Wichita State's history in professional basketball championship series is short and dominated by the ABA.
Toronto guard Fred VanVleet can change that, at least a little, starting Thursday when he becomes the sixth Shocker to play in the NBA/ABA finals.
Big stars – some of the biggest – overshadowed most of his predecessors. VanVleet, in a championship series with enormous star power, is pushing his own story.
He struggled shooting for much of the playoffs and the Raptors bench, a strength most of the season, faded. Late in the Eastern Conference Finals, VanVleet heated up and made 14 of 17 three-pointers in the final three games to help eliminate Milwaukee.