What NBA Players Went to Michigan State?

Many NBA players have gone to Michigan State over the years. Some of the most notable names include Magic Johnson, Steve Smith, and Draymond Green.

NBA Players from Michigan State

NBA players from Michigan State have had a long and successful tradition in the NBA. Some of the most successful and well-known NBA players have come from Michigan State. These players have not only had successful NBA careers, but they have also been All-Stars and have won championships.

Draymond Green

Draymond Jamal Green Sr. (born March 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Michigan State, where he was a two-time All-American and won a national championship in 2010. Green was selected by the Warriors in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft with the 35th overall pick.

Green has earned NBA All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Valuable Player honors. He helped lead the Warriors to three NBA championships (2015, 2017, and 2018). He is one of only four players in NBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season (2017–18).

Magic Johnson

Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player and current president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played point guard for the Lakers for 13 seasons. After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play 32 games for the Lakers during the 1992–93 season. He became a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame—being enshrined in 2002 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the “Dream Team”, In 1996, Johnson was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

Nicknamed “Magic”,[1][2] Johnson was noted for his quickness, big smile,[3] and misfortune of being drafted by and playing for perennial losing teams early in his career.[4] However, he led the Lakers to five NBA championships,[5][6] earned three NBA MVP Awards,[7][8] nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games,[9] and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations.[10][11] He is considered one of the all-time greats in basketball history.[a][12][13][14]

After winning championships at Everett High School[16] and Michigan State University,[17][18] Larry Bird reportedly called Johnson to tell him that he would be drafted number one overall by the Los Angeles Lakers; both players would ultimately end their careers with induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[19][20] In his first season, he was a key player on a team that also featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar[21] and fellow rookie Norm Nixon; together they helped lead coach Paul Westhead’s fast-paced “Showtime” offense to an NBA championship over Julius Erving’s Philadelphia 76ers.[22] Johnson continued to excel despite experiencing early disappointment when his team failed to defend their title in 1981. He helped defeat Philadelphia again 1982 en route to claiming another title; it was those two seasons where he emerged as one of league’s premier players each averaging around 18 points per game while dishing out nearly 10 assists each contest.[23][24 ]

Mateen Cleaves

Mateen Cleaves is a former American professional basketball player who is now a studio analyst for Fox Sports Detroit. He played college basketball for Michigan State University, where he helped lead the Spartans to the 2000 NCAA Division I National Championship. He was then selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2000 NBA draft with the 14th overall pick. Cleaves played four seasons in the NBA before spending several years playing professionally in Europe and Asia.

Steve Smith

Smith was born in Highland Park, Michigan and played collegiately at Michigan State University. A 6’8″ small forward, he was drafted fifth overall by the Miami Heat in the 1991 NBA draft. He spent the first four years of his career with the Heat, before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 1995.

Other Notable Michigan State NBA Players

Michigan State has been a breeding ground for NBA talent over the years. Some of the most notable Michigan State NBA players include Magic Johnson, Steve Smith, and Jason Richardson. These are just a few of the Michigan State NBA players that have made a name for themselves in the league.

Scott Skiles

Skiles was the seