Then she announced she would play basketball for the Blue Hens in 2009, leading the nation in scoring in her junior season in 2012. Just in the last generation, 20 years or so, weve seen players from Maine enjoy not only successful college careers, but professional careers, too. He went on to win an MVP in 1995 and was named one of the 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time in 1996. Not only does he routinely pull off feats that Ive never before seen, he has consistently evolved his game to fix the relative weak spots he was previously criticized for. Sheryl Swoopes is a Texas legend. Miller helped contribute to the Miami Heat winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 before calling it a 17-year career in 2017. After being born and raised in St. Louis, he crossed the border to play college hoops at Kansas before being taken in the first round in 1969 by Boston. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBAs all-time leading scorer and a Basketball Hall of Famer. 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. Allen Iverson is one of the greatest pound-for-pound players in NBA history. Akrons most beloved son has gone out of his way to remain an integral part of that citys fabric even long after becoming the most famous basketball player on the planet. -> Developed & Maintained By WD Bangalore.in, Furthermore, in 2011 he won his first championship with. Alvan Adams, Scott Wedman and Lionel Hollins all hailed from the Sunflower State but it was Adams who had the best individual career. Bryant entered the NBA directly from high school. 3 high school basketball freshman. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. Adam Augustyn is Managing Editor, Reference Content at Encyclopdia Britannica. 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. He was born with great genes, and he worked hard to realize his incredible potential. His Hall-of-Fame NBA career took him from Philadelphia to Phoenix to Houston but Barkley still loves his home state, even considering a run for governor in years past. Accolades keep coming for Cooper Flagg. Michael Jordan is easily the best basketball player of all-time in the NBA history. Kobe Bean Bryant is an American former basketball player. Oh, and while this has nothing to do with his ranking on this list, its still incredibly awesome and noteworthy that he has successfully fought off HIV for over two decades, helped de-stigmatize AIDS through his high-profile advocacy, and launched a second career as an entrepreneur who opens businesses predominantly in poverty-stricken areas in efforts to spur urban revitalization. This nickname occurred in a family where Charles was always called Charles, and the women had names like Mabel, Marion and Alice. 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. 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). Before retiring in 2015, he spent 12 seasons in the league, splitting his time with five different franchises but in Seattle for the majority of them. Already registered? Its recklessly bad form to compare a high school athlete, even one as unquestionably talented as Flagg, to one of the best players in basketball history. LeBron James learned how to be under the spotlight and shine early in life. In the NBA, Jordan had some rough years, overcoming injuries and first-round playoff exits, and playing the Detroit "Bad Boy" Pistons in the late 1980s and 1990. He finished his 17-year career with averages of 12.2 points, 5.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds. Use the form below to reset your password. (Or 20. This one was a total toss-up between two St. Louis natives in Hall of Famers Jo Jo White and Ed Macauley, whose careers and stats were remarkably similar. He was amazing, but he had a lot of help, at least more than the last guy on this list. Prior to that, Robertson starred at Crispus Attucks High School, leading his school to a 31-1 record and winning the 1955 state championship. Most important player ever? Enter your email and password to access comments. The 69 Johnson (making him the NBAs tallest point guard) not only posted the best assists-per-game mark in league history (11.2) but had a tremendous all-around game, as well. He was the key ingredient in the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 90s, leading them to victory in six NBA titles. Nevada has not exactly been a hotbed for basketball talent over the years, so the pickings here were pretty slim, but Ricky Davis enjoyed a long career in the NBA as a journeyman shooting guard and small forward. 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. Adam Morrison became a star as a high school player in Spokane, despite an early diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. Then, he went onto the NBA, where he played on five different teams and averaged double digits in scoring six times. High School: Newport Catholic High School, Pros: Boston Celtics (1970-80), Milwaukee Bucks (1982-83). At his peak, from 2004-2014, Wade was scoring 25.1 points per game to go with 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds, making him one of the most valuable players of his generation. The gold standard for Maine high school hoops is still Cindy Blodgett, who did things at Lawrence that no girls or boys basketball player in Maine had done before or since. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. Yes, the man many fans (ignorantly) consider the most overrated choke artist in the league is actually the best player to ever set foot on a court. All due respect to Mark Price and John Starks but Blake Griffin is the best Oklahoman to ever lace up in the NBA. 