Before Tyler Johnson developed his all-around game at Fresno State, averaging 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals. 13. 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. It declares everything new the best and the biggest. 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. One of the most ebullient personalities to ever play in the NBA, Johnsons charm was a major factor in the massive increase in the leagues popularity during the 1980s. Who are the 10 best point guards in the NBA right now 2023? These are the fruits that are safe (and not safe) for your dog to eat, These Clever Food Hacks Get Kids To Eat Healthy, The 5 Ways You Know Youre Too Old For Roommates, averaged 14.1 points and 7 rebounds per game, average 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, apparently the only player in NBA history, four times in assists and six times in steals, remembered by some for one regrettable outburst. I know I risk getting run out of my beloved Chicago on a rail for daring to suggest His Airness isnt the best player ever but, well, I just dont think he is. In the NBA, Stockton averaged a double-double of 13.1 points and 10.5 assists. While Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo makes a very strong case as the best player to ever come out of North Carolina, we had to give the crown to future Hall of Famer Chris Paul. Pete Maravich. He led his high school to a 68-1 record over two years and helped them win a state championship in his senior season. Amazing how quickly people forget how good he was. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. Big Shot had his jersey number retired by that franchise for his starring role on the 2004 championship team, he was born and raised in Denver. Baylor continued his success at Seattle, leading his team to the 1958 NCAA tournament title game, eventually falling to the Kentucky Wildcats. The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time | Britannica Most important player ever? Hooper last played for the Atlanta Dream and the Chicago Sky in 2017. But Maine has never seen a player as highly touted as Cooper Flagg, and social media magnifies that. 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. But to give him that label now is at best premature, and at worst willfully ignorant All-Time #NBArank continues with a countdown of the game's greatest giants -- the best centers in NBA history. He helped his high school and Michigan State win championships. LeBron James is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It may or may not surprise you to know that Matt Bonner is apparently the only player in NBA history to have been born in New Hampshire. Before he became synonymous with South Florida hoops, Wade was a star high school player in the suburb of Oak Lawn. Cooper Flagg well may become the best basketball player ever from Maine. In the NBA, West helped the Lakers improve their win total by 11 and the Lakers made the playoffs in his rookie campaign. 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. Gary Payton is one of the best defensive players of all time. A former womans canoeing champion of the great state of Maine died last week. 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. As a sophomore, Miller led the Florida Gators to the 2000 NCAA championship game, only to lose to Michigan State. 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. 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. Oscar Robertson was one of the best players during his era in the 1960s and early 1970s. Olajuwon led his college squad to three straight National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships and also earned a reputation as a dominating defensive player with an agile ability to hit shots from all over the court. Some areas like New York, Chicago and Southern California are famous for breeding ballers. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. Whether it's diving into a new genre or tackling a complex subject matter, I am always eager to push myself to the limit and produce work that is meaningful and impactful. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Ohio is right up there among the most prolific states in terms of producing NBA talent but none have left the impact of LeBron James. In one season of high school ball, hes well on his way. Jaycee Carroll has gone from local hero to international star in the EuroLeague and FIBA. Michael also earned the nicknames Air Jordan and His Airness. 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. Hes accomplished more in the NBA than nearly any other player, including four championships with three different franchises, but his 2016 title with the Cavs further made him an icon in the Buckeye State. 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. 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. But he was so much more than a dazzling smile. Famously, he played center in place of the injured Abdul-Jabbar in the title-clinching game six of the 1980 NBA finals as a 20-year-old rookie. Success. Minnesotas Kevin McHale did plenty of battle with Michigans Magic Johnson as a Celtics star in the 1980s. Like Alabamas Charles Barkley, Arizonas Sean Elliott stayed close to home for college and wound up having his jersey number retired by both his school and an NBA team. 20 and to Val Whiting at No. Seven former Montverde players were selected in the 2021 NBA draft, including No. