2 old high school buddies: 1 leads NL in wins, the other just won an NBA title

MILWAUKEE -- The future MLB pitcher and future NBA champion bonded over football, of all things, beginning a friendship that continues to this day.

Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby remembers hitting it off right away with New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet when they met at a Park Hill High School football game in suburban Kansas City. Ashby believes he was a junior at the time, a year younger than Shamet, whose sense of humor broke the ice and sparked a friendship that continued when the two went their separate ways to college and then professional careers.

Shamet became the first to realize their shared dream on Saturday night, when he overcame a fourth-quarter injury scare to help the Knicks win Game 5 of the NBA Finals over the Spurs for New York’s first championship in 53 years.

“Honestly, I was just fired up that he was all right,” Ashby said. “It’s unbelievable. He deserves it. He’s been on some superstar teams, and he’s just an amazing human being.”

Ashby, who leads the National League with nine victories, was fast asleep when Shamet reached out via FaceTime at about 12:30 a.m. Milwaukee time on Sunday morning, but the group chat between them and a third longtime friend was a suitable backup for face-to-face congratulations.

Even though they play different sports, they’ve learned from each other over the years, Ashby said.

“He’s kind of like the sixth man, comes in off the bench, and we were making that parallel between coming out of the bullpen,” Ashby said. “We were going back and forth about being ready when your name is called. You can draw parallels there between coming off the bench, coming out of the bullpen. It’s cool to think about the mentality behind it. It’s been a cool journey that the two of us have had.”

It’s even cooler to watch an old friend win a ring.

“I want to get one. I want to match him this year,” Ashby said. “That would be the coolest thing. It feels like he’s had this coming for a long time. He’s been on so many super teams since he’s been drafted, and he certainly deserves it. I’m so fired up.”