OAKLAND, Calif. – Former UIndy men's basketball star Jordan Loyd kissed the NBA Finals trophy in the locker room Thursday night, mere moments after the Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors, 114-110, to win their first league trophy in franchise history.
  Loyd is an NBA champion.
 
"For Jordan to be on the biggest stage in basketball," UIndy head coach Stan Gouard began on Friday, "I'm sure it's a dream come true for him and his family.
 
"This is not only a major accomplishment for UIndy, but for the GLVC and Division II basketball."
 
An Atlanta native and 2016 UIndy graduate, Loyd signed a two-way contract with Toronto back in August, quickly becoming a force on the Raptors 905, the G-League affiliate of the Raptors. Over the course of the season, Loyd averaged 22.5 points, 6.1 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 41 games. He was dubbed the SB Nation G-League Most Valuable Player at season's end.
 
The UIndy alum also became the first former Greyhound to play at the highest level, seeing action in 12 NBA contests while scoring 29 total points, sinking four 3-pointers and going 9 for 11 at the charity stripe.
 
"To be the first UIndy men's basketball player in the NBA is a major accomplishment," said Gouard, "but to be part of an NBA championship is something he will cherish for the rest of his life."

?? First-time champ with the @Raptors ... @mrjloyd! #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/zvKmvSpifm

— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2019

Though he did not dress during the NBA Finals, Loyd received national attention for emulating Warriors star and two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry during Raptors' practices.
 
Gouard continued: "I'm so proud of where Jordan has come from to where he is at this point in his career, and I'm extremely honored to have coached him and to be a part of this journey with him."
 
Loyd spent three seasons in a Greyhound uniform, becoming one of the best to ever wear the Crimson and Grey. Over the course of 75 games, Loyd scored 1,213 points, grabbed 379 rebounds and dished out 175 assists. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, with the former good for 16th in the UIndy career annals.
 
As a senior at UIndy in 2015-16, he was named to the All-GLVC First Team and GLVC All-Defensive squad as a senior, while also claiming D2CCA All-Region Second-Team accolades. He led the Greyhounds to three NCAA Tournament appearances in his time on campus, including a "Sweet Sixteen" berth in 2015.
 
Loyd is one of a number of former UIndy men's basketball players playing professionally, including international standouts David Logan and Darius  Adams.
 
"This is a championship that all of his former teammates, classmates, coaches, and, of course, Dai-Jon Parker, are celebrating with Jordan," Gouard added.
 
Parker was a long-time friend and UIndy teammate of Loyd's before passing away in 2015. To this day, Loyd continues to dedicate his success to his late friend.