One of the true legends of Wisconsin basketball, the Badgers will officially retire Michael Finley’s jersey during a halftime ceremony at the Badgers’ game against Michigan on Sunday.
Finley’s no. 24 will join Ab Nicholas’ no. 8 and Frank Kaminsky’s no. 44 in the rafters at the Kohl Center as the only numbers retired in program history.
“Michael Finley’s impact on Wisconsin basketball is as profound as any athlete we’ve had and I’m thrilled that we are able to honor him by retiring his jersey,” said UW Athletic Director Chris McIntosh in a statement. “Finley’s fingerprints are all over the revival of our program in the 1990s, and his legacy is alive in the incredible success we’ve enjoyed over the past 30 years. Finley has spent his life serving as an incredible ambassador for not only Badger basketball, but also for our university in general. We can’t wait to welcome him back to the Kohl Center later this season.”
Finley was the first Badgers men’s basketball player to ever score 2,000 points in his collegiate career and went on to be a first-round pick in 1995 and to play 15 seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Dallas Mavericks.
