The Virginia Cavaliers football team earned a gritty 28-25 win over the Syracuse Orange on Saturday night in Charlottesville, Va. The Cavs trailed 17-7 at halftime but still earned the victory.

While the play on the field was certainly interesting, it was also Homecoming at Virginia and the Cavs honored former basketball star, and Boston Celtics standout, Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon, who recently retired from the NBA, is now working for the Virginia men's basketball program.

A Georgia native, Brogdon spent four years at Virginia, starting 109 of 136 possible games. A two-time All-American, he was also a three-time All-ACC selection and the Defensive Player of the Year in the league in 2015-16. He averaged 18.2 ppg as a senior for Virginia.

He was drafted 36th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Brogdon spent nine years in the NBA with the Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards. Unfortunately, injuries were part of his story, as he never played more than 75 games in a season, and that was only in his rookie season.

In total, he played 463 games in those nine years. He won Rookie of the Year with the Bucks and averaged 15.3 ppg total.

He spent one year in Boston (2022-23), winning Sixth Man of the Year honors as well. That season, he averaged 14.9 ppg and shot 44.4 percent from three-point range. The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the Miami Heat in seven games. Brogdon played 19 games in that playoff run, scoring 11.9 ppg and dishing out 3.5 assists.

He was a key figure for that team but the Celtics ultimately traded him in the following summer as part of the deal that netted them Jrue Holiday.

The Celtics won the NBA Finals in 2023-24 with Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, who was also acquired that summer.

The Celtics played their first home game of the preseason on Saturday night, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 144-106. Payton Pritchard led the way with 25 points while Jayson Tatum had 23. It was also the first game for Mitchell Robinson in a C's uniform, and he had six points in 14 minutes.

Boston will kick off the regular season on Oct. 20 on the road at the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs a year ago.