Gabe York earns game ball after making NBA debut with Pacers

Gabe York’s final college game was in March 2016, a loss to Wichita State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Six years later, York can officially say he’s an NBA player.

The former Arizona Wildcats guard made his first career NBA appearance on Saturday, coming off the bench for the Indiana Pacers in a 133-120 loss at Philadelphia. The 28-year-old played 15 minutes, finishing with seven points on 2-of-5 shooting (1 of 4 from 3) along with two assists, a rebound and a blocked shot.

And, afterward, a game ball.

York, whose 229 made 3-pointers from 2013-16 is fourth-most in UA history, signed a two-way deal with the Pacers on Thursday after spending most of the 2021-22 season with the G League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He was set to sign a 10-day contract with the Orlando Magic in December but tested positive for COVID-19 and missed out on that chance to get into the League.

Indiana (25-56) finishes the regular season Sunday afternoon at Brooklyn.