A
s a high school senior at Chartiers
Valley, basketball player T.J.
McConnell finished just shy of
winning a state championship. In
his final two years in college, his
team fell short of winning their Elite
Eight game twice. And then he went
undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft.
But rather than give up, McConnell
is currently in his fifth NBA season, thanks to some excellent
advice from his father and high school basketball coach.
“My dad told me to work hard every day, not to let others
outwork me, and to give my best effort,” he says. But before
his name appeared on any roster in the NBA, this baller
played locally back in the day.
Timothy John “T.J.” McConnell Jr. is the oldest of three
born to Timothy and Shelly McConnell. The McConnell
name is well-known throughout the city, as T.J. comes from
a long line of McConnell athletes, and they’re known as
the “first family of Pittsburgh basketball.” T.J.’s father played
basketball and was a successful coach at Chartiers Valley High
School. And some of T.J.’s aunts and uncles all have ties to
playing, coaching, or refereeing sports. With their father
coaching at CV, T.J. and his siblings plus their cousins,
known as “travel babies,” attended school practices and
games and mimicked the drills the players ran. T.J. felt at
home in this setting and quickly progressed.
“The gym was my sanctuary, an environment
I embraced and thrived in,” he recalls. “I
remember going to my dad’s practices, to
games, being in the gym with family. I don’t
know where I’d be without basketball.”
As a senior, T.J. was team captain and
led the Colts to a berth in the 3A
state championship game, which
they ended up losing by 2 points.
T.J. was happy to advance, but
would have treasured winning. He
embraces his Char Valley days, both Following high school, he wanted to cultivate his
basketball skills where they would culminate with
victories. T.J.’s roots shaped his embrace of Pittsburgh
and his community. The Duquesne University community
surrounded him as he took his talents there as a freshman in
2010-2011. T.J. cultivated his skills, but the first two years
there had yet to translate to significant victories. In March
2012, when he and his father attended an Ohio State Sweet 16
game, T.J. had an epiphany. He wanted to triumph in sports,
and communicated this to his father: “I’m transferring to
Arizona,” he said. “I’d like to win a championship.”
So T.J. transferred to The University of Arizona. He sat out
the 2012-2013 basketball season due to NCAA transfer rules,
but played during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons.
Both culminated in Elite Eight appearances.
“It would have been nice to win the Elite Eight and advance
further,” says T.J., “but it was amazing that we made two great
runs to the Elite Eight within two years.”
Following college, T.J. declared for the 2015 NBA Draft.
He went undrafted, but joined the Philadelphia 76ers for
the 2015 NBA Summer League. The league allowed him to
develop further as a player. Later that year he signed with
the 76ers, and embraced his new NBA family.
“I had raw emotion. I was happy, and the fact that I was
able to live out my dream was awesome,” T.J. recalls of his
years in Philly.
For the 2019-2020 season, however, T.J. signed
a two-year, $7 million deal with the Indiana
Pacers. Joining the Pacers makes this T.J.’s
fifth NBA season and his ninth season
playing organized basketball overall.
“The Indiana Pacers are a great
team, a young team, and very
talented. We can do some special
things with the pieces that are already
here and the pieces that have been
added. I’m excited to be a part of it,” says
T.J. “The fans love basketball, and I have a lot of
respect for the culture and community in Indiana.”
the grueling and lenient days, and the team community
camaraderie that provided him a rich high school athletic
experience.
“It can be challenging at times, but playing with my dad
together as a family plus being around all my teammates
who were like brothers was satisfying,” says T.J. And while he’s traveled the country looking for teams to
call his own, McConnell’s roots in Char Valley remain firm.
He routinely speaks at his alma mater for Career Day, and says
he plans to one day give back even more, taking care to ensure
that his best effort will be a slam dunk for the place that will
always be home. n
CHARTIERS VALLEY ❘
WINTER 2019
15