He was born in Tucson and eventually played college hoops at the University of Arizona, where he was twice named the Pac-10s player of the year and was named the best player in the nation in 1989. That was the case with Charles Barkley, whose roots in Alabama run deep. In the WNBA, Swoopes was the second player to win the MVP and All-Star game MVP in the same season. He was a 9-time NBA All-Star and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 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. Indeedy. After graduating from Notre Dame, he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1979, played professionally in Italy for a year, then returned to play for the Cavaliers. White, seen on the right here with teammate John Havlicek, was an All-Star in seven consecutive seasons while playing there, winning two championships and being named NBA Finals MVP in 1976 after averaging nearly 22 points per game during the series. Furthermore, our website (beginbasketball.com) makes no guarantee for the accuracy of the information as the topic is subject to change. Since 2002, Laimbeer has been coaching in the WNBA. In the WNBA, she spent one season with the Cleveland Rockers before being traded to the Sacramento Monarchs and playing three more seasons. When people knocked him for not winning championships early in his career, they overlooked that he almost single-handedly took an overmatched Cleveland Cavaliers squad to the 2007 NBA finals at just 22 years old. Alvan Adams, Scott Wedman and Lionel Hollins all hailed from the Sunflower State but it was Adams who had the best individual career. Born: August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pa. Died: Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas, California (age 41), High school: Lower Merion High School (Ardmore, Pa.). Delle Donne received a scholarship to play for UConn, but dropped out of the summer school program because she wanted to be close to family. Listed at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), Olajuwon is also considered one of the greatest centers ever to play the game. Sheryl Swoopes is a Texas legend. Bryant died in a helicopter crash in California in 2020. Then, the small forward helped the Spurs win the franchises first NBA championship in 1999. This season, the 6-foot-7 Flagg averaged 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game. He was born in Abilene but spent his formative years in California and became an NBA icon with the Boston Celtics. The Hall of Famer edged out Wes Unseld and Rajon Rondo as the best from the Bluegrass State because of his lengthy list of accolades from the league. He helped the Lakers win their first NBA title in Los Angeles in 1972. Cheesebro kicked it out to freshman guard Kaelyn Zuber for an open 3-pointer as Dartmouth imposed its biggest lead up to that point, 49-31, with 4:41 to play. Through the publication of this list, James has averaged a Robertson-esque 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 steals per game andunlike the Big Ohe was doing so against teams stocked with elite athletes and not players who smoked cigarettes at halftime. Boozer was a workhorse who rarely missed a game during his 11-season career, which saw him average 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. In the NBA, McHale helped the Celtics become champions in 1981, 1984 and 1986 as a sixth man, and he was also a seven-time All-Star. Messalonskees Nick Mayo, a self-admitted basketball late bloomer, set scoring records at Eastern Kentucky and is now enjoying success as a pro player in Japan. Its time for BritannicaOK, one editor at Britannicato jump into the perpetually unresolved greatest ever in [insert sport here] fray. He would win two more titles in 2009 and 2010. The best of the best graduate to the NBA and WNBA. Even villains can redeem themselves. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Sean Elliott made a name for himself prior to becoming a two-time NBA All-Star and world champion with the San Antonio Spurs. After bouncing around the NBA, his basketball career took him overseas to Israel and the Philippines. A Celtics icon in the 1970s, the Newport native helped that franchise win two championships as one of the best defenders of his era. 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. He never won a ring, but he was inducted into in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and remains one of the most popular players in NBA history. He finished his 14-year NBA career averaging 14.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. High school: Mauldin High School (Mauldin, S.C.)/Farragut Academy (Chicago, Ill.), Pros: Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-07, 2015-16), Boston Celtics (2007-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-15). At Wake Forest, she was a two-time All-ACC Second-Team selection, the school leader in minutes, free throws made and free-throw percentage, while being second all-time in assists. He also ranks third on the leagues all-time regular-season scoring and fourth on the all-time postseason scoring list. 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. This list may not reflect recent changes . Create one. He was born in Oklahoma City and delighted the basketball fans in his home state when he stayed home to play college ball at the University of Oklahoma. Walt Frazier took the road less traveled to stardom. Pretty much all you can ask for from the best ever, no? 