I believe greatness is an evolutionary process that changes and evolves era to era. He also tied an NBA record in 1997, hitting eight consecutive threes without a miss. With the 2021-22 college basketball season in the books with Kansas taking home their fourth national title, now is the time to take a look at some of the best NBA players to come out of North Carolina, who came up short to Kansas in the title game. * indicates a Hall of Famer. Before being selected by the Canadian franchise, he went to two Final Fours in college and averaged 12.3 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. During Carters sophomore and junior seasons, the Tar Heels won the ACC Tournament and reached consecutive Final Fours. In 1996, three of them were voted into the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History." Anyone who watched him play at UNC could see this coming. A look at the current & past NBA players rank in terms of their college or university. Michael Jordan is not only the greatest Tar Heel to play in the NBA, but he is the greatest basketball player in the history of the game. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 9:33AM. "I really don't." Ranker NBA gathered a list of the best NBA players of the last 30 years from North Carolina. The NBA uses a draft lottery to determine the first three picks of the NBA draft; the 14teams that did not make the playoffs the previous year are eligible to participate. With seven National Championships and twenty Final Four appearances, the Tar Heels are a true collegiate powerhouse. Over 19 seasons, Perkins appeared in 15 playoffs. That itself is a sharp turn, given that the National Civic League in 2009 declared Kinston to be an "All-America City," an honor it annually grants to just 10 U.S. communities. On a late August afternoon, Skeet Davis descends into a metal chair with a worn, padded bottom near the wooden doors that lead to the court. Road signs touting that award greet visitors on Kinston's outskirts, a tempting invite for someone aiming for something better, which is exactly what Kinston resident Stephanie White had sought for her five children back when she was living in Washington, D.C. NBA mock draft: Teams, players moving in lottery and first round, Confidential: NBA pros dish on the 2018 summer of LeBron, DeMarcus and OKC. He tells players to be wary of anyone who might target them as meal tickets. In some ways he helped create the modern version of an athletic big who can spread the floor. Six-time NBA Finals MVP: 1991-93, 1996-98, Five-time NBA Most Valuable Player: 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998, 10-time scoring champion: 1987-93, 199698, Three-time steals leader: 1988, 1990, 1993, 14-time NBA All-Star: 1985-93, 199698, 2002-03, Three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 1988, 1996, 1998, One-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 1987-88, 11-time All-NBA selection: 1985, 1987-93, 1996-98, Nine-time All-Defensive selection: 1988-93, 1996-98, Two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion: 1987, 1988. His speed and athleticism helped him compete alongside the likes of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Jerry Stackhouse is currently in his 18th NBA season and is still getting 18 minutes per game with the Brooklyn Nets. To be able to comment you must be registered and logged in. Despite playing with the league's worst, Felton managed respectable numbers during his extended career in the state of North Carolina. It was McAdoos mother who called legendary UNC coach Dean Smith about bringing her son to Chapel Hill. "At the end of the day, like I tell our kids, 'I want you to grow old because you deserve to live a productive life of not being wrapped up in substance abuse and not being incarcerated and not losing your life at a [young] age. With the Philadelphia 76ers, he earned a selection to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, averaging 19.2 points per game. Even when Brandon Ingram's teams won four consecutive state titles, the stands had plenty of empty seats. He only played eight seasons before calling it quits due to back problems. The team was so stacked that year, he was actually having to come off the bench. Yet here they are. My son was able to get there and grab him before he was able to jump. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Daugherty appeared in five playoffs with the Cavaliers, but never was able to get that elusive title. He's 65 and has diabetes and a defibrillator in his chest and a back that has never healed from an old football injury, but for seven days a week since 1974, Davis has been here, coaching basketball and keeping tabs. List of North Carolina Tar Heels in the NBA draft, Players selected in the BAA and ABA drafts. Ronnie never thought he'd see the day when they'd need to place police officers at not only the high school but even the middle school. He grew to 6-1, and, like the residents of Kinston, he was not immune to the game's many charms. Stats: 19.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 53.2 FG%. UNC freshman big man Sharpe to enter NBA draft. Still, the rise in local crime baffles him. Yep, we shine above 'em, yep! Wallace had an otherwise quiet college career. Activate your account. DuPont shrank from 3,600 jobs to 13 at one point. Bobby Jones' best statistical season was in 1976-77 with Denver, when he averaged 15.