
- 2022 Florida Player of the Year
- 2022 All-America first team
Oklahoma City Thunder
Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.)- 2020 All-America honorable mention
- 2020 Junior All-America first team
- 2021 Minnesota Player of the Year
- 2021 All-America, MaxPreps National Player of the Year
Cason Wallace, Richardson (Texas)- 2021 Junior All-America second team
- 2022 Texas Player of the Year
- 2022 All-America second team
