2025 AOY Honoree, College of Humanities - Class of 2022
Born in Tucson, Sean Elliott chose to attend the University of Arizona to play basketball, starting in 1985. He was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and Pac-10 Player of the Year, and he was selected as consensus all-American during his junior and senior years. He played for the U.S. national team in the 1986 FIBA World Championship, winning the gold medal. Sean also led the Wildcats to the Final Four in 1988 and remains the university’s all-time leading scorer.
Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs as the third pick in 1989 NBA draft, Sean was an All-Rookie Second Team selection and went on to be named to two NBA All-Star games, in 1993 and 1996. He won the NBA Championship with the Spurs in 1999. His number, #32, is retired by both the Arizona Wildcats and the San Antonio Spurs.
Due to kidney disease, Sean underwent transplant surgery in August 1999, receiving a kidney from his older brother, Noel. The next year, Sean became the first professional athlete to return to his sport after a kidney transplant.
Since 2018, Sean and his wife Claudia have served as ambassadors for Methodist Healthcare, where the couple’s three children were born and where Sean received his life-saving transplant. After retiring, Sean worked for ESPN before becoming the lead analyst for Spurs TV, where he is beginning his 24th season. He received a bachelors in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Arizona College of Humanities in 2022.
