LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Dallas Mavericks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since Dirk Nowitzki and now-head coach Jason Kidd led the team to the franchise's first championship in 2011.
Starting this Thursday, the Mavs will square off with the Boston Celtics who look for their franchise's 18th all-time title. You can watch each game of the Finals on Channel 13.
The Dumont and Adelson families, who are casino moguls, taking ownership of the Mavericks this season isn't the team's only connection to Las Vegas. Three Dallas players also have ties to the valley.
Derrick Jones Jr. played a single season for UNLV (2015-16) while PJ Washington was a standout at Findlay Prep, a former high school basketball program in Henderson, which was coached by his father.
The strongest tie is that of second-year guard Jaden Hardy. The Detroit native spent all four years of high school suiting up for Coronado High School and forgoing college to play for G-League Ignite in Henderson. The former five-star McDonald's All-American was named the Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year twice and was rated as the nation's top prospect.
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Jeff Kaufman, Coronado's head basketball coach for the last 18 seasons, doesn't hesitate to call Hardy the best player he's ever coached.
“When you have a player who makes it to the NBA, let alone the NBA Finals, you’re very excited and very proud," Kaufman told me. "I got to go to Game 6 against the [Oklahoma City] Thunder and it was great just being there watching him. And next week, I’ll go to see him in Game 3 in Dallas.”
Coming off the bench for about a dozen minutes a game, Hardy has contributed to the Mavs' postseason run scoring double digits in two games.
Seeing Hardy's reaction to Dallas punch their ticket to the Finals was special for Kaufman.
“I sent him a text when they got to the final. His response was just a heart emoji," Kaufman said. "That was it, so that tells me right away from Jaden that he’s very excited. I mean you can tell, his face, he was acting like a little kid. He’s only 21 but you could tell how happy he was and I’m so happy for him."
WATCH FULL INTERVIEW: Coronado High School head basketball coach shares memories of Jaden Hardy
Having gone on many trips with Hardy for both recruitment and recreation, Kaufman says the 6'3" court general already appearing at the pinnacle of pro basketball shows that good things come to good people.
“He’s a great basketball player but it doesn’t really compare to how great of a person he is," Kaufman said. "Jaden always had that light about him that made him special. He did everything the right way. He was a great student. He was a great teammate. He was a great friend. There’s 3,500 kids that go to Coronado and not one of them didn’t like Jaden Hardy.”
Only a couple years removed from playing for the Cougars and the Ignite, Hardy has the chance to hoist the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. His high school coach believes that the Coronado community and the Las Vegas valley will be rooting him on.
“He has so many roots here in Las Vegas," Kaufman said. "He played his AAU basketball here in Las Vegas. He went four years of high school in Las Vegas. He still has close, close ties. He knows Vegas is behind him and Henderson is behind him. I think he’s really happy about that and proud about that."
