where do the best basketball players come from

Moreover, his rivalry with Magic Johnsonwho, spoiler alert, youll see a bit later in this listduring the 1980s launched basketball into an unprecedented level of national popularity that the sport has never fallen from. Youre telling me somebodys going to average more than 45.8 minutes per game like Wilt did during his 13 seasons in the NBA? Similarly, Andre Iguodala is from Springfield, Illinois, about 90 minutes from St. Louis. More: Leonard ready to "get back after it" following playoff loss. He and Larry Bird literally saved the league in the 80s and while they couldnt have been more different stylistically theres no argument whose influence on the game of basketball was greater. He struggled in his freshman year, shooting just 28% on field goals and 17.4% on 3s. Click here to view interactive version of the map, where you can search by city. Dominant seems like the only adjective to describe Shaqs career. 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. And it does. But he was so much more than a dazzling smile. ZF, Crazy that Chuck is now underrated. LeBrons book isnt finished yet and he could add a few more titles along the way, but lets not also ignore everything hes done over his career off the court. Its time for BritannicaOK, one editor at Britannicato jump into the perpetually unresolved greatest ever in [insert sport here] fray. So it stands to reason that with so many players to pick from, Los Angeles should have a lot of the best players. (Read James Naismith's 1929 Britannica essay on his invention of basketball.). 17 because of the way he changed the game. Nobody could.AC, The Admiral. He was truly a one of a kind and easily one of the most entertaining playerson and off-the-courtthat the NBA has ever seen. AD, To me, Kevin Durant is the most skilled offensive player ever to play the game. 1 overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft, the Rookie of the Year in 1959, an 11-time All-Star, and an astounding 10-time First-Team All-NBA selection, Baylor of course resides on the NBAs 75th anniversary team as he more than lived up to the hype when he entered the league and left it averaging 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. Sometimes I watch his reverse layup during the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the 1980 Finals against the Lakers andtry to figure out how the hell he was able to stay in the air that long. The regular season is scheduled to begin in October 2023, and end in April 2024. The one time in his 14-year career that he was not an All-Star was in 1970, a season in which an injured Chamberlain was limited to just 12 regular-season games and yet he still managed to will his team to the NBA finals upon his return. The Cleveland Cavaliers' ball-handling wizard is fresh off his first All-Star appearance after putting up 21.7 points and 8.6 assists (sixth-best in the Instead, the politicking and petty attacks on each others basketball intelligence got really heated, over multiple Zoom calls and text threads, when we tried to properly rank Shaq and Kobe and a bunch of point guards toward the bottom of our30 Best NBA Players of All Time list. He earned just about every individual honor a superstar can earn, most especially six MVPs (one more than Russell and Jordan) and hes still the only player in league history to win an MVP despite his team not making the playoffs. and fought Bruce Lee in Game of Death, so his cool quotient is easily the highest of anyone on this list. With all due respect to NCAA Champion and two-time NBA Champion Mario Chalmers, Boozer is the most talented player to come out of the 49th state. But its his quiet, dignified manner thats earned him the most praise. Magic simply changed the game of basketball when he burst onto the NBA scene out of Michigan State in 1979. As you'll see in the chart below, Florida, Not only did Russell win 11 NBA titles, the last two were as player-coach and hes undefeated in Game 7s, going 10-0 when its win or go home time. 1, Antetokounmpo must improve his scoring against defenses designed to keep him out of the paint. Regardless of whether you consider Baylor a champion or not, know that another immortal on this list thinks Baylor deserves way more props than he receives. We could go through all the stats and the awards to prove why James should be where he is on this list, but theres really no need. Even as the game moves toward being positionless, Mitchell said, you have to have a point guard. The point guard, also known as the 1, is kind of like the quarterback of a basketball teams offense. Sure, his game has holes, and Bucks haters will say their run to the title wasnt the hardest. Despite going to nine NBA Finals with the Lakers, West won only one title in 1972. Top 25 NBA free agents -- and why a four-time champ missed the cut. The list goes on, but Iversons cultural impact on the current, and even future,generationof NBA players are more meaningful thanhis numbers on the court. ZO, When you talk about best PGs in NBA history, it would be impossible to not have Magic Johnson as No. AD, Karl Malone falls into a long list of players from the 90s who were really good but ultimately overshadowed by Michael Jordan and theBulls. RIP Mamba. The impressive thing about this list is how young most of the players are, anchored by veterans Howard and Williams. And, frankly, its sort of fun tweaking all the Chicagoans who are surprisingly defensive about their sporting accomplishments. Probably agreed with half of it, but was so respectful he wouldnt say anything until later. After hashing things out, Pop often let Duncan have his way. Let's get this out of the way first -- Los Angeles County has a population of over 10 