The "playoff lucky player" who has been in the four teams! The Bucks won the championship, and the Clippers should not give up on him

NBA playoffs continued. After the Knicks defeated the Celtics 4-2, they returned to the Eastern Conference Finals after 25 years. Veteran Tucker once again came to the public's sight. This is the fourth time Tucker has reached the division finals with different teams in his career. The previous three times have represented the Rockets, Bucks and Heat in the Western Conference Finals or the Eastern Conference Finals, and won the championship with the Bucks in the 2020-21 season. This tough guy, dubbed by fans, interprets another value of "role player" with his 19-year career: from defensive vanguard to locker room leaders, from championship puzzles to spiritual mentors, Tucker's story is far from measuring.

First, let's review Tucker's experience of traveling to four teams:

2017-18 season: "Five Little Souls" in the Rockets. Tucker's first division final journey began with the Houston Rockets. At that time, the Rockets formed the "Harden + Paul" dual-core lineup, and Tucker joined as the core of the defensive team. He averaged 6.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and his three-point shooting percentage was as high as 37.1%. Especially in the seven games against the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, Tucker's fight against Durant became a classic. Although the Rockets finally lost 3-4, Tucker's "bottom corner three-pointer + unlimited defense replacement" has been deeply rooted in people's hearts.

2020-21 Season: The "key puzzle" for the Bucks to win the championship. After switching to the Milwaukee Bucks, Tucker ushered in the peak of his career in the 2020-21 season. In the Eastern Conference Finals, he defended Trae Young and limited his shooting percentage to 34%, helping the Bucks advance to the finals 4-2. In the finals, Tucker's defense against Suns core Booker was also critical, and he eventually won the championship with the team.

2021-22 Season: The Heat's short-term glory and regret. After joining the Miami Heat, Tucker continued his defensive value. In the 2021-22 Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat and the Celtics fought seven games, and Tucker averaged 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 45.5%. Despite losing 3-4 in the end, his experience injected resilience into the young Heat.

In April 2025, Tucker, who was successively abandoned by the Clippers, Jazz and Raptors, unexpectedly obtained a two-year contract with the Knicks. At this time, Tucker was almost unable to play (only played in three games in the regular season, averaging 3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game), but the Knicks took a fancy to his playoff experience. In the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Celtics, Tucker did not score, but motivated his teammates in the locker room and helped the team return to the Eastern Conference Finals after 25 years.

From Tucker's career, it can be seen that he has helped the team very much, especially the contribution of the defensive end to the team. It is no wonder that Antetokounmpo said at the beginning: Tucker taught us how to stay hungry. It was precisely because of his trust in Tucker that the Bucks finally won the championship.

On the other hand, the biggest loss is to let Tucker off easily, which is probably because he is too old. This is understandable, but please look at the Clippers' performance in the playoffs. Although they are very strong, why can't they win the game? In fact, it is because they lack a real locker room leader and a core veteran who is willing to lead everyone to progress. The Clippers play too steadily, and they are so stable that they have no passion. Any more fighting spirit may end differently. Unfortunately, they gave up Tucker.

Tuck is now 40 years old, and his physical condition obviously cannot support high-intensity competitions, but the Knicks' Eastern Conference Finals may be the perfect curtain call for his career. Whether or not he wins the championship again, Tucker’s story is inspiring enough – from second round picks to champions, from defensive champions to spiritual leaders, he proves that character players can also define their own legend.