While there aren’t any former Nebraska basketball stars currently taking part in the NBA playoffs, the Huskers were represented in the first round regardless. However, it wasn’t that there was a player on the sidelines or in the press box but rather something altogether different.
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry played in Sunday night’s playoff victory against the Houston Rockets, and he got a little help from Nebraska basketball in the process. Curry wore Keisei Tominaga’s new “Sakura” Curry 12 PE shoe, and it appears he was quite comfortable in them since he led all scorers with 31 points while also hauling down 6 rebounds.
Keisei Tominaga’s Curry 12s shine in NBA playoffs, linking Nebraska hoops to the spotlight
Tominaga signed with the Curry Brand back in June, becoming the first international athlete to do so. Curry and Tominaga first met more than five years ago when Tominaga was invited to the 2018 Under Armour Basketball Tour in Tokyo as a high school student. There’s always been an interesting connection with one another as Nebraska basketball fans often referred to him as the “Japanese Steph Curry.”
The former Husker is currently on the roster for the Noblesville Boom of the NBA G League. Last season, he appeared in 14 games, averaging 5.4 points per game while playing for the Indiana Mad Ants.
Keisei Tominaga played for the Nebraska basketball team for three seasons from 2021 to 2024. In his senior year, he really found his stardom, playin in 32 games and averaging 15.1 points, shooting 46.6% from the field and 37.6% from the three-point line.