million people, and if you throw in Orange County and Ventura County, you're looking at approximately 15 million people to choose from. ZO, Lets get this out the way first:this isnt a reactionary decision to Kobe Bryantspassing. This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast 17 85 NBA Basketball Professional sport Sports 85 comments Best KashMoney941 This man won three in a row, left to play baseball, then came back to win three in a row again, and then he came back one more time and was one of the oldest players to average 20 PPGand to score 40-plus in a game. He struggled in his freshman year, shooting just 28% on field goals and 17.4% on 3s. 1 overall selection, but it's incredibly solid nonetheless, particularly if Murray, Gilgeous-Alexander and Barrett continue to progress. Shaquille ONeal, in full Shaquille Rashaun ONeal, byname Shaq, (born March 6, 1972, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.), American basketball player, named in 1996 to the National Basketball Association (NBA) list of its 50 greatest players of all time. 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. What are Kings planning with newly created cap space? Top 25 NBA free agents -- and why a four-time champ missed the cut. ), yet I feel like hes been underappreciatedbecause ofall those years carrying mid teams on his back in Minnesota. We all know what hes done and will continue to do for at least a few more years. 5 ranking. Headlined by future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, Chicago has produced some of the best players in NBA history. Shaq, obviously a member of the NBA 75 team,is one of the most skilled bigs ever to touch a basketball and weve all seen the video of him cooking MJ in a one-on-one before the All-Star Game. AC, Bostons had more than its fair share of Hall of Famers roll through the old Boston Garden, but nobody was as lethal a scorer or as clutch at the end of games like Larry Legend. But only Westbrook has put up the seasonal averages (three times) to match Robertsons brilliance and Russ isnt anywhere near the offensive juggernaut Robertson was. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. He was truly ahead of his time. We see the multitude of accomplishments like NBA MVP, 5-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, 18-time All-Star, nine All-Defensive First Team selections, the now fourth leading scorer, and so on. But he wrote Quite possibly. as a member of the Miami Heat. Len Bias Some basketball legends would argue that Len Bias was better than Michael Jordan. The next great superstar served notice to the league in his second season, becoming the youngest player ever to earn All-NBA First Team honors based on age as of opening night. All Rights Reserved. 11-time NBA All-Star. Praise or pillar the selections as you see fit. In this blog post, we will take a look at the 10 best players to come out of Kentucky. Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has declined his $13 million player option and will become a free agent, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday. When Timmy first got here, it was like mental telepathy. Ranking the best NBA players ever. He averaged 30 or more seven times, including a preposterous 40.6 per over 11 games in 1965. Zion Williamson vs. Ja Morant. 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. Ohio and Michigan are both in the top 10 in the former, but rank 11th and tied for 16th, respectively, in the latter. Id love to see some of todays greats playing against Elgin. Even with all those accomplishments people try to tear him down with advanced statistics like usage rate and efficiency. Thats flat out impressive. In his prime, Duncan, nicknamed The Big Fundamental by no less a nickname authority than Shaquille ONeal, was one of the most sound players of all time. Based on what we've seen from Doncic, that's a matter of when, not if. 1, trades involving top-10 picks and one player surprisingly sliding out of the Kobe is a two-time scoring champion whose best seasons were the 2005 and 2006 seasons where he averaged over 30 points per game. Without Thompson and Kevin Durant, the Warriors will be more dependent on Curry for shot creation than ever before. He won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, the same year he won his onlychampionship in Boston,made the All-Defensive team 12 times, and easily earned a spot on the leagues 75th anniversary team. He was overshadowed by Duncan, whose numbers are slightly better, but Garnett was by far the more fun player to watch. 1 on theirbest NBA players list, this is an easy one to write. Even despite losing in the second round to the Boston Celtics this season, Giannis became the first NBA player in historywith 200 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists in a single series. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. 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AD, If you know The Big Fundamentals backstory then you know the idea that he would become one of basketballs greatest power forwards is preposterous. Who will be the best players this season? As the 2023 NBA Draft concludes, NBA players from across the league crowd social media to congratulate this years Draft class. One of the greatest What Ifs in NBA history revolves around Birds back that he infamously injured while paving his mothers driveway during the summer of 1985. The Bad Boys wreaked havoc on the NBAs Holy Trinity ofMagic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan and most of the damage that was done was on the orders of the 61 point god. But how much more credit do you give Bryant for winning more rings and drawing legit comparisons to Michael Jordan? Just look at the accolades. As he told