Geraldton Buccaneer Alex Ducas is one step closer to an NBA championship ring with Oklahoma City Thunder

Former Geraldton Buccaneer Alex Ducas is one step closer to an NBA championship ring with Oklahoma City Thunder.

Thunder have stormed into the NBA finals for the first time since 2012, dominating in the regular season and booking the finals berth after a 4-1 semifinal series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Ducas messaged his dad Aaron after the game on Thursday, telling him the team felt confident in their play and that they’re looking forward to the finals.

When asked about having an NBA championship ring in the house, Aaron Ducas told the Geraldton Guardian on Friday: “Yeah, it’s huge, slightly better than the SBL title, it would be amazing.”

“He’s put all the hard yards in, done all the little things to get him where he is, and he deserves every accolade he can get.”

While Ducas hasn’t had game time since mid-April he is still on the roster as a two-way player and could get some minutes on the court should the Thunder roll deep into the finals series.

Competition is fierce within the squad, with teammate Jalen Williams combining with NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren to score 170 points in games four and five against the Timberwolves.

Luc Longley is the only West Australian basketballer to have won an NBA championship. In fact, he has won three.

Ducas debuted in 2016, playing 51 games over four seasons for the Buccs, including the SBL championship in 2019, the same year he was named NBL1 youth player of the year.

He played a full five years of college basketball in the US, for St Mary’s Gaels in California.

The 24-year-old signed with the Thunder mid-2024 and has played 21 games in the 2024-25 season, averaging six minutes and 1.7 points a game.

Oklahoma will face either the New York Knicks or the Indiana Pacers in a best-of-seven series, starting June 6.