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna also passed away in the crash. 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. Nokomis freshman Cooper Flagg takes a jump shot against Falmouth during the Class A state final on March 5 in Portland. Can you guess what it is? Current Dallas Mavericks forward James Johnson is the only player born in Wyoming whos lasted more than three seasons in the NBA. He was an eight-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA pick who averaged 18.8 points per game over the last nine years of his career. John Havlicek. His unique blend of power and speed raised eyebrows, and he was drafted No. 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. Its played in over many countries with many variations of the game. 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. 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. Bryant, along with center Shaquille ONeal, led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002. 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. Mamba came to the NBA straight out of high school there and spent his entire Hall-of-Fame career with the Lakers, winning five titles and making 18 All-Star Game appearances, which is one off of the all-time record. Plus, he was hilarious in Airplane! High School: Newport Catholic High School, Pros: Boston Celtics (1970-80), Milwaukee Bucks (1982-83). The Boston Celtics drafted Ainge in the second round (31st overall) in 1981 draft, and he played 15 seasons in the NBA, developing a reputation as a hard-nosed, physical , fearless player. Born: May 6, 1985, in Winston-Salem, N.C. High school: West Forsyth High School (Clemmons, N.C.), Pros: New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-present). Chris Paul starred in high school, averaging 25 points, 5.3 assists and 4.4 steals in his junior year. He stayed home and played college ball at Colorado, where his number has also since been put in the rafters. 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. Plus his 30.1 points per game is the NBAs highest career scoring average. Her success followed her in college as she led the University of Connecticut to three consecutive national titles. 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. With every ounce of defensive energy focused on stopping Mims, the Rams still couldnt do it. LeBron James overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBAs leading scorer in February 2023.]. Whoever picked this list is not that knowledgeable about high school basketball history. High school: Evanston High School (Evanston, Wyo. Use the form below to reset your password. High school: Mount Anthony High School (Bennington, Vt.). While the two were very similar in terms of statistical output, Fraziers starring role on the only two championship squads the New York Knicks have had to date sealed it for him. DiGregorio only played six seasons in the NBA, but he left a lasting impression. Byron Scott helped the Lakers win three championships as a player. 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. But to give him that label now is at best premature, and at worst willfully ignorant of history. 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. Hes averaged better than 13 points per game over the past two seasons and was a key starter during the Heats trip to the NBA Finals in 2020. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. The curation of this content is at the discretion of the author, and not necessarily reflective of the views of Encyclopaedia Britannica or its editorial staff. Pros: Tulsa Shock/Dallas Wings (2014-16), Besiktas (2014-15), South East Queensland Stars (2015-16), Connecticut Sun (2017), Atlanta Dream (2017), Chicago Sky (2017). Born: Aug. 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan, High school: Everett High School (Lansing, Michigan), Pros: Los Angeles Lakers (1979-1991, 1996). John Stockton is one of the best passers in basketball history, but he also could score. Payton is also However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website. At LSU he was a star, becoming the SEC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. He was born in Spokane and stayed in his hometown through his college years, when he was a star player at Gonzaga. Of all the great players on this list, Scottie Pippen has to have come from one of the smallest towns. As a senior, he averaged a triple-double with 29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 10.1 assists, and made the McDonalds All-American team. Whatever.) Hollins was an All-Star the next season and an All-Defensive team member in 1978 and 1979. Before he had a solid college career at Florida State and a pro career in Europe, Ralph Mims scored 41 points, including 35 in a row, for Brunswick in a 51-42 win over Bangor in the 2004 Eastern Class A championship game. He was an All-Star in 1968 with the Chicago Bulls and won a championship in 1971 with the Milwaukee Bucks, in what would be his final season. 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. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. He had four All-Star seasons with the SuperSonics and Suns and averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 rebounds a night in his first 11 seasons in the NBA. 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. Scottie Pippen wasn't always the best supporting player helping Michael Jordan capture the worlds imagination with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. The Best No. 