us in arecent interview, you cant talk basketball without mentioning the king of Miami-Dade County. The borough of Brooklyn alone produced as many current men's basketball players, 41, as Los Angeles, which is the country's second-most populous city. Haters will counter that Wilt played against a bunch of stiffs in the 60s and 70s when the idea that a 71 center could be the most athletic player on the court was reserved forcomic books. Each of the cities ranks among the top 40 in the U.S. in terms of population and nine of the 10 cities listed above, with the exception of Baltimore, is home to at least one NBA franchise. The Clippers, trendy picks to win the title, were shocked in the second round after holding a 3-1 series lead on the Nuggets. The GTA has produced some incredible talent in a very short amount of time, and many of the Canadian athletes credit Vince Carter and the Raptors for establishing a basketball culture in the country. And no soulwill ever approach his 23,924 career rebounds. The 50 states, ranked by all-time mens college basketball wins New York 24,569 wins. Hes a three-timeNBA champion with aFinals MVP, a 13-timeAll-Star, a seven-time All-NBA member, three-time All-Defensive team members,has one NBA scoring title, and a spot on the 75th anniversary teamsomething Wade told us he still cant believe. LeBron not only matched the hype, but he exceeded it. New Jersey (11th in population) and Maryland (19th) each rank slightly higher in the number of DI men's basketball players they produce compared to their respective overall population. From Michael Jordan to LeBron James to Steph Curry, these are the 30 best basketball players of all time. Position: SF School: Alabama Age: 20. Here are the top 10 foreign countries that have produced the highest number of DI men's basketball players: MORE: First-time NBA All-Stars from 2022 and what they achieved in college. Ranking the top 10 NBA players for 2020-21, Reyes 'very happy' despite Gilas loss to Estonia U-21s, David emerges as new PBA On Tour hero for never-say-die Ginebra, Ayonayon makes the most of his minutes in Blackwater's win over Phoenix, PBA committed to supporting injury-hit Gilas with players, Celda finds new opportunities with Phoenix, Sidney Onwubere grabbing the spotlight in chance with Barangay Ginebra, Lakers' Phil Handy to share expertise with Converge, UP taking pride at how 'Maroon-chip' recruits are becoming team-over-self players, Quitevis injects 'Mamba mentality' into UAAP champions Ateneo, Atienza has PBA head coaching debut to savor as Converge sees off Beermen, After last season's horror run, Terrafirma look towards a winning culture, Clarkson, Brownlee, Kouame named to Gilas WC pool, Suddenly-undersized Ginebra face PBA On Tour challenge, Meralco doing their part to give Newsome a shot at making World Cup with Gilas, Aldin Ayo keeping Converge's focus on the court, Is Terrence Romeo back? Here are some of the biggest takeaways from my analysis: Below is a world map with the hometown of every current DI men's basketball player. LeBron: Best thing about contract is potential future with son. More: Durant "ready for anything" in Nets' new smallball lineups. ZO, Call it an overreaction if you foolishly insist, but with all the accolades and the company he now keeps after that epic run through the 2021 NBA Finals, Greek Freak absolutely belongs on thislist. 1, trades involving top-10 picks and one player surprisingly sliding out of the lottery. AI is unquestionably a top 30 NBA player ever. ZF, How much of an explanation do you need here? Los Angeles, California. Texas 20,020 wins. And I didnt even mention how magical he was during the 2011 NBA Finals when his Mavs upset LeBron James and theHeat. From the high-flying dunks to the clutch mid-range jumpers off that patented D Wade pump fake, there was moment after moment where No. Aquino laments 'one of those days' vs. Indonesia as Gilas Women settle for SEA Games silver, 'Redeem Team' gets it done as Gilas routs Cambodia for SEA Games gold, Group of Death? The city doesn't have the star power at the top, with Lowry probably the best NBA player from Philadelphia since 2000, but the list is riddled with quality rotation players. Twins, Amen and Ausar He finished fifth in MVP voting despite his load -- whoops, injury -- management and finished second on a per-game basis in my wins above replacement player (WARP) metric in the playoffs. But one of the greatest guards ever made the All-Star team each of his 14 seasons in Los Angeles, made 12 All-NBA squads,was a five-time All-Defense selection, and a no-brainer to make the NBAs 75th anniversary team. We can talk about the way Kobe impacted the game and the culture of basketball but that shouldnt even be a measurement. Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has declined his $13 million player option and will become a free agent, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday. Now, the basketball world can grab a drink, take a seat and relax Oh, right. They have the chance to make NBA history on Thursday night by becoming the first set of siblings to both be selected in the top 10 in the same draft. Jerry West was that lethal shooting the ballan absurd 47.4 percent for his careerand retired after the 1974 season ranked in the top 5 in points scored, points per game, free throws made, and assists. Alright, let's get going. Its the playoff excellence that helps elevate Duncan above the more physically and athletically gifted contemporary power forwards like Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett. Most famous player ever? 1 spot to Giannis in the wake of his injury-marred first season in Los Angeles, LeBron reclaimed the NBArank throne he has held nine of the past 10 years by winning his fourth title and Finals MVP at age 35. This is who we would take. Splitting his time between the Bucks and Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar won three MVPs with each franchise and five of his six rings in Los Angeles. I personally think its disrespectful to leave Kobe Bean Bryant out ofthe top five of any all time list. NBA players love to rep their city. 