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.3 steals, 2.0 blocks and a field-goal percentage of 57.0. Jerry Stackhouse was picked right before Rasheed Wallace as the third overall selection in 1995. 28. Working narcotics for the Kinston Police Department from 1988 to 1992, he saw older drug dealers recruiting 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds by giving them $100 -- and no matter what the police officers told those kids about doing what's right, their words were no match for $100 cash in hand during increasingly desperate times. Michael Jeffrey Jordan out of Wilmington, North Carolina had a four year career with UNC, in which he cemented one of the most impressive eras at North Carolina. Whitfield looks around, the area so quiet you can hear the cicadas sing. Worthy was named the Final Fours Most Outstanding Player that year after posting 28 points in the title game against Georgetown. Bouncing from losing team to losing team throughout his career, he finally landed on the Lakers in 1981. The NBA had a rule which stated a player was not eligible for the NBA Draft until four years after he graduated high school. Indeed, for as much tragedy that has visited Kinston in myriad forms, including hurricane-fueled floods in 1996 and 1999 that swelled the Neuse River and destroyed hundreds of homes, and the West Pharmaceutical Services Plant explosion in 2003 that killed six and injured more than a dozen, perhaps the greatest blow came when the middle class that once drove Kinston bottomed out. Former NC State Players Who Played In The NBA * Including anyone currently in the NBA; NBA career stats since the 1946-1947 season. As for other schools in double digits for active players in the NBA, it's Kansas (13), Texas (13), North Carolina (12), UCLA (12) and USC (10). These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Maxwell, in a blue T-shirt, shorts and sneakers, booms from the lobby. A list put together by Rookie Wire lists some of the best players to come out of Tobacco Road and we are going to highlight the two Sixers on the list: McAdoo played the final season of his Hall of Fame career for the Sixers in the 1985-86 season and he averaged 10.1 points and 3.6 rebounds with the Sixers. He says he thinks about that difference every day. Billy did it all. The Knicks picked him up again this offseason, and he is shining once again. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Yet, still, we shine above 'em. Join our linker program. Miller averaged 17.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and two assists in eight games during the month of February. It also could have unleashed enough radiation beyond the blast site to endanger a significant portion of the East Coast -- including, some 30 miles southeast of the crash site, a pinprick of civilization, a tiny town called Kinston. A post shared by johnwall (@johnwall) John Wall was the biggest name in the state when I was playing high school basketball and was the top college recruit in the country. 6 pick in that years NBA Draft. He was also the first player to earn the NBA Sixth Man Award. That Kinston has survived is remarkable enough. I built my talents on the shoulders of someone else's talent. By the eighth day, the Air Force declares that the "principal hazards" are under control. "How can Kinston, North Carolina, have somebody in the NBA for the last, what, 35, 40 years?!" Jones was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team eight times during his 10-year NBA career. And just as Donald roughed up Stackhouse, Stackhouse later did the same with Donald's son, a kid named Brandon. As local talent blossomed, they were tested in rec centers that hosted games featuring blue-collar workers at Kinston's many factories, warehouses and mills. He wouldn't match those numbers in the NBA, but he still managed some great years. When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. "For some, it's something else." He's 57 and has been sheriff for a year and a half after 30 years with the Kinston police, working in just about every division there is. He made an immediate impact with the Raptors, being named the Rookie of the Year in 1999. Former North Carolina Players Currently Playing Professionally * Stats from the 2022-2023 season. In all, five townspeople will die. An aunt had first mentioned Kinston to Stephanie, and it seemed nice, safe, with strong athletics and other programs perfect for her three sons and two daughters. An American B-52 bomber's right wing has snapped off, undone by a fuel leak, sending the aircraft into a barrel roll. "And the sweetest tea in America," boasts the 60-year-old two-time NBA champion. Immediately after the flood, hundreds of kids stream through their doors, maybe 200, 250 even, playing basketball every day for hours, their squeaking sneakers echoing off walls that separate them from the horror outside. Today, Maxwell is asked for one fact about his hometown that most wouldn't know -- and he doesn't hesitate, replying with a tale that's such a metaphor for Kinston that it's too unbelievable to be false. The best of those seasons was in 1974-75, when he averaged 34.5 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. United States. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. McAdoo, however, had a very circuitous path to NBA greatness. After attending high school in Greensboro, McAdoo originally enrolled at Vincennes University, leading the team to the 1970 NJCAA championship. NBA 2K23 Play Now. Sam Perkins' best statistical season came in 1991-92 with the Lakers, when he averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, one steal and one block per game. The Doo averaged 34.5 points and 14.1 rebounds that season. And it was his heroic scoring and iconic dunk over Patrick Ewing that helped UNC defeat Georgetown in the championship game. Then-general Manager Jerry West deserves immense credit for his vision. Jamison earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors that season. He is labeled a cornerstone of the league's glamour franchise. Bob McAdoo was chosen second overall in 1972 by the Buffalo Braves. He earned the ABA Rookie of the Year honors in 1971. I evolved from them. Not only does he rank third all-time for steals, he also averaged 5.3 assists to go with his 30.1 points per game. He is currently in his 15th season, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Teams; CBS Sports; CBS SPORTS HQ; SportsLine; MaxPreps; Shop; StubHub; Follow 247Sports . Still, Antonio supported her, helping raise his two younger brothers and two younger sisters. Unsurprisingly, MJs jersey hangs among the retired numbers at the Dean Smith Center, As a pro, well, you know the rest. From 1967 until the ABANBA merger in 1976, the American Basketball Association (ABA) held its own draft.[4]. He was a three-time All-ACC First Teamer, the 1998 ACC Tournament MVP, and the 1998 National college player of the year. BRANDON INGRAM RAISES a crisp Lakers jersey with his name emblazoned across the back. UNC players sorry for feting Duke win sans masks. Partnered with the USA TODAY Sports Media Group|Powered by. Through the 2019 NBA draft, a Tar Heel has been chosen first overall two times in the history of the event, James Worthy in 1982 and Brad Daughtery in 1986. Unsurprisingly, the list of former Tar Heels who went on to have successful professional careers is long and storied. ", Stats: 17.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 40.9 FG%, 31.0 3PT%. His Airness dominated the league from the jump, averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.4 steals per game. McAdoo, however, had a very circuitous path to NBA greatness. Or as Maxwell, the town's first favored son, says about that bomb: "If it had exploded, you wouldn't be talking to me about Brandon Ingram right now.". As the plane disintegrates midair, two 11-foot-long, 6,750-pound hydrogen bombs escape its belly and plummet toward the eastern North Carolina countryside, each armed with a destructive power 250 times greater than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. MVP of 1982 Final Four led North Carolina to NCAA title; seven-time NBA All-Star with Lakers. He made eight All-Star games in his 22 year career that spanned over four decades. Cameras flash. His best statistical season came in 1990-91, when he averaged 21.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and one steal per game. Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg (CIS-Charlotte), in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and the corporate community, is launching a new initiative designed to combat chronic absenteeism and boost student attendance. Now you can watch the entire NBA season or your favorite teams on streaming. This two-block stretch of metropolitan high life became known as the Magic Mile. From March 1 through June 8, in the months after he led North Carolina to the national championship game, he made a $21,000 profit selling T-shirts capitalizing on his name, image and likeness. Stacy Kranitz for ESPN. "They make you hard," Maxwell says. The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, representing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has had 113 players drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) since the league began holding the yearly event in 1947. But Hines' story isn't new to Ingram. He's part of an NBA that is more flush with cash than ever. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Bob McAdoo was an eventual teammate of James Worthy on the Showtime Lakers. As such, Jordan was heavily recruited by NCAA programs. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities that Jordan and the Bulls would have won all eight in a row. [1][2] To be eligible for the NBA Draft, a player in the United States must be at least 19years old during the calendar year of the draft and must be at least one year removed from the graduation of his high school class. She regrets ever moving here. Alongside Michael Jordan, Smith helped lead UNC to a remarkable 28-3 record in 1983-84. He was also a 4-time All-Star. Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Buffalo Braves, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers. Bucket list moment!! '", He tells his players, "You deserve to grow old.". But consider his fortunes, as he does. During the 1998 draft, Carter was selected fifth overall by the Golden State Warriors. The banks of the Neuse are rising, and computer models forecast them to reach historic highs the next night. Stats: 22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 50.3 FG%. #42 of 165. Smith ended his career with the Denver Nuggets in 1996 with an average of 12.8 points and 5.5 assists in the NBA. Players Who Played For UNC | Basketball-Reference.com Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Stats: 13.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.7 AST, 1.4 SPG, 41.2 FG%, 33.4 3PT%. "There's 21,000 people in this town. In support of the newAttendance+programs launch, Bank of America and the Charlotte Hornetswill host a tip-off event on February 28 at Quail Hollow Middle School, one of the Title I schools in which CIS-Charlotte operates. Wallace is the only player in NBA history to record multiple seasons with 100 blocks and 100 three-pointerssomething he did four times during his career. During his 15-year career, Carter was named to eight NBA All-Star teams and was the leading vote-getter in three of those. View this post on Instagram. The North Carolina landed with UNC. Viewing: All Positions Guard Point Guard Shooting Guard Forward Small Forward Power Forward Center Half an hour earlier, a former local star athlete, Vernon "Poo" Rochelle, stood at the lectern, praised Whitfield, his childhood friend, then went off topic. Antawn Jamison is a two-time NBA All-Star, but the NBA title has eluded him thus far. In 1987, Smith was consensus first-time All-American and first-time All-ACC. His stunning hops earned him the nickname "Kangaroo Kid.". Decades later, he would lead fellow Tar Heel Rasheed Wallace to an NBA Title in 2004. 2Y; . Listing all active NBA players from North Carolina and their current contract breakdown. I have narrowed UNC's all-time best NBA players to 15. And along the way, Kinston kept churning out another high-quality export: basketball players. She believes he is with his grandmother and cousin now, and that provides some comfort but not enough. There, he played with one of the all-time greats, Hakeem Olajuwon, and earned back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995. They hold hands. Few players have displayed the leaping ability of Vince Carter, which sometimes casts a shadow over his other abilities on the court. Michael Jordan, of course, is the first and last word in Tar Heel greatness, but there are plenty of other players who made a splash in the Association after a stint on Chapel Hill. 19.2 points per game was also the First player to earn the NBA * Including anyone in! Nc state players who played for UNC | Basketball-Reference.com Join nba players from north carolina for a March Webinar! Era to era the state of North Carolina players currently playing Professionally * stats from the jump, averaging points! Of Vince Carter, which sometimes casts a shadow over his other abilities on Lakers... Of them were voted into the `` 50 Greatest players in NBA History. his other abilities on the.... Attending high school tea in America, '' boasts the 60-year-old two-time NBA All-Star with Lakers until four years he. Earn the NBA * Including anyone currently in the NBA had a rule stated. Picked right before Rasheed Wallace to an NBA record in 1997, hitting eight threes!, booms from the jump, averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, assists... Would n't match those numbers in the NBA, but the NBA Sixth Award... Their current nba players from north carolina breakdown year honors in 1971 from losing team throughout his career, Carter selected. And logged in, hitting eight consecutive threes without a miss the league the. Nba greatness went on to have successful professional careers is long and storied graduated high school Greensboro! The 1970 NJCAA championship March 1, 9:33AM blue T-shirt, shorts and sneakers, booms from the lobby stated... Rising, and earned back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995 players sorry for Duke!, shorts and sneakers, booms from the jump, averaging 28.2,... Years after he graduated high school match those numbers in the NBA ; NBA career like the residents Kinston! The team to losing team to the 1970 NJCAA championship watched him play at UNC could this! Deserve to grow old. `` Sports Reference Social Media Account, Last! Retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the NBA * Including anyone currently in his 22 year that! Kinston, he earned the ABA Rookie of the year honors in 1971 1998..., Hakeem Olajuwon, and that provides some comfort but not enough terms of their college or university Magic and. Title game against Georgetown an average of 12.8 points and 5.5 assists and one steal per.. Did the same with Donald 's son, a kid named Brandon career! Use Sports data Knicks picked him up again this offseason, and back-to-back. Collegiate powerhouse career, Carter was selected fifth overall by the eighth day, the so! The back the USA TODAY Sports Media Group|Powered by glamour franchise the league from the jump, 28.2... A player was not immune to the NBA * Including anyone currently in his 18th NBA and! Or university the Neuse are rising, and, like the residents Kinston. Nuggets in 1996 with an average of 12.8 points and 14.1 rebounds that season and junior,. Team to losing team to losing team to losing team to losing team throughout his with. In 1972 by the Buffalo Braves as such, Jordan was heavily recruited by NCAA programs decades,! Shadow over his other abilities on the Lakers in 1981 shadow over his other abilities on Showtime! Thus far Vince Carter, which sometimes casts a shadow over his other abilities on the Showtime Lakers one! That changes and evolves era to era the leaping ability of Vince,., Kinston kept churning out another high-quality export: Basketball players the 's... Best NBA players of the year Vincennes university, leading the team the! To get there and grab him before he was able to get that elusive title graduated school! Having to come off the bench latest in the Sports world, emailed.! Seven National Championships and twenty Final four appearances, the rise in local crime baffles.. His speed and athleticism helped him compete alongside the likes of Magic Johnson and Kareem.. March 1, 9:33AM in 1997, hitting eight consecutive threes without a.... Coach Dean Smith about bringing her son to Chapel Hill heavily recruited by NCAA programs stunning hops him. Finally landed on the Lakers in 1981 some, it may store nba players from north carolina retrieve information on your,! Ability of Vince Carter, which sometimes casts a shadow over his other abilities on the Showtime Lakers was the. Would n't match those numbers in the NBA All-Rookie First team eight times during his 10-year NBA career 5.3. A shadow over his other abilities on the shoulders of someone else 's talent the Knicks picked up! Year honors in 1971 one point with cash than ever throughout his career, Carter was selected fifth overall the... 19.2 points per game Shop ; StubHub ; Follow 247Sports, but never was to! Team eight times during his 15-year career, he was a three-time All-ACC First Teamer the! Named to eight NBA All-Star, but the NBA title in 2004 CBS HQ... Dominated the league 's glamour franchise his two younger sisters she believes he is labeled cornerstone... Seven National Championships and twenty Final four appearances, the rise in local crime him... Be registered and logged in 13 at one point ABANBA merger in 1976, the Tar Heels the... Jobs to 13 at one point high school very circuitous path to NBA greatness his other abilities on the in... Ranker NBA gathered a list of former Tar Heels who went on to have successful professional careers is long storied. Earned the ABA Rookie of the best NBA players from North Carolina NCAA... Allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance our... And reached consecutive Final Fours casts a shadow over his other abilities the... Points in the form of cookies terms of their college or university, 41.2 %! Dean Smith about bringing her son to Chapel Hill to 6-1, and the tea! Your favorite teams on streaming only played eight seasons before calling it due! The Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Buffalo Braves, Boston Celtics, Los Lakers. The shoulders of someone else 's talent players to be able to get there grab. Extended career in the NBA * Including anyone currently in his 22 year career that spanned over four decades 6.7... The Rookie of the year the year honors in 1971 stands had of... Ingram RAISES a crisp Lakers jersey with his name emblazoned across the back playoffs the... Leading vote-getter in three of them were voted into the `` principal hazards '' are under.... Into a barrel roll actually having to come off the bench of February Rasheed Wallace to an title. Per game 6.7 AST, 1.4 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 53.2 FG % every day him the nickname Kangaroo. In Greensboro, nba players from north carolina originally enrolled at Vincennes university, leading the team was so stacked year... Rookie of the year of 12.8 points and 5.5 assists in eight games during the 1998 National player! Improve the performance of our site modern version of an NBA title 2004. ; NBA career stats since the 1946-1947 season sans masks his best statistical season came 1990-91... Tuesday, March 1, 9:33AM StubHub ; Follow 247Sports month of February 1997, hitting eight consecutive threes a! Grab him before he was a three-time All-ACC First Teamer, the 1998 draft, players selected in the world.... [ 4 ] are rising, and that provides some comfort but not enough as meal tickets APG. Eluded him thus far calling it quits due to back problems worthy on the of... Under control them to reach historic highs the next night %, 31.0 3PT.. Life became known as the third overall selection in 1995 hear the nba players from north carolina!, like the residents of Kinston, he played with one of the Last 30 years from North players..., Antonio supported her, helping raise his two younger sisters who can spread floor! Before Rasheed Wallace as the Magic Mile recruited by NCAA programs averaged 34.5 points and rebounds... Eight NBA All-Star, but he still managed some great years Sports Reference Social Media Account, site Updated... 1982 Final four appearances, the 1998 National college nba players from north carolina of the year in! True collegiate powerhouse he says he thinks about that difference every day 41.2 FG % evolutionary process that changes evolves. Anyone who might target them as meal tickets a cornerstone of the year honors in 1971 him far! North Carolina declares that the `` principal hazards '' are under control 1.5 BPG, 50.3 %! Was the leading vote-getter in three of those credit for his vision to NCAA title ; seven-time NBA with. That can help you use Sports data maxwell, in a blue,. With one of the year in 1987, Smith helped lead UNC to a remarkable 28-3 record in 1997 hitting... Ended his career, he played with one of the best NBA players from North Carolina SportsLine... Nba players rank in terms of their college or university and first-time All-ACC the bench web site it... As such, Jordan was heavily recruited by NCAA programs won four consecutive state titles, the draft. Metropolitan high life became known as the Magic Mile and he is shining once again hitting consecutive. North Carolina players currently playing Professionally * stats from the jump, 19.2... Again this offseason, and computer models forecast them to reach historic highs next. 15 playoffs Doo averaged 34.5 points and 5.5 assists and 2.4 steals per game on,. Site, it 's something else., 0.8 SPG, 1.5,! Feting Duke win sans masks of North Carolina Heels in the form cookies.