Cooper Flagg may end up the best basketball player to come from Maine. Then, Robertson starred at Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats to two NCAA Final Four appearances and a 79-9 record when he was there. Nevertheless, he was an awesome force who dominated the sport for two decades and perfected the sky hook, one of the most gorgeous shots the game has ever seen. Quite possibly. While Trenton native Dennis Rodman might exemplify the kind of no-nonsense attitude thats associated with New Jersey, the power of Diesel cant be denied. ), Pros: Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74). Bobby Knight who coached him in the 84 Olympics once made a statement saying he is the best player to ever play any team sport. But before the WNBA, Levesque helped her high school win two Division I state titles. 52, we rank the best all-time women's players by jersey number. The Cavs took him in the first round later that year and he had six good seasons with the franchise before playing for the Bucks and Timberwolves. He was born in Spokane and stayed in his hometown through his college years, when he was a star player at Gonzaga. Matt Bonner helped Concord High School to three state championships. But lets take a look at the best basketball players to come from the United States. Jordan Hooper was a member of the Tulsa Shock for the 2014 season and has bounced around in her WNBA career. The 15-year old Flagg is charging ahead into an undoubtedly bright basketball future. In the WNBA, Delle Donne has become a productive star, helping the Washington Mystics advance to their first-ever WNBA Finals in 2018. The commonwealth of Kentucky has given the NBA some truly great players, with Dave Cowens at the forefront. Days after the Nokomis Regional High freshman was named the Varsity Maine boys basketball Player of the Year, ESPN ranked Flagg the third-best college basketball prospect nationwide in the Class of 2025. There's one state that has never produced an NBA player. Success at the WNBA level followed as she helped lead the Phoenix Mercury to their first WNBA title over the defending champion, Detroit Shock in 2007. An elite high school player, Elena Delle Donne led Ursuline to three consecutive Delaware state championship titles. During the 196162 season, The Big O averaged a triple-double with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game. The former All-Star has the distinction of being the shortest player ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as he stands at just 5 feet 9 inches. Like some other guys on this list, Chambers got to go back to his home state during his NBA tenure, spending a couple of seasons with the Utah Jazz in the mid-1990s. He finished his 21-year NBA career in 2015 as a 15-time All-Star. Morrison started to make an impact on Gonzaga in his sophomore year when he averaged 19 points per game. High school: Ursuline Academy (Wilmington, Del. Garnett made the leap from high school to the pros, and became a star with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Before he became forever linked to hoops in North Carolina and Chicago, Jordan was born in Brooklyn and lived there for a few years of his early childhood. In his senior year at Providence, DiGregorio helped the Friars reach the Final Four, where they lost to Memphis State. High school: Conard (West Hartford, Conn.), Hartford Public, Pros: Toronto Raptors (1996-98), New York Knicks (1998-2002, 2012-13), Denver Nuggets (2002-08), Los Angeles Clippers (2008-10), Portland Trail Blazers (2010-12), Houston Rockets (2012). Already registered? However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website. He moved on to Kansas and was a major contributor to a national championship in 2008. In 1961-1962, Robertson became the first player in league history to average a triple-double for a season, with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists. Were not technically a sports website, but this editor (hi!) He was drafted by the Timberwolves straight out of high school in 1995 and spent more than 13 seasons of his 21-year NBA tenure there. Some states offered obvious answers while others are ripe for debate, but here are our picks for the best NBA player to come from every state. You will receive an email to complete the registration. Billups was an All-State first-team pick four times in high school and was the Colorado Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior. He won a league title in all but two of his 13 seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics. He led the league in free-throw shooting and assists during the 1976-77 season. After that, Hazzard spent 10 seasons playing guard in the NBA, averaging 12.6 points per game and making the All-Star Game with the Seattle SuperSonics during the 1967-68 season. Most important player ever? He was born in the city of Ogden, Utah and stayed in his home state to play hoops at the University of Utah, where he was a first-team All-WAC selection. While Chauncey Billups spent a couple of seasons with his hometown Nuggets during his long NBA career, his best years were spent with the Detroit Pistons. Born: Sept. 16, 1934, in Washington, D.C. Died: March 22, 2021, in Los Angeles, California (age 86), High School: Phelps Vocational School, Spingarn High School (Washington, D.C.), College: College of Idaho (1954-55), Seattle (1956-58), Pros: Minneapolis Lakers (1958-60), Los Angeles Lakers (1960-72). Before that, she helped lead Alliance High School to a state title as a freshman in 2007. High school: Morningside High School (Inglewood, Calif.), Pros: Los Angeles Lakers (1983-93, 1996-97), Indiana Pacers (1993-95), Vancouver Grizzlies (1995-96), Panathinaikos (1997-98). Danny Ainge starred at North Eugene High School in football, basketball and baseball. His entire Hall-of-Fame NBA career was spent with the Boston Celtics and hes now regarded as something close to a saint in that city. Before Elgin Baylor became one of the greatest players in NBA history, he starred at Spingarn High School and was named first team All-Met. In the NBA, Robinson made his mark immediately, helping the team turn around a dismal record of 21-61 to 56-26. the best power forwards in the NBA right now, NBA Teams With Championships And Titles In The World, Who Has The Most Steals In An NBA Game? 25 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History, Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement, https://www.britannica.com/list/the-10-greatest-basketball-players-of-all-time. Fantasy Basketball. Magic Johnson was destined for greatness. Shaquille ONeal is the definition of dominance. Johnsons otherworldly passing set the stage for the Showtime L.A. Lakers teams that captured five championships during his 13 years with the franchise. But, well, he played alongside another top-25 talent in Scottie Pippen and was coached by the strategic genius Phil Jackson during his most productive years. ), Pros: Chicago Sky (2013-16), Washington Mystics (2017-present). Robinson hurt his back in 1997 in the preseason, but it proved to be a blessing in disguise as the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan, the key to the elusive championship for Robinson. In the NBA, he continued to have a defensive impact as he ranks 12th on the all-time blocks list and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. He was a big part of the Bulls winning six championships in eight years, the NBA Finals MVP on all six occasions with two three-peats. The former league MVPs list of on-court accomplishments is exhausting to behold, including 10 All-Star Games, 10 first-team All-NBA selections and eight first-team All-Defensive selections. In this article, we have listed the 5 greatest basketball players ever. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was a basketball prodigy at Gulfport High School, averaging 29.9 points and 5.7 assists in his senior season and getting an invitation to the McDonalds All-American game. Pete Maravich. While at UCLA, he led the Bruins to three consecutive NCAA championships from 1967 to 1969. Following a college career in California, his only All-Star season would happen there as well, while he was playing with the Lakers in 1995. In his last NBA game on April 13, 2016, Bryant scored 60 points. Hooper last played for the Atlanta Dream and the Chicago Sky in 2017. The NBA had three very good players from Kansas all playing at the same time starting in the mid-1970s. He went across the country to UCLA for college ball, where he was the best player on the 1964 national championship team that went 30-0. His Hall-of-Fame NBA career never included a stop with the New Jersey Nets but he played for six franchises, winning four titles with the Lakers and Heat. Ceballos bounced around with five teams over his lengthy career, averaging 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a small forward. ( Click here for our 5-on-5 debate.) Keeping in mind the abilities, weaknesses, and achievements of all the basketball players, here we have shortened a list of players who are regarded as the greatest of all time. He earned All-Rookie first-team honors in 1975 and was a key component of the Portland Trail Blazers lone championship in 1977. Michael Jordan was a player who had it all. His roots in the Tar Heel State obviously run deep but his long NBA career has unfortunately never included a stint in Charlotte. He went on to win an MVP in 1995 and was named one of the 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time in 1996. He was a four-time All-Star with the Warriors and Knicks and was a consistent 20-point scorer during five consecutive early years of his 13-season tenure. After playing college ball at Florida, Miller was a first-round pick by the Orlando Magic in 2000 and would spend time with seven different franchises during his 17-season career. While some great athletes use their skill to immediately