Former Louisville basketball star Damion Lee lands a ring with the Golden State Warriors

Louisville fans who tuned into Thursday night's NBA Finals game saw a familiar face celebrating on stage with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy – former Cardinal guard Damion Lee.

The Golden State Warriors topped the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Thursday's pivotal Game 6, winning three consecutive games to close out the series. Lee played sparingly in the Finals – just seven minutes in four games – but was a reliable rotational piece for the Warriors throughout 2021-22, averaging 7.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game during the regular season.

Lee joined the Warriors in 2018-19, after Golden State had won back-to-back championships. The team had fallen short of the NBA Finals in each of his three previous seasons with the franchise, but with Thursday's win, he finally earned a ring as a member of the Golden State dynasty. The squad has now won a ring in four of the past eight seasons.

Steph Curry was the star of the show Thursday, scoring 34 points and ending the night with his first Finals MVP award. Lee joined the Boston crowd in awe at one point as Curry knocked down shot after shot from long range – he hit six 3-pointers in the win.

Lee might not have spent much time Thursday in the spotlight, but he had plenty to celebrate. After all, the former Cardinal has taken a long and winding road to the pinnacle of NBA glory.

From Drexel to Louisville

Before playing a game at Louisville, Lee spent four years suiting up for Drexel.

He averaged 16.2 points per game for the Dragons, including a career-high mark of 21.4 his senior year, and scored 30 or more seven times while at the school. Lee tore his ACL during his junior campaign, playing just five games, but helped Drexel win the Colonial Athletic Association regular season championship as a freshman in 2011-12. .

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Lee arrived at Louisville as a greatly coveted graduate transfer in 2015, where he played with current Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.

Lee never had a chance to win a title in college, though. Drexel missed the Big Dance in all four of his seasons, and Louisville missed the 2016 NCAA Tournament due to a self-imposed postseason ban that stemmed from the program's escort scandal. Lee was a key contributor on that team, averaging 15.9 points per game and helping the Cardinals finish 23-8, and was given a commemorative ring by Louisville on Senior Night.

Professional road to Golden State

Lee went undrafted in 2016 after leaving Louisville. He initially signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent in September 2016, but was released the next month and kicked off his pro career in the NBA's G League with the Maine Red Claws.

Lee made his NBA debut in 2017-18 on a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks and landed a deal for the rest of the season after impressing staff. He signed with Golden State in 2018, splitting time with the team's G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.

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The back-to-back champs fell to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals in Lee's first pro season and missed the playoffs the next two years as the team struggled with injuries. But Lee established himself as a solid rotational piece, scoring 12.7 points per game in his second season, and played a key role in 2021-22, helping the Warriors finish 53-29 in the regular season ahead of their championship run.

Lee had plenty to celebrate Thursday night, and fans back in Louisville noticed. The Cardinals cheered him on with a post on the university's men's basketball Twitter account after the victory, which marked the second straight year a former Louisville player has won a ring after Jordan Nwora scored one with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.

Several other Warriors players also will receive their first rings.

Family ties with Steph Curry

Lee's relationship with Curry extends past the basketball court.

The former Louisville standout is married to Curry’s sister, Sydel. The pair held their wedding in 2018, the same year Lee signed with Golden State.

Curry’s younger brother, Seth, is also an NBA veteran, entering the NBA in 2013. Like Lee, the younger Curry is also an ACC product, playing for the Duke Blue Devils for three seasons, and their father Dell played in the NBA for 15 seasons as well.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Damion Lee wins NBA ring with Golden State Warriors