Former Wisconsin Basketball star John Tonje witnessed his NBA dreams come true on Thursday evening.
Surrounded by friends and family, Tonje looked on as NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum announced the Utah Jazz‘s selection with the 53rd pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. Immediately afterwards, his loved ones erupted in joy, eliciting a giant smile from Tonje.
Here’s the moment Tonje realized his NBA aspirations morphed into a reality:
What a moment for him pic.twitter.com/mnzHF1JCqZ
— Dr. Marte (@Badgers_44) June 28, 2025
Tonje’s journey is arguably one of the more memorable of any recent player to represent the Badgers. After playing just eight games before being sidelined for the entire 2023-24 season at Missouri due to injury, Tonje burst onto the scene as Wisconsin’s most prolific offensive option.
The 6-foot-5 wing began the season with a 41-point barrage against No. 9 Arizona — a performance that included a baffling 21 made free throws — to set the tone for what Wisconsin would accomplish during the 2024-25 slate. Tonje would then secure 2024 Greenbrier Tip-Off Tournament MVP nods with strong outputs in wins over UCF at Pittsburgh in UW’s mid-November tournament, roughly three months before dropping 32 points in a signature triumph over No. 7 Purdue on the road.
In the postseason, Tonje also registered 32 points against No. 7 Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship semifinal and 37 tallies against BYU in the Badgers’ NCAA Tournament round of 32 loss. At the season’s end, he was named a 2025 Second Team All-American, 2025 Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist and member of the 2025 All-Big Ten first team.
The three-level scorer will now join former Rutgers star Ace Bailey and Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr., who pocketed an NCAA title with the Gators in April, in Salt Lake City. The 2024-25 iteration of Utah went 17-65, the worst record in the entire NBA.
Tonje’s professional journey will begin in Utah’s summer league action from July 5-7.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball John Tonje NBA Draft reaction video