catapult to the nations most exciting states, some stay close to home as long as they can. 3 college prospect in the Class of 2025. He was born in Takoma Park before eventually playing college ball at Maryland, where his No. He led the Celtics to three championships in the 1980s, which is the same number of times he was named NBA MVP. Adam Augustyn is Managing Editor, Reference Content at Encyclopdia Britannica. She was an All-American as a freshman and sophomore in high school and led her team o four consecutive state championship appearances. High school: Collins Hill High School (Suwanee, Ga.). Payton is also In 1969, Abdul-Jabbar signed with the Milwaukee Bucks and began his storied professional career. Former rookie of the year Mike Miller is one of just five players from South Dakota in NBA history and he had the best career of any of them by far. While the late Kobe Bryant would seem like the obvious choice to represent his home state, there was a lot of great competition representing Pennsylvania. He starred at Hibbing High School, leading his team to the AA Minnesota State Championship game as a senior. Hello, I am a passionate and dedicated writer with a deep love for Basketball. has been obsessively watching sports for nearly three decades and arguing about them with friends for nearly as long. Hall of Famers Bob Pettit, Elvin Hayes, Clyde Drexler and Bill Russell all came from the Bayou State but none of them could match Karl Malones superhuman production and longevity in the league. High school: Bartlett High School (Anchorage), Pros: Miami Heat (2008-15), Memphis Grizzlies (2015-16). This nickname occurred in a family where Charles was always called Charles, and the women had names like Mabel, Marion and Alice. He was also named the NCAAs Most Outstanding Player those three years and was twice named College Player of the Year by The Sporting News. After coming from tiny Summerfield, Malone played college ball at Louisiana Tech before spending all but one season of his career with the Utah Jazz and finishing second in career points and minutes played in NBA history. Hes the NBAs all-time leader in both assists and steals and is unlikely to be passed in either category any time soon. While LaMarcus Aldridge has deeper ties to Texas basketball in general, Hall of Famer Bill Sharman had the best career of anyone from the Lone Star State so far. A battle between two dominant defenders made Georgia a tough call but we ultimately sided with Walt Clyde Frazier over Dwight Howard for the honor of being the states best baller. Robinson had a Hall-of-Fame career with the San Antonio Spurs that lasted 14 seasons and included two championships. At 34 years and 104 days of age, Kobe became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points. Enter your email and password to access comments. After helping the Seminoles advance to the Elite Eight in the 1993 NCAA tournament where they lost to the Kentucky he was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the first round with the 24th overall pick. Most obsessively competitive to the detriment of ever having normal human relations with anybody? When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. After several NBA summer league stops, Carroll went to Real Madrid, where he helped them win the EuroLeague championship in 2014-2015 and in May 2018. The information for this article is taken from Wikipedia. Point guard Luke Ridnour is the only Idahoan to last more than five years in the NBA, according to Basketball Reference. Alongside Kobe Bryant, Shaq helped the Lakers three-peat from 2000-2002. In the NBA, Bonner spent most of his 12 seasons as a backup power forward, playing behind Tim Duncan in San Antonio. Then, he had a decorated University of Minnesota career, ranking second in school history with 1,704 points and 950 rebounds. Russell was the ultimate winner in the history of the NBA. The 6-foot-7 shooting guard/small forward honed his skills at the University of Colorado, finishing third in rebounding in the 2011-2012 season and second in 2012-2013. No other point guard has won the leagues defensive player of the year award and thats on top of his career average of 16.3 points per game. Every dunk made the rounds on social media, and that helped create the hyperbole. Born: Feb. 13, 1981, in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, High school: Blaine High School (Blaine, Wash.), Pros: Seattle SuperSonics (2003-08), Milwaukee Bucks (2008-10, 2013-14), Minnesota Timberwolves (2010-13), Charlotte Bobcats (2014), Orlando Magic (2014-15). Then, the small forward helped the Spurs win the franchises first NBA championship in 1999. 1-ranked recruit and a McDonalds All-American coming out of high school. Speaking of guards who are still in the league as of this writing, Tyler Johnson represents his home state of North Dakota, which hasnt exactly cranked out the ballers so far.

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