Former Oklahoma State Stars Shine to Begin NBA Season

Some former Cowboys were in action as the NBA tipped off another year.

Oct 22, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shoots over Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State will tip off the 2025-26 season in the near future, but some former Cowboys have already begun their next campaign.

On Tuesday, the NBA season tipped off, which also meant the first chance for some former OSU stars to get on the hardwood for the first time this year. Along with some familiar names on NBA rosters, a couple of other Cowboys joined the list this season.

Back for another year

Marcus Smart was the first former Cowboy to get onto the floor in this NBA season as a result of his team’s inclusion in the league’s opening night of action on Tuesday. Of course, his team is now the Los Angeles Lakers.

After nearly a decade in Boston and some forgettable stints in Memphis and Washington, Smart has a chance for a bit of a resurgence in Los Angeles. Against the Warriors on Tuesday, Smart had a nine-point outing while playing 23 minutes.

Oct 21, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives past Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, another Cowboy was back on the floor for action on Wednesday night, with Cade Cunningham making the first appearance of his fifth NBA season. Cunningham’s Detroit Pistons lost to the Chicago Bulls, but the former Cowboy still had a solid outing.

Cunningham finished the night with 23 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in 34 minutes. Although he didn’t shoot all that well, Cunningham still had an impressive start to the year as he searches for another All-Star nod this season.

Although he didn’t make his season debut in his team’s first game, former OSU star Lindy Waters III is sure to make a difference for the San Antonio Spurs at some point this season.

A couple of NBA debuts

While OSU’s three NBA players from last season all are on a roster again this year, a couple of former Cowboys have been added to that list in Javon Small and Moussa Cisse. Although neither finished their career in Stillwater, they were still key parts of the OSU program and showcased some of their NBA potential while at OSU.

Oct 15, 2025; Greensboro, North Carolina, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Javon Small (10) dribbles the ball up the court during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at First Horizon Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images

Small made his first appearance for the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in a win over New Orleans. Racking up three assists and a block in 19 minutes of action, Small could play some important minutes as the Grizzlies’ backup point guard, especially as the team deals with injuries early in the year.

Meanwhile, Cisse made his debut after securing a two-way deal with the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason. Although he didn’t get any stats, Cisse still got his first taste of NBA action, playing in the final few minutes of Dallas’ big loss to the Spurs.

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