Garnett made the leap from high school to the pros, and became a star with the Minnesota Timberwolves. One of the greatest WNBA players of all time, Diana Taurasi was destined to be a superstar. Then, he had a decorated University of Minnesota career, ranking second in school history with 1,704 points and 950 rebounds. He helped lead his school to back-to-back basketball titles and is the only person to be a high school first team All-American in football, basketball, and baseball. 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. We gave the nod to White because of his multiple rings and his starring role on some stacked Celtics teams in the 1970s. Before he left his mark on the NBA, he starred at Bethel High School, where he led both the football and basketball programs to state championships. Required fields are marked *. The NBA had three very good players from Kansas all playing at the same time starting in the mid-1970s. He was born in Hobbs and eventually played high school basketball there before going to college at Kansas. He graduated to Auburn, where he holds the school record for field goal percentage (62.6 percent), and went on to become one of the best rebounders in NBA history. But lets take a look at the best basketball players to come from the United States. Web1 Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials, MJ, is an American retired professional basketball player. Plus his 30.1 points per game is the NBAs highest career scoring average. LeBron James just does things that shouldnt be humanly possible. Oh jeez, this guy. Position: Shooting guard and small forward, High school: Davenport North High School (Davenport, Iowa), Pros: Charlotte Hornets (1998-2000), Miami Heat (2000-01, 2007-08), Cleveland Cavaliers (2001-03), Boston Celtics (2003-06), Minnesota Timberwolves (2006-07), Los Angeles Clippers (2008-10), Turk Telekom (2010), Jiangsu Dragons (2010), Chorale Roanne (2011), Maine Red Claws (2011-12), Piratas de Quebradillas (2012), Erie BayHawks (2013-14). 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. Hakeem Olajuwon played center for the Houston Rockets from 1984 until 2001. She was an All-American as a freshman and sophomore in high school and led her team o four consecutive state championship appearances. WebList of all the NBA and ABA Players Born in Maine | Basketball-Reference.com Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. He only lived there as an infant but no other player born in the Volunteer State has demonstrated the kind of all-around skill he did during his years in the NBA. 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. 20 and to Val Whiting at No. Then, Robertson starred at Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats to two NCAA Final Four appearances and a 79-9 record when he was there. has been obsessively watching sports for nearly three decades and arguing about them with friends for nearly as long. In the NBA, Bonner played for the Toronto Raptors for a couple of years until he got traded to the Spurs in 2006. 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. 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 Robinson over Jeff Turner. DiGregorio only played six seasons in the NBA, but he left a lasting impression. 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. Bryant, along with center Shaquille ONeal, led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002. 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? It declares everything new the best and the biggest. As magnificent as earlier players were, they never had to deal with the 24/7 stresses of 21st century media, which James has with aplomb. Basketball has been a popular sport throughout history since its invention in 1891 by a Canadian physical education teacher named James Naismith. Thats what social media does. Before she became one of the best players in WNBA history, she helped the Texas Tech Lady Raiders to an NCAA womens basketball championship in her senior year. The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. Have a nice time ahead, Thank you! 52, we rank the best all-time women's players by jersey number. Thats why its a good thing for us that Michael Jordan was born there because it takes all the work out of sorting through those hundreds of options to find the best one. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Pros: San Antonio Spurs (1989-93, 1994-2001), Detroit Pistons (1993-94). Born: December 7, 1956, in West Baden Springs, Ind. Alvan Adams, Scott Wedman and Lionel Hollins all hailed from the Sunflower State but it was Adams who had the best individual career. Anthony Davis is making a legitimate push to steal this title away but fellow Chicago native Dwyane Wade holds it for now. 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. He signed a couple of 10-day contracts and helped the Heat in the scoring and shooting departments, and now is a solid NBA contributor on his third NBA team, averaging 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists. What Is Double Dribble In Basketball? Seven former Montverde players were selected in the 2021 NBA draft, including No. He turned down a scholarship from Bobby Knight to play at Indiana University because he thought the campus in Bloomington was too big, so he went to Indiana State, averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, and helped Indiana State reach the NCAA tournament for the first time with a 33-0 record in 1979. Murphy spent at 13 of his NBA seasons with the Rockets organization, rarely missing games and averaging 17.9 points per game. In 2003, LeBron James became a high school basketball phenomenon at St. Vincent-St. Marys High School in Akron, Ohio. 