Former NBA guard basks in EuroLeague title

In 2020, Kendrick Nunn was a key member of a Miami Heat team that was two wins away from winning the NBA championship. Nunn would have become one of the few rookies in history to accomplish the feat, joining Hall of Famers such as Magic Johnson, Manu Ginobili and Kevin McHale for the rare honor.

While the prestige of an NBA championship will always supersede that of a EuroLeague title, Nunn got to experience the latter last Sunday. The guard finished with 21 points, three rebounds and three assists as his Panathinaikos defeated Real Madrid in the EuroLeague Final.

During the Greek team's championship parade, Nunn was visibly overcome with emotions as he tasted title glory for the first time in his career. In an interview with Basket News, Nunn explained why he felt vindicated experiencing success after his NBA career came to a standstill. 

"This is the top of my journey, top of my career right now," Nunn said. "I mean, I've been in the [NBA] finals, but I lost. There's nothing that beats being a champion, nothing."

Nunn, 28, recently signed a contract extension that will keep him in Athens until 2026. Over the next few years, he hopes to win a few more EuroLeague titles. 

"I'm just enjoying this moment. We're going to see [whether I'll stay long-term]. You saw I signed the extension."

Nunn's career got off to a rollicking start in Miami as he became the fastest rookie to reach 500 points in franchise history. It's why he received more votes than Zion Williamson for the 2020 Rookie of the Year award, finishing second behind eventual winner Ja Morant. 

After spending two years in Miami, Nunn would play for the Lakers and Wizards before taking his talents overseas. At the time, many felt the talented guard would eventually find his way back to the NBA. However, he seems very content being on a winning team across the Atlantic.