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Its still bewildering to watch old highlights and see how smooth Olajuwon, atrue dominant force on both sides of the ball, was able to move in the paint for a player his size. Not only is he the greatest winner in all of American sports, Russell is also both the smartest and best defensive player to ever pick up a basketball. Dennis Gates two best players from his debut Missouri season are off to Los Angeles. He did it all and made sure you knew about it along the way. Warriors fans booed then-new owner Joe Lacob on Chris Mullin Night because he gave the team to Steph after trading fan favorite Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut. In fact, it was Magic that he moldedhis game after as a youngster, which led to KG being one of the most versatile big men the NBAhas ever seen. At the same time, when last we saw Durant fully healthy in the first two rounds of the 2019 playoffs, he was making a case as the league's most dominant individual force, and reports from players who have played with him during rehab have been encouraging. West legitimately did it all, including leading the league in scoring during the 1969-70 season and assists during his lone championship season. A member of the leagues 75thanniversary team, he long agoreached a different plane of basketballgreatness that only himself and Jordan occupy. He helped revolutionize the power forward position even more so than Tim Duncan did (hes a center! DAN SHAUGHNESSY Where does Kobe Bryant rank among the NBAs greatest players? He has the two Defensive Player of the Years, the two Finals MVPs, hes put a franchise on his back en route to an NBA title, he made the NBAs 75thanniversary team, and hes pretty much won his entire career. LeBron James overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBAs leading scorer in February 2023. This was a difficult exercise since you can't go by birth city because people move and, particularly recently, it's hard to go by high school because players tend to transfer out of their hometown. There's a reason much of the league spent this offseason hoarding cap space in preparation for Giannis' possible unrestricted free agency next summer. The story of Flint and Saginaw has been told plenty of times, with many of these players having played for Michigan State, and it continues to this day. But Im still going to remind you that he never played in a Finals Game 7 in six appearances and won a Defensive Player of the Year award (88) along with his five MVPs, six Finals MVPs, and was named to theNBAs 75th anniversary team. With a healthier roster fortified this offseason, Portland hopes not to rely so heavily on Lillard again in 2020-21, but he has proved capable of carrying the load. Oladipo and Fultz are still young enough to add a couple more superstars to the list. He had to get famous. Early in his career he was quicker and stronger than everyone else, but as he got older he was able to add more finesse to his game. Position: SF School: Alabama Age: 20. Hes still in the top five in assists (he averaged 13.9 apg in 85) and still gets under MJs skin. Two league MVPs, a Finals MVP, and bringing a franchise to the top of sport for the first time ever. 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. In Robinsons case, his greatness was never flashy, but his presence and play helped propel the San Antonio Spurs dynasty, which was of course then carried on by Tim Duncan. While his famously vanilla playing style and quiet demeanor kept him from having a cultural impact similar to the other greats, his four championships, 14 All-Star Games, and two NBA MVP awards are indisputable evidence of his fantastic ability. Illinois 12,168 wins. More: Curry relishes opportunity to start "at ground zero again". The four highest all-time NBA single-season scoring averages all belong to Chamberlainin his first four professional seasons. Depending on the ceiling of Fox and Winslow, this could end up being a really good top five. The Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debatewill never cease, but the fact that LeBronhas already made it to this level is pretty damn amazing. Ohio 16,978 wins. And hes not all style and flair either. This was just the start for Magic, who at his size, completely changed the way the basketball world looked at guards. Who do I think was the greatest? But just because Baylor technically never won a title in his 14 years with the Lakers, two of which he spent in Minneapolis, dont let that cloud how incredible of an offensive force he was and GOAT candidate during the leagues early days. That was down to 24.4 against the LA Clippers, but Jokic dominated the glass (13.4 rebounds) and averaged 6.6 assists. Pippen is inarguably one of the greatest defenders in NBA history having made 10 All-Defensive squads (8 First-Team selections) during his 17-year career and regularly stifled the oppositions best player like it was nothing. Oscar Robertson once asked. Our latest entry to the list is Nikola Jokic and with him entering the top 30, we had to remove another all-time great in John Stockton. After four years at Wake Forest, he morphed into a generational talent that every horrible team during the 1996-97 season hoped it would land so he could single-handedly reverse their fortunes.
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