Alex Fudge Could Win NBA Championship With Mavericks After Winning In-Season Tournament With Lakers

Mavericks' two-way player Alex Fudge could become the first player in NBA history to win the NBA championship and the In-Season tournament in the very same season. Fudge was part of the Lakers' roster that won the inaugural In-Season tournament, before being waived by the Lakers.

Fudge signed with the Lakers' G League team, the South Bay Lakers a few days later. A couple of months later, Fudge signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks. And now, he is just a few wins away from winning an NBA championship.

Alex Fudge went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, before signing a two-way contract with the Lakers. With the Lakers, Fudge played just four games, averaging a meager 1.0 points and 0.5 rebounds in those games. He only played a combined 14 minutes for the Lakers, before ultimately being waived.

After signing with the Dallas Mavericks, Fudge spent most of his time playing for their G League team, the Texas Legends. He only played two games for the Mavericks at the end of the season. He scored a career-high 11 points, along with 2 rebounds and 3 steals in the Mavericks' loss to the Thunder.

While he has not played a single minute in the 2024 NBA playoffs, Fudge getting to play for the Mavericks at least once, along with him being part of the roster, guarantees that he will receive a championship ring if the Mavericks are able to win the NBA championship. And while he hasn't gotten many opportunities, he could be the first to make history in the league.

The Mavericks Looking To Complete The Dream

The Dallas Mavericks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 and are looking to replicate their achievement from that year when Dirk Nowitzki led them to an NBA championship for the first time in franchise history.

Now, they have another European superstar in Luka Doncic who is trying to do the exact same thing. Like Dirk, who had a veteran point guard in Jason Kidd alongside him, Luka has Kyrie Irving as his teammate, and Jason Kidd, but in a coaching capacity. The Mavericks have what they need to win it all.

But in order to win the NBA championship, they need to overcome a juggernaut in the Celtics. The Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis, who played for the Mavericks for several seasons before being traded in 2022. Now, Porzingis has improved greatly and could play a role in stopping his former team from winning a championship.

There are question marks surrounding Porzingis, who got hurt in the first round of the playoffs and hasn't played since. While he is expected to play in some capacity in the NBA Finals, his absence could be something the Mavericks capitalize on and take advantage of.

The Mavericks will be playing Games 1 and 2 of the finals away from home and will have to replicate the same performances he had against the Timberwolves and steal a few games away from home to give themselves the best chance at winning a title.