Nesmith, Celtics give this SC school an alum in NBA finals in back-to-back years
Growing up, Aaron Nesmith watched the NBA Finals while sitting in front of his family’s television in Charleston, dreaming of one day playing on basketball’s biggest stage.
That dream will become reality Thursday when the Boston Celtics take on the Golden State Warriors in game one of the 2022 NBA’s championship series.
Boston clinched a spot in the NBA Finals on Sunday after beating the Miami Heat in game seven of a turbulent Eastern Conference Finals.
The win also guaranteed a second year in a row where the finals will feature a player who is a South Carolina native and an alumnus of Porter-Gaud school in Charleston.
A year ago, three-time NBA All-Star Khris Middleton helped the Milwaukee Bucks bring home their first NBA title since 1970. This year, Nesmith will look to help the Celtics win their first championship since 2008.
While Nesmith is aware of the importance and magnitude of bringing home an NBA title, he’s also aware of the uniqueness of having Porter-Gaud alumni in back-to-back NBA Finals.
“I think it’s amazing,” Nesmith told The State. “I think it does so much for the Porter-Gaud community and just shows the excellence and the standard that, you know, coach John Pearson and the entire staff at Porter-Gaud hold their student-athletes to.”
The Cyclones compete in Class 3A of the S.C. Independent School Association.
Pearson has been a basketball coach at Porter-Gaud for 25 years, the last 17 of those as head coach in which he’s been a part of six state championships.
“It’s really cool to have guys that are impacting the NBA, and they’re impacting our community, the way they are,” Pearson said. “It’s unbelievable. ... It’s a testament to their hard work and the decisions that they’ve made in their life.”
Bernie Nesmith, Aaron’s father, said Aaron benefited early in his high school career from early-morning workouts that Middleton and Aaron would have together when the Bucks forward was back home in Charleston.
“For him to see him put that kind of work in when nobody was watching, I think that was a huge boost,” Bernie Nesmith said.
Aaron himself said Middleton’s presence at Porter-Gaud made his own dream of making the NBA feel more realistic.
“It definitely was everything to me to be able to just lay eyes on an NBA player,” Aaron said. “With him being from the same city, going to the same school, walking the same hallways, that showed me that it’s possible. Somebody in my situation can make it to the NBA.”
Nesmith won three state championships with the Cyclones, carrying the lessons he learned from Middleton’s workouts along the way with him to college at Vanderbilt.
Former Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew was ecstatic about Nesmith’s arrival to Nashville, saying that he always knew he would be “something special.”
“He’s always been a star,” said Drew, now the head coach at Grand Canyon University. “His habits of getting in the gym, working hard, competing, you know, every drill, every possession. He had all that stuff when he came to us.”
The 6-foot-6 forward used those tools to play in 46 games across his two years at Vandy, averaging 23 points per game in his sophomore year before being selected No. 14 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by Boston.
Nesmith hasn’t been able to fully crack the rotation, but he has played in 98 games and averaged 12.7 minutes in his young career. He made the most of his playing time during game one of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat, playing 11 minutes and collecting a steal and three blocks.
“He’s put in a lot of work and it’s paid off. I think it’s incredible,” Bernie Nesmith said.
After winning it all last year, Middleton brought the Larry O’Brien championship trophy back to Porter-Gaud in celebration, something Nesmith hopes to get a chance to do as well.
“I’ll definitely come back to Porter-Gaud. It’s always one of my first stops whenever I get free time. As soon as the season ends, I’m going straight back to Charleston,” Nesmith said. ”So after we win this trophy — definitely, hopefully — I’ll be able to make my rounds and be able to bring it back to the gym.”
Middleton and Nesmith faced off in the Eastern Conference semifinals in May. Nesmith said he and “big brother” Middleton shared a few words and caught up throughout the series that ultimately ended with the Celtics advancing and sending the Bucks home.
Middleton’s NBA Finals advice for his fellow Porter-Gaud alumnus was simple.
“He just told me to enjoy the moment and enjoy every second of it,” Nesmith said.
NBA finals schedule: Celtics vs Warrios
Game 1: Boston at Golden State, Thursday, June 2, 9 p.m., ABC
Game 2: Boston at Golden State, Sunday, June 5, 8 p.m., ABC
Game 3: Golden State at Boston, Wednesday, June 8, 9 p.m., ABC
Game 4: Golden State at Boston, Friday, June 10, 9 p.m., ABC
Game 5: Boston at Golden State, Monday, June 13, 9 p.m., ABC (If necessary)
Game 6: Golden State at Boston, Thursday, June 16, 9 p.m., ABC (If necessary)
Game 7: Boston at Golden State, Sunday, June 19, 8 p.m., ABC (If necessary)
