He racked up three championship rings and 12 All-Star appearances in his injury-shortened 13-year career. The late big man was born in Petersburg and was one of the first truly great NBA stars to come to the pros straight out of high school. The Atlanta native was a seven-time All-Star in 13 NBA seasons, as well as a seven-time member of the first-team All-Defensive squad. In the NBA, Bonner played for the Toronto Raptors for a couple of years until he got traded to the Spurs in 2006. 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. 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. After college, he was drafted fifth overall in the NBA draft by the New York Knicks and led the franchise to its only two championships in 1970 and 1973. He went on to play college hoops at the University of Oregon, where he was named the Pac-10s player of the year in 1991. Diana Taurasi is the best offensive player in WNBA history (and No. LeBron James feels he is the best basketball player that ever played the game James is 36 points away from becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer By Joe Following his 10-year playing career, Hollins wore a coaching suit for over 30 years. He led the NBA in scoring for two seasons. Kobe Bryant developed his closing skills in his youth on the way to greatness. Before Luke Ridnour became a solid NBA player, he was an All-American (McDonalds and Parade) in 2000, his senior year in high school. But to give him that label now is at best premature, and at worst willfully ignorant But to give him that label now is at best premature, and at worst willfully ignorant of history. He won a league title in all but two of his 13 seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics. After several NBA summer league stops, Carroll went to Real Madrid, where he helped them win the EuroLeague championship in 2014-2015 and in May 2018. Shaq then found great success at LSU, becoming a two-time All-American and SEC Player of the Year. 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. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. Success at the WNBA level followed as she helped lead the Phoenix Mercury to their first WNBA title over the defending champion, Detroit Shock in 2007. 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. Michael Jordan is easily the best basketball player of all-time in the NBA history. Sam Cassell wasn't the biggest player in basketball history, but he had big game. 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 starred at Evanston High School in Wyoming, averaging 27.4 points, 3.3 steals and 2.8 assists per game as a junior. Don't have a commenting profile? His 13-year-old daughter Gianna also passed away in the crash. Plus, he was hilarious in Airplane! Kobe Bean Bryant is an American former basketball player. Kevin McHale became a legend early. High school: Lawrence High School (Fairfield, Maine), Pros: Cleveland Rockers (1998), Sacramento Monarchs (1999-2001). Calvin Murphy was born and raised in Norwalk, which is in the New York City metro area. 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). Whatever.) With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. He had 63 points in a game against his old high school, Phelps. In 2007 he also led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA finals appearance against the San Antonio Spurs. Hollins was an All-Star the next season and an All-Defensive team member in 1978 and 1979. 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. Bryant entered the NBA directly from high school. In his junior year, he led the nation in scoring at 28.1 points per game and helped Gonzaga get a berth in the NCAA tournament, making it to the Sweet 16 before succumbing to UCLA. So, yeah, Magic Johnsonneat guy. 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. Furthermore, in 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Our pick for the best baller from Massachusetts never spent any time playing with the Celtics, instead making his name with the Pistons. Born: February 19, 1980, in Mitchell, S.D. 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. ), Pros: Teramo Basket (2008-09), Gran Canaria (2009-11), Real Madrid (2011-present). 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. 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. Point guard Luke Ridnour is the only Idahoan to last more than five years in the NBA, according to Basketball Reference. So here is the article on the greatest basketball players of all time. 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. Its played in over many countries with many variations of the game. Born: August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pa. Died: Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas, California (age 41), High school: Lower Merion High School (Ardmore, Pa.). 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. His best year was in 1973, as he averaged 20.5 points and 16.2 rebounds per game, helping lead the Celtics to a league-best 68-14 record. We all know Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time. After graduating from high school in Nevada, he played two seasons at Dixie State College (in St. George, Utah) and two years at Arizona State before going pro. Haywood was born in Silver City (population: 288) before eventually becoming an NBA champion with the Lakers in 1980. Whoever picked this list is not that knowledgeable about high school basketball history. Garnett made the leap from high school to the pros, and became a star with the Minnesota Timberwolves. 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. 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. 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. In 1995 they won again, beating the Orlando Magic. 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. High school: Crispus Attucks High School (Indianapolis, Ind. Ceballos bounced around with five teams over his lengthy career, averaging 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a small forward. Once there, he would finish with an emphatic dunk, a foolproof strategy that helped ONeal lead the NBA in field-goal percentage 10 times in his career. 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. 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 High school: Springs Valley High School (French Lick, Ind.). 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. Former rookie of the year Mike Miller is one of just five players from South Dakota in NBA history and he had the best career of any of them by far. After that, he declared for the NBA draft and was selected third overall by the Charlotte Bobcats. Matt Bonner helped Concord High School to three state championships. The Phoenix Suns selected Ceballos in the second round of the 1990 NBA draft with the 48th overall pick. Oh jeez, this guy. 1 Overall NBA Draft Picks of All Time #47 of 80 The Best Point Guards Currently in the NBA #27 of 34 In his last NBA game on April 13, 2016, Bryant scored 60 points. Allen Iverson is one of the greatest pound-for-pound players in NBA history. But ONeal wasnt just pure physicalityhe was surprisingly graceful for such a massive man and he had a deft touch with his close-range jump shots. In more than 1,000 career NBA games, Billups averaged 15.2 points and was a five-time All-Star. But lets take a look at the best basketball players to come from the United States. He typified the power forward position and was named to seven All-Star teams. Jackson was part of the NBAs All-Rookie first team in 1968 and came off the bench to help the Knicks win a title in 1973. 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. WebHigh School Sports - Schedules, Scores, Rankings - MaxPreps ), Pros: Chicago Sky (2013-16), Washington Mystics (2017-present). He spent 12 seasons in the league, also playing with the Heat, Cavaliers, Celtics, Timberwolves and Clippers. He led the franchise to its first championship in Los Angeles in 1972. Murphy spent at 13 of his NBA seasons with the Rockets organization, rarely missing games and averaging 17.9 points per game. Johnsons otherworldly passing set the stage for the Showtime L.A. Lakers teams that captured five championships during his 13 years with the franchise. In the NBA, Porter went 24th overall to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 draft and helped the team make it to the NBA Finals twice during his tenure. Ernie DiGregorio was a phenomenal passer before he made the NBA. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website. Most important player ever? In high school, Pippen was the man, leading his team to the state playoffs as an all-conference star his senior year. High school: Bartlett High School (Anchorage), Pros: Miami Heat (2008-15), Memphis Grizzlies (2015-16). 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. Mims scored 80 percent of his teams points and nearly outscored Bangor himself, and he didnt score a point in the first quarter. That was the case with Charles Barkley, whose roots in Alabama run deep. Others play overseas. Before he was internationally known by a single nickname, Shaquille ONeal was born in Newark and the Boys and Girls Club of America chapter there played a major part in his early life. Along with teammate Larry Bird, McHale helped lead the Celtics to three NBA championships in his 13 seasons there, averaging 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for his career. 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. 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