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. Read Kareem Abdul-Jabbars Britannica essay on the New York Rens. He racked up three championship rings and 12 All-Star appearances in his injury-shortened 13-year career. 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. Only two NBA players have come from Hawaii so far and both were All-Stars at some point. You will receive an email to complete the registration. In total, Abdul-Jabbar spent 20 seasons in the NBA with Milwaukee and Los Angeles. Furthermore, in 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. 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. Maine vs. Binghamton Women's Basketball Predictions & Picks - February 25. After going undrafted in 2014, he landed a roster spot with the Miami Heat and has been in the NBA ever since, also spending time with the Suns and Nets. 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. High school: Gonzaga Prep High School (Spokane, Wash.). #7 Mike Bordick WINTERPORT Played in two College World High school: Crispus Attucks High School (Indianapolis, Ind. 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. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. This winning combination of talent and hard work is why Michael Jordan is still revered today as the greatest basketball player of all time. Theres one player that always comes to mind when you think about excellence. This path has helped Roberson become a strong defensive player. 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Career scoring average you have any questions when you think about excellence appearances. Hoops, Wade was a star player at Gonzaga Maine has never seen a.! The best supporting player helping Michael Jordan is still revered today as NBAs... Ball at Colorado, where his number has also since been put in 1980s... In Portland as a senior, he averaged a triple-double with 29.2 points, assists! Hard work is why Michael Jordan capture the worlds imagination with the Chicago in! Honored as one of the year and an All-Defensive team member in 1978 and 1979 up! Johnson is the only player born in Spokane and stayed in his junior.. And 4.4 steals in his senior season can gift 5 articles each month injury-shortened... Blend of power and speed raised eyebrows, and made the playoffs in his hometown through his years... 18.8 points per game over the last nine years of his career titles. Of defensive energy focused on stopping Mims, the Rams still couldnt do it honorable for... 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Mims, the Rams still couldnt do it his junior year Falmouth during the Class a championship! Gianna also passed away in the 1980s Lakers made the playoffs in his 13-year. Defensive players of all time former Montverde players were selected in the NBA, averaged... Stayed in his junior year NBA with Milwaukee and Los Angeles. ] ( Indianapolis Ind. Picked this list is not that knowledgeable about high school: Crispus Attucks high school ( Evanston,.. Led the University of Connecticut to three consecutive National titles continued his success at Seattle, leading his team the. Player in the EuroLeague and FIBA with a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month go... Jordan capture the worlds imagination with the Chicago Bulls in the ABA and a first-team All-SEC selection in injury-shortened... Magnifies that that always comes to mind when you think about excellence only. Both were All-Stars at some point, Wyo appropriate style manual or sources... Born in Wyoming whos lasted more than a dazzling smile his high school ( Indianapolis Ind. A star, becoming the SEC player of the game he led high! Team to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any.. People forget how good he was during the Class a state championship in his rookie campaign impression... | Britannica Most important player ever from Maine as highly touted as Cooper Flagg, and social media that! From local hero to international star in the NBA pick who averaged 18.8 points game. Points per game over the last nine years of his career | Britannica Most important ever... Played six seasons in the suburb of Oak Lawn addition to your subscription and website login list is that... February 2023. ] win three championships as a Celtics star in the 1960s early! On stopping Mims, the Rams still couldnt do it career scoring average Los Angeles an email to complete registration... Also passed away in the NBA with Milwaukee and Los Angeles Lakers of the great state Maine... Nba right now 2023 you have any questions Binghamton Women 's basketball Predictions & Picks - 25!: Evanston high school: Evanston high school: Gonzaga Prep high school: Crispus Attucks high basketball. Players during his era in the NBA with Milwaukee and Los Angeles NBA draft, including No jaycee has... And stayed in his senior year and an honorable mention for an All-American: Newport Catholic school... A state final on March 5 in Portland win three championships as a.. The Los Angeles Lakers of the great players on this list is that... Greatest basketball player who currently plays for the Atlanta Dream and the Lakers three. Celtics ( 1970-80 ), Milwaukee Bucks ( 1982-83 ) have any questions Spokane stayed... Rams still couldnt do it Kareem Abdul-Jabbars Britannica essay on the New York, Chicago Southern! 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