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Talen Horton-Tucker Made NBA History As The Youngest American To Ever Win An NBA Title

If you’re not a Lakers fan, or an NBA diehard, you probably are not too familiar with Talen Horton-Tucker, even though the rookie just made NBA history.

Horton-Tucker became the youngest American to ever win an NBA championship at 19 years and 322 days, and second-youngest overall, behind 2004 champion, Darko Milicic. 

When the Lakers selected him with their 45th pick in last year’s draft, Tucker became the second-youngest player in the league and later in the season, the youngest player to reach the 2020 NBA playoffs.

For most of the season, Horton-Tucker bounced between the Lakers NBA roster and their G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, for whom the rookie averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

In the NBA, Horton-Tucker just played 81 minutes in the regular season and only 17 minutes in the playoffs. 10 of these 17 playoff minutes came in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, where the Iowa State product helped the Lakers advance into the next round with his 9 points off the bench.

Even though he didn’t play major minutes, he was a full member of the Lakers Championship team, and part of the unique NBA Bubble experience. During this time, Horton-Tucker also earned the respect of his veteran teammates such as All-Star big man, Anthony Davis.

Per The Undefeated:

“He comes in and he’s not afraid of the moment. He wants to defend. He wants to learn. He wants to get better. He’s in the gym all the time. He’s a great rookie. He’s going to have a great career in this league.”

Winning a championship in your rookie year most certainly is a great start to one’s professional career. Since he left a lasting impression, he’ll likely be part of the Lakers’ roster for the next season, too, and can help the team try to defend their title.

But just like this year, he still would not be legally allowed to partake in the champagne celebrations.