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. 52, we rank the best all-time women's players by jersey number. Bryant made the leap from high school to the NBA but success was not instant, and he did not become an elite guard until the 1998-99 season, when the Lakers were swept by the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. Hooper last played for the Atlanta Dream and the Chicago Sky in 2017. Before that, she helped lead Alliance High School to a state title as a freshman in 2007. Speaking of Michigan basketball icons, it doesnt get any more legendary than Magic Johnson. During the 196162 season, The Big O averaged a triple-double with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game. Copyright 2022 Cricket Concept . Hes the NBAs all-time leader in both assists and steals and is unlikely to be passed in either category any time soon. In the NBA, Stockton averaged a double-double of 13.1 points and 10.5 assists. Bill Laimbeer was born in Boston, raised in Chicago and went to high school in Southern California. Even though he is in his 18th NBA season, the 36-year-old is playing at an MVP level and has said he wants to keep playing until his son, who is in the 10th grade now, is in the league. In high school, he broke a city record for points scored in one game. While Kareem put up a whopping 38,387 points during his playing days, I cant look past the fact that he spent a good chunk of his career receiving passes from Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson, the two greatest point guards of all time. Mark Price was more than a shooter. For his career, Spree averaged 18.3 points per game, which is easily the best mark for any player born in Wisconsin. Furthermore, our website (beginbasketball.com) makes no guarantee for the accuracy of the information as the topic is subject to change. High school: Mead High School (Spokane, Wash.), Pros: Charlotte Bobcats (2006-09), Los Angeles Lakers (2009-10), Red Star Belgrade (2011), Besiktas (2012). He got into tussles with multiple players, including Michael Jordan, and was a key component to the Celtics championships in 1984 and 1986. High school: South Division High School (Milwaukee), Pros: Portland Trail Blazers (1985-95), Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-98), Miami Heat (1998-99), San Antonio Spurs (1999-2002). Log in to join the discussion. When he got to the NBA, some thought the 6-foot-9 player was too small to play center, but he proved the doubters wrong, averaging 17 points and 15 rebounds per game in his rookie campaign. All rights reserved. 23 jersey is now honored by the program. Bill Laimbeer was born in Boston and the toughness associated with that town would follow him to Detroit, where he became one of the most feared defenders in the NBA for his rough style of play in the 1980s. This list is, naturally, incredibly subjective, and shouldnt be taken too seriously. An elite high school player, Elena Delle Donne led Ursuline to three consecutive Delaware state championship titles. Cooper Flagg is the player standing at the confluence of talent and time an extremely talented player in an era in which nothing goes unnoticed. In total, Abdul-Jabbar spent 20 seasons in the NBA with Milwaukee and Los Angeles. He helped the Rockets win back-to-back championships in his first two season and was part of the Celtic' title team in 2008, his final NBA season. There have only been two players from Maine to suit up in the NBA and while his legacy is still being built, we gave the nod to Duncan He was a two-time All-American and four-time All-ACC basketball player at Georgia Tech, helping the Yellow Jackets win an ACC championship in his junior season. Baylor continued his success at Seattle, leading his team to the 1958 NCAA tournament title game, eventually falling to the Kentucky Wildcats. What Is Double Dribble In Basketball? Cedric Ceballos didn't always light up scoreboards. He grew four inches in the summer and averaged 20 points per game over his final two years in high school. Combine that with the fact that Maine produces fewer NCAA Division I basketball players than most other states, so when a player of Flaggs caliber comes along, memory gets shorter and cloudy. He played for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards and is known for his incredible scoring ability and clutch performances. The Hall of Famer was a 12-time All-Star in 14 seasons and won a championship with the Bucks in 1971. We are here to give the best tips on it. Before she became one of the best players in WNBA history, she helped the Texas Tech Lady Raiders to an NCAA womens Since 2002, Laimbeer has been coaching in the WNBA. Prior to becoming "The Logo," Jerry West was a star at West Virginia, helping the Mountaineers grab a Final Four appearance in his junior season. Moreover, he not only faced the incredible pressure of being anointed The Chosen One by Sports Illustrated as a teenager, but hes actually exceeded the lofty expectations set for him. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar was also voted NBA Finals MVP twice. Yes, the NBA consisted of just 8 to 14 teams during this period, so capturing championships was a statistically easier feat for a single franchise, but even that fact doesnt minimize Russells historic accomplishments. 