Oscar Tshiebwe makes history in G League debut
What happens when one of the most dominant college basketball players of this generation makes his G League debut? Oscar Tshiebwe makes history, of course.
Suiting up for the Indiana Mad Ants — the Pacers’ G League affiliate — Tshiebwe finished with an absurd 33 points and 23 rebounds, the first 30-20 game in franchise history. He’s also just the fifth player to have a double-double in their first game with the franchise.
His 23 boards — 13 offensive — were just one short of the all-time Mad Ants record. Hilariously, it’s a number Tshiebwe already told the franchise he’ll be able to hit with no problem.
“I’ll never forget he asked our GM so random one day at camp what the (G League) rebounding record was,” Pacers scout KJ Pritchard, son of team president Kevin Pritchard, tweeted. “When he was told, he started walking away and literally said ‘oh that will be easy.'”
A history of breaking records
Tshiebwe is no stranger to shattering records — he did plenty of it at Kentucky. The 6-9 center was a unanimous two-year All-American in Lexington and earned consensus National Player of the Year honors as a junior in 2021-22. He averaged a career-high 17.4 points and 15.1 rebounds per contest in year one, followed by 16.5 points and 13.7 rebounds per game as a senior. The former Wildcat would finish his career tied for second in career double-doubles with 48 and second in scoring over a two-year period (1,117 points) behind only Bill Spivey (1,213).
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, Tshiebwe signed with the Pacers as an undrafted free agent, agreeing to a two-way contract with the franchise. That move allowed him to play 50 games with the Pacers in year one with no limit on practices, workouts and other activities while spending the rest of his time in the G League with the Mad Ants.
Tshiebwe’s got his physical limitations, sure. But when it comes to fighting on the glass and anchoring the middle of the floor, no one does it better at any level. His niche will be what gets him a real shot in the NBA, a spark plug off of any bench capable of filling the stat sheet in a hurry. And he’ll step out and knock down the occasional mid-range jumper to keep defenders honest.
His first official test as a pro? History made.
On that note, does anyone know where I can find a No. 44 Mad Ants jersey?
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