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). Pros: Pallacanestro Messina (2003-04), Toronto Raptors (2004-06), San Antonio Spurs (2006-16). Pippen played college ball at Central Arkansas before an NBA career that would span 17 seasons and include six championships with the Chicago Bulls. Stockton was a 10-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA selection and is possibly the best pure point guard in history. Murphy spent at 13 of his NBA seasons with the Rockets organization, rarely missing games and averaging 17.9 points per game. In the NBA, Iverson became known for his quickness and tough drives to the basket, where he would take a lot of contact. She also was a three-time MVP, three-time Defensive Player of the Year and four-time WNBA champion. High school: Wagner High School (San Antonio, Texas), Pros: Oklahoma City Thunder (2013-20), Brooklyn Nets (2021-present). We gave the nod to White because of his multiple rings and his starring role on some stacked Celtics teams in the 1970s. Floridas Montverde Academy, a school that regularly produces college and NBA players. Bill Laimbeer was born in Boston, raised in Chicago and went to high school in Southern California. Current star Domantas Sabonis could take the honor of Oregons best in years to come but for now it belongs to Brandon. He led the Celtics to three championships in the 1980s, which is the same number of times he was named NBA MVP. One of the best NBA players to never be elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Tom Chambers racked up more than 20,000 points in his career as a power forward. Born: February 19, 1980, in Mitchell, S.D. According to the exhaustive database of player birthplaces compiled at Basketball Reference, Mario Chalmers is the only player in NBA history to come from Alaska. He then played for Florida and was a first-team All-SEC selection in his senior year and an honorable mention for an All-American. 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. He spent most of his career with the Hawks, spanning time between the franchises eras in St. Louis and Atlanta. At LSU he was a star, becoming the SEC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. Cedric Ceballos didn't always light up scoreboards. He typified the power forward position and was named to seven All-Star teams. Chris Paul starred in high school, averaging 25 points, 5.3 assists and 4.4 steals in his junior year. In this article, we have listed the 5 greatest basketball players ever. After leading Nokomis to the first boys basketball title in school history, Cooper and Ace will continue their basketball careers at Floridas Montverde Academy, a school that regularly produces college and NBA players. ", Pros: Golden State Warriors (2012-16), Dallas Mavericks (2016-present). Her success followed her in college as she led the University of Connecticut to three consecutive national titles. Related: did you know that the 2013 Seattle Seahawks had the best defense in NFL history? WebHe averaged a stellar 22.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for his career, easily landing him in the Hall of Fame and on this list of the greatest NBA players ever. The four highest all-time NBA single-season scoring averages all belong to Chamberlainin his first four professional seasons. He was born in Grand Forks, which is one of the biggest cities in the state, but spent his high school and college careers in California. While John Stocktons NBA career is forever linked to Utah, he learned his trade in his native Washington. Hes been a six-time All-Star and has put up some massive figures in his career so far, averaging 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Speaking of Michigan basketball icons, it doesnt get any more legendary than Magic Johnson. He was the key ingredient in the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 90s, leading them to victory in six NBA titles. Soon after his sophomore year, he declared for the NBA draft, going seventh to the Warriors in 2012. He finished his two-year college career with averages of 15.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game for Wake Forest. I am constantly seeking out new opportunities to challenge myself and grow as a professional writer. Havlicek won 2 NBA championships while playing for the Boston Celtics, along with Bill Russell as a player Allen Iverson is one of the greatest pound-for-pound players in NBA history. In college at North Carolina, he scored 40 points as a freshman in the ACC tournament, the most by any freshman in the tournament. He won a league title in all but two of his 13 seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics. But before he was the engine of a Celtics dynasty, he became a star center at the University of San Francisco, helping the school become a superpower in college basketball. Milwaukee native Latrell Sprewell is remembered by some for one regrettable outburst that nearly derailed his NBA career but he was a great player for many years. The most notable of his scoring feats came on March 2, 1962, when he put up an astounding 100 points in a game, an NBA record that will likely never be broken. 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