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. While hes much more famous for his career as a coach, Phil Jackson had a great career as an NBA player before leading Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to multiple championships. Going back a little farther to the 1990s, there was TJ Caouette at Winthrop High, who had 63 scholarship offers before choosing to play at Villanova, and Andy Bedard, who went from Mountain Valley High to basketball greenhouse Maine Central Institute (the Montverde Academy of its time) before playing collegiately at Boston College and Maine. The leading scorer in National Basketball Association (NBA) history is just the 10th-best player ever? 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. 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. He was born in Hobbs and eventually played high school basketball there before going to college at Kansas. Born: Feb. 15, 1964, in Bartlesville, Okla. High school: Enid High School (Enid, Okla.), Pros: Cleveland Cavaliers (1986-95), Washington Bullets (1995-96), Golden State Warriors (1996-97), Orlando Magic (1997-98). Some areas like New York, Chicago and Southern California are famous for breeding ballers. Its about time another great NBA player came out of Nebraska because we had to go all the way back to the late 1950s for the states best. Scottie Pippen wasn't always the best supporting player helping Michael Jordan capture the worlds imagination with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. 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. Kevin Garnett was one of the fiercest competitors in basketball. In the NBA, Chalmers helped the Heat win back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 with clutch play and big-time three-point shooting. 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? ), Pros: Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74). At UMass, Camby won the Naismith College Player of the Year award and the John R. Wooden award in the 1995-96 season. He was a late bloomer who didn't even start for his high school team until a player went down with an injury. But he didnt earn his place on this list though some sort of vague, ethereal winningness. Russell was one of the fiercest defenders of all time and he redefined the value of blocking shots, in addition to averaging an incredible 22.5 rebounds per game over his career. Chris Paul starred in high school, averaging 25 points, 5.3 assists and 4.4 steals in his junior year. Unlike the NFL, which is still almost entirely packed with American players, and the NHL and MLB, which see their foreign-born stars come from a handful of countries in specific areas, the NBAs stars come from all corners of the globe. Know Double Dribble Rules. Soon after, Wade led Marquette in scoring on multiple occasions and helped them reach the Final Four in his junior season. The race for the best NBA player from Iowa came down to a couple of guys whose careers overlapped in recent years: Kirk Hinrich and Harrison Barnes. 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. He won the 1992 Slam Dunk Contest with a blindfolded dunk, led the league in field goal percentage (57.6) in 1993 and helped them reach the NBA Finals. Clutch" by Lakers announcer Chuck Hearn. The Cowboy State isnt exactly known for cranking out ballers but Johnson has done a nice job representing his home state in the past decade. Our pick for the best baller from Massachusetts never spent any time playing with the Celtics, instead making his name with the Pistons. He has had an amazing career and has many achievements. That means that even far-flung countries like Estonia, Iran and Luxembourg have given the NBA more players than the Green Mountain State. At LSU he was a star, becoming the SEC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. 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. 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. SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players Lillard Ten Greatest Basketball Players Ever. However, multiple playoff failures made him choose to leave Cleveland to go to Miami to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, a move that was heavily criticized. West Virginia lost to California in the championship game during the 1958-59 season. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. Others play overseas. Can you believe that no player from Vermont has ever played a game in the NBA? Jaycee Carroll has gone from local hero to international star in the EuroLeague and FIBA. He led the franchise to its first championship in Los Angeles in 1972. But before the WNBA, Levesque helped her high school win two Division I state titles. High school: Robert G. Cole High School (San Antonio, Texas), Pros: Orlando Magic (1992-96), Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2004), Miami Heat (2004-08), Phoenix Suns (2008-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10), Boston Celtics (2010-11). Fantasy Basketball. While this list honors NBA greats from every state, Rhode Islands best player was more known for his brilliant-but-brief career in the ABA. He helped his high school and Michigan State win championships. He was born in Las Vegas but played high school and college hoops in Iowa before being drafted by the Hornets in the first round in 1998. Ridnour became a star at Oregon, helping lead the Ducks to an Elite Eight appearance in 2002 and another NCAA tournament appearance. Hes potential personified. 