SE: Basketball Brotherhood — K-State MBB Alums Stay Connected, Collect Four League Titles in 2017
Jul 07, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
Four K-State men's basketball alums — none from the same class, one from a completely different era — celebrated winning four different league titles in three different countries, all within about a six-week span.
From June 17-23, Thomas Gipson, Justin Edwards and Lance Harris all captured championships, adding onto Martavious Irving's Indonesian title in early May in what has been an impressive year for former Wildcats.
While living much different lives than their college days, the Wildcats still share one thing in common: K-State. This bond maintained strong friendships in the cases of Gipson, Edwards and Irving, who all played together at K-State, and it created one for Harris.
"We stay connected throughout the whole season when we're overseas," Gipson said, "no matter how far apart we are."
"That's what I like about K-State," Harris added. "It's still a family."
'It Was a Sacrifice'
A few hours after the celebration started to die down from winning France's Pro B league championship, it all started to hit Gipson. The 6-foot-7 forward became emotional, reflecting on what started as a tough basketball season.
"There had been a lot of ups and downs," said Gipson, who won the title with Boulazac. "Now, just looking back at, I'm just happy and I'm thankful for it."
Gipson started the season with Chalon, alongside Harris in France's Pro A league, but would only be on the team for eight games. He then went to play in Ukraine but only for about two weeks, before returning to Texas on Thanksgiving Day without a clue of what was next.
For a "good three months," Gipson said his future remained in this unknown state. He even contemplated picking up a part-time job as the outlook on his basketball career became bleaker.
"No calls. No nothing. You're just working out," he said. "It's very stressful."
In late February, Gipson got the call to return to France. He was headed to play for Boulazac, an opportunity he was prepared for this time around.
"I took advantage of it as soon as I stepped foot off the plane in France. I continued to work. I stayed in the gym extra, went to the gym early, left late," said Gipson, who won a title in Finland last year. "I learned a lot as far as not taking basketball for granted because, at any point in time, you could be done."
With Boulazac, Gipson had to adjust to a new team in the middle of its season. Gipson, who played nearly 23 minutes a game and averaged 9.4 points in his K-State career, also had to get accustomed to a role that included limited minutes.
He found his place quickly, contributing 5.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 14 regular season games. In eight postseason outings, he averaged 6.6 points, which was highlighted by scoring a crucial 19 in the deciding third game of the quarterfinals.
"Taking a step back, realizing the situation you're in and knowing that you control your outcome," Gipson said of how he handled the new role. "I could've gone about it in a negative way. A lot of possibilities could have happened if I handled it the wrong way. You just have to make that certain sacrifice and I think that's that I learned, that it was a sacrifice.
"I sacrificed and it came out as a positive thing in the end because I won a championship."
Every Kid's Dream
After breaking two small bones in his foot, Edwards wasn't sure if he would make it back to help his team in Hungary's A league playoffs. When he did return following a five-week hiatus, he did so in full force.
In Hungary's best-of-five championship series, Edwards contributed 14.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game en route to helping Alba Fehervar win the title.
"Being able to make it back and get that win was very exciting for me and my teammates," said Edwards, a native of Whitby, Ontario. "It was very enjoyable."
Edwards, who averaged 14.3 points on 53.7 percent shooting in his first professional season, received an added bonus, too. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard's play earned him a spot on the Toronto Raptors' roster for the NBA Summer League, which he will play in from Friday-Monday, July 7-17, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"That's basically every kid's basketball dream, to play in the NBA," he said. "Getting this chance and opportunity to play in the summer league and hopefully get that career started is very exciting for me, especially playing for my home city. That's even more exciting."
Edwards said he feels much more prepared for a chance at the NBA after a season overseas, where he gained a more complete understanding of the game. He's also picked the brains of friends with NBA experience, including former K-State teammate Rodney McGruder, coming off his rookie season with the Miami Heat.
"He told me to just keep working," Edwards said. "What he's done inspires me and it also keeps me confident that you can do the same thing Rod did as long as you follow his footsteps and just continue to keep working."
'Hell of a Ride'
Summers are Harris' time back in the United States, when he can see family, stop traveling and relax a little bit. This year, Harris' time back home was cut short by a championship run with Chalon in France's A league, one of the most respected professional leagues in Europe.
With Chalon, Harris provided 12.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game during the regular season. In 11 playoff games, he produced 9.8 points and 3.4 rebounds a game, bolstered by a 27-point, nine-rebound performance in the first game of the title series. Harris, who played at K-State from 2003-07, chipped in 11 points in the decisive Game 5 to finish his 10th professional season with his first championship.
"Winning the finals was a big deal for me, my family and, of course, my team and my teammates," said Harris, who will return to Chalon next season. "My initial goal was to make it to the NBA. That didn't work out for me, so when I started playing in Europe I actually did not know how long I was going to play. I didn't know how long it would be, but it's been a hell of a ride so far."
A seasoned veteran in European basketball, Harris started his professional career in Slovenia, also playing in Greece (three seasons), Bosnia, Italy, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey before landing in France.
"I enjoy being around the game of basketball and providing for my family as well," said Harris, who is a father to a 6-year-old boy, Brayden, and a 4-year-old girl, London, with another child coming in August. "I love doing what I'm doing. My wife enjoys seeing different things, learning different things and meeting new people, so that's always been good. It's helped drive me to success in Europe."
'We're All Winners'
The world is a big place, but Gipson said it's much smaller as a former Wildcat.
In the last year, Gipson played against Edwards, who played against Harris. Many former K-State teammates keep up with each other via a group chat, an outlet to celebrate everyone's success and encourage one another during any down times.
"We just stay on each other's tail about and always try to stay positive," Gipson said. "I've had my ups and downs. Martavious has, Justin has, Lance has, too, but K-State has bred some winners."
K-State also cultivated a program that transcends eras for past players, as Gipson learned when he played with Harris.
"He was my mentor. He helped me out with a lot of things, how to be a professional, how to carry yourself, on and off the court," Gipson said. "He's a guy that I look up to and we keep in touch now."
Harris said he was very excited when he found out Chalon was adding another "EMAW guy." Even though Gipson was only on the team for a few months, Harris said he appreciated getting to know a Wildcat from a different era, one who was part of a Big 12 Championship and three NCAA Tournament teams.
"I enjoyed it a lot. He tells me stories about K-State from when he was there and it just sounds totally different from when I was there. It shows that things are growing there at K-State," said Harris, whose best season as a Wildcat ended with an NIT berth. "We built a brotherhood. As soon as he got to France, I took him out to eat and we talked about the days at K-State. Even though everyone didn't play with each other, it's still a family. So when you meet someone who played at K-State or went to K-State, it's always a pleasure."
With four different former Wildcats winning league titles, K-State's basketball brotherhood has had plenty of reason to celebrate this year.
"We're all winners," said Gipson, who will play in The Basketball Tournament with Purple and Black. "I think it speaks volumes to the men that have graduated from Kansas State and the alumni, everybody who has played at K-State. It's all because of them. We have to pay tribute to them."
"It's very impressive," Edwards added. "It shows you that the K-State guys want to win and they do whatever it takes to win."
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballK-State Women's Basketball | Senior Night Ceremony 2025 - 2026 Season
Sunday, March 01
K-State Men's Basketball | Interim Head Coach Driscoll Press Conference vs TCU
Sunday, March 01
K-State Men's Basketball | Press Conference vs TCU
Sunday, March 01
K-State Men's Basketball | Game Highlights vs TCU
Sunday, March 01