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. Plus, he was hilarious in Airplane! In college at North Carolina, Jordan made the game-winner in the 1982 NCAA championship game against Georgetown, which featured future NBA great Patrick Ewing. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna also passed away in the crash. 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). Johnson went undrafted, but it did not deter him as he joined the Miami Heat for summer league. 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. Your email address will not be published. Kobe Bryant developed his closing skills in his youth on the way to greatness. Jerry West is synonymous with basketball in his home state, as he was born in tiny Chelyan before becoming a national star at the University of West Virginia in the late 1950s. High school: Mead High School (Spokane, Wash.), Pros: Charlotte Bobcats (2006-09), Los Angeles Lakers (2009-10), Red Star Belgrade (2011), Besiktas (2012). He eventually won three NBA championships and was a 13-time All-Star, all with the Miami Heat. High school: Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), Pros: Sioux Falls Skyforce (2014-15), Miami Heat (2015-19), Phoenix Suns (2019-20), Brooklyn Nets (2020-present). 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. Position: Small forward and power forward. Of all the great ones to come from the Golden State including current icons like James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook its tough to top Gary Paytons legacy. 23 jersey is now honored by the program. Magic Johnson was destined for greatness. It was a toss-up between a pair of legendary Hall of Famers but Moses Malone edged out Allen Iverson for the crown of Virginias best baller. In 1995 they won again, beating the Orlando In 1969, Abdul-Jabbar signed with the Milwaukee Bucks and began his storied professional career. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. 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. Before Charles Barkley became "The Round Mound of Rebound," he was a stocky, 5-foot-10, 220-pound high schooler who failed to make his varsity squad as a junior. Adam Morrison became a star as a high school player in Spokane, despite an early diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. Most famous player ever? But before the WNBA, Levesque helped her high school win two Division I state titles. In 2004 Lebron became NBA Rookie of the Year. After that, he bounced around to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. In the NBA, he became one of the best shooters in the league, leading the league in free-throw percentage twice and winning Most Improved Player in 1993. She was the only Vermonter to play in the WNBA. High school: Bartlett High School (Anchorage), Pros: Miami Heat (2008-15), Memphis Grizzlies (2015-16). 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. Basketball is one of the most popular games across the world. The Miami Heat's all-time leading scorer has had game for a while. Silver Spring native Victor Oladipo might have something to say about this in a few years but, for now, the title of Marylands best goes to Steve Francis. Hes the NBAs all-time leader in both assists and steals and is unlikely to be passed in either category any time soon. Baylor continued his success at Seattle, leading his team to the 1958 NCAA tournament title game, eventually falling to the Kentucky Wildcats. He led the franchise to its first championship in Los Angeles in 1972. 1 Overall NBA Draft Picks of All Time 2 Chris Webber Power forward and Center from Detroit, Michigan 391 votes Teams: Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons #30 of 142 The Best Philadelphia 76ers of All Time #2 of 49 The Greatest Michigan Basketball His roots in the Tar Heel State obviously run deep but his long NBA career has unfortunately never included a stint in Charlotte. Marcus Camby was more than an elite shot blocker and defensive force at Hartford Public High School. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. He typified the power forward position and was named to seven All-Star teams. Just in the last generation, 20 years or so, weve seen players from Maine enjoy not only successful college careers, but professional careers, too. His free-throw shooting, on the other hand. High school: Ursuline Academy (Wilmington, Del. 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. Use the form below to reset your password. In the NBA, Johnson was a three-time MVP who led the Lakers to five championships in the 1980s as one of the most versatile players in history. At the opposite end of the attractive play spectrum from Duncan is Shaquille ONeal. 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. Every dunk made the rounds on social media, and that helped create the hyperbole. 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. Prior to that, Robertson starred at Crispus Attucks High School, leading his school to a 31-1 record and winning the 1955 state championship. Hes been bouncing around the league since 2009, when he was a first-round pick by the Bulls. He was named the 4A State Player of the Year three consecutive times in high school, in addition to leading his school to back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003. 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. His tenacity made him one of the best defenders in the game's history. 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