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. Stevie Franchise was a three-time All-Star with the Houston Rockets in the early 2000s, where he was a consistent 20-point scorer from the point guard position. At the opposite end of the attractive play spectrum from Duncan is Shaquille ONeal. John Havlicek. Every decision he and his twin brother, Ace, have made when it comes to their burgeoning basketball careers has been made by the Flagg family with much thought. Hello, I am a passionate and dedicated writer with a deep love for Basketball. Here's where and how basketball stars, generational talents and legends were born. After bouncing around the NBA, his basketball career took him overseas to Israel and the Philippines. High school: McClymonds High School (Oakland, Calif.). ", Pros: Golden State Warriors (2012-16), Dallas Mavericks (2016-present). High school: Lawrence High School (Fairfield, Maine), Pros: Cleveland Rockers (1998), Sacramento Monarchs (1999-2001). He helped the Spurs win a title that year and was re-signed. Sign up and get high school sports news and scores in your inbox from preseason through the championships. Lionel Hollins is a basketball lifer. as a member of the Miami Heat. Its played in over many countries with many variations of the game. He is the all-time UMass leader in blocks (336) and was only the fourth college player ever to reject 300-plus shot. Davis was a career 13.5-point scorer but had his best season with Cleveland in 2002-03, when he started 76 games and averaged 20.6 points per game. With years of experience in both creative and technical writing, I have sharpened my skills and developed a unique representative that resonates with readers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 19-time NBA All-Star, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. Pros: Pallacanestro Messina (2003-04), Toronto Raptors (2004-06), San Antonio Spurs (2006-16). Hes bigger than a good portion of the players in the NFL and yet he still moves as gracefully as the most nimble guards in basketball. The late Walt Hazzard started his route to basketball stardom in Wilmington, Delaware, which makes him pretty unique among NBA players. His shooting proficiency made him one of the more dangerous shooters in the league, leading the league in three-point percentage (45.7) in 2010-2011. But as a sophomore, trying out for the varsity team, he was deemed too small at only 5-foot-11. He had 63 points in a game against his old high school, Phelps. Born: March 25, 1971, in Brownfield, Texas, College: South Plains (1989-91), Texas Tech (1991-93), Pros: Houston Comets (1997-2007), Seattle Storm (2008), Tulsa Shock (2011). In the NBA, Billups is most known for his first stint with the Detroit Pistons and helping the franchise win the NBA title in 2004. Paul then helped Wake Forest get into the NCAA tournament a couple of times, eventually falling to West Virginia in his sophomore season. 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. She then transferred to the University of Delaware, where she played volleyball as a walk-on in 2008. 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. has been obsessively watching sports for nearly three decades and arguing about them with friends for nearly as long. Before the two leagues merged in 1976, Haywood was a star with the ABAs Denver Rockets and Seattle SuperSonics, winning MVP honors as a rookie in 1970. So here is the article on the greatest basketball players of all time. Maya Moore got an early start on winning and stardom. 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. He was a Division II All-American in 1964 and 1965. Michael also earned the nicknames Air Jordan and His Airness. Where Timmy would work his way around an opponent in the post with his superb footwork, Shaq would often use his extraordinary bulk (71 and 315 pounds) to bully his way to the basket. 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. Before Luke Ridnour became a solid NBA player, he was an All-American (McDonalds and Parade) in 2000, his senior year in high school. 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. After a standout career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he led the Tar Heels to a National Championship in 1982, Jordan joined the NBAs Chicago Bulls in 1984. Walt Frazier took the road less traveled to stardom. 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. Stockton was a 10-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA selection and is possibly the best pure point guard in history. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. No game would be more famous than Iversons 48-point outburst in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals against the Lakers, stealing the game, but eventually succumbing to them in five games. We gave the nod to White because of his multiple rings and his starring role on some stacked Celtics teams in the 1970s. But he was so much more than a dazzling smile. But in his rookie year, Russell completely changed the franchises course and established the Celtics as the winningest team in the NBA. Bryant died in a helicopter crash in California in 2020. The mans desire to be the best is legendary and propelled him to six championships, five MVP awards, All-Star appearances in every full season he played, and the status as possibly the best defender ever. He was traded to the Pistons, where he teamed up with Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman and Joe Dumars to win back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990 while becoming one of the most unpopular players in NBA history as the enforcer leader of the "Bad Boys.". Heres why. Jordan won six NBA championships and was the NBA Finals MVP in each of those years. 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. High school: Palos Verdes High School (Palos Verdes, Calif.), Pros: Cleveland Cavaliers (1980-82), Detroit Pistons (1982-93).
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