Spurs or Knicks: One Former Baylor Bear Will Be Crowned an NBA Champion

Scott Drew's lineage is big-time and one former Baylor player will go home a champion.

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The New York Knicks appear to have full control of the NBA Finals. Despite having home-court advantage, the San Antonio Spurs have blown the first two games of the seven-game series and the Knicks return to New York up 2-0.

But regardless of who wins — whether the Knicks finish the job, or the Spurs turn things around — one former Baylor Bear will be crowned an NBA champion. Scott Drew's lineage is high, and he's done a good job of sending Bears to the league to have a chance of being named a champion.

Former teammates (and @Big12Conference champs) going for the Larry O'Brien 🏆#SicEm | #CultureofJOY pic.twitter.com/ZgY9Q53CTh

— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) June 3, 2026

Knicks win - Jeremy Sochan wins a championship

Ironically, the ninth-overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Jeremy Sochan, was selected by the Spurs. He played his first three seasons with San Antonio before being shipped to New York this season.

The former Baylor star has played little for New York since arriving with the Knicks. He's played in just 16 games, seeing just under seven minutes per game. After averaging double digits in his first three NBA seasons, Sochan has fallen out of grace, but is still in line to receive a ring — against his former team.

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However, even if the Spurs would win, Sochan could receive a ring since he was with San Antonio to start the season. While not winning the championship would sting, Sochan could still earn a reward.

Sochan played only one season for Baylor, coming off the bench. He was impressive off the bench, and was named the Big 12 Sixth-Man of the Year. Sochan averaged 9.2 points and 6.4 rebounds. From England, Sochan was a sought-after prospect who ended up committing to Baylor.

Jonathan Tchatchoua - part of the Spurs' organization

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Tchatchoua's playing days are behind him, but he would still be an NBA champion. According to Tchatchoua's LinkedIn account, he is part of the Spurs' Basketball Operations.

After playing one season with UNLV, Tchatchoua transferred to Baylor for the 2020-21 season. He came off the bench and helped lead the Bears to a national title. The following season, Tchatchoua was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year

For his career at Baylor, he averaged 5.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. In the 85 games he played for the Bears, Tchatchoua started in just two. But he was a presence down low for the Bears, and opposing teams were afraid to drive the lane against him.