As we prepare for tonight's NBA Finals, it is time to look back at the former UTEP players who have worn either Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors uniforms. It is not a huge list. However, it does include a pair of Basketball Hall of Famers.

BOSTON CELTICS

Jim "Bad News" Barnes: the former #1 overall pick of the 1964 NBA Draft played for the New York Knicks, Baltimore Bullets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Chicago Bulls before he was sold to the Boston Celtics. Barnes served as a backup to Bill Russell and he won an NBA Finals ring with the Celtics in the 1968-69 season. He spent one more season with the Celtics before they sold him back to the Bullets.

Nate Archibald: the Hall of Fame point guard did not arrive in Boston until the 1978-79 season. He played some of his best basketball over those next four seasons, which included three straight All Star game appearances. He was the MVP of the 1981 All Star Game and he also won his only championship with the Celtics that year. He is also a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Dave Feitl: Big Dave came up with the Houston Rockets in the mid 1980s and "The Cheese" spent five seasons in the NBA. That included 70 games in the 1987-88 season with the Warriors, and he averaged a career high 6.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Tim Hardaway: two years after Feitl, Hardaway arrived in the Bay Area as a first round pick of the Warriors. Interestingly enough, Tim Bug wore #5 as a rookie, the same number that Feitl wore in Golden State. It was not until his seconds season that the master of the UTEP 2-Step switched to #10. In six seasons with Golden State, Hardaway made three All Star games and he was one third of the Run TMC (with Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin). Following a knee injury he suffered in 1993, Hardaway would be traded to Miami on February 22, 1996 and he flourished with the Heat.

Advantage: Celtics.
Take nothing away from Hardaway's incredible run in Golden State, but both Bad News and Tiny each won a ring with Boston. For that reason only, the Celtics win the head-to-head battle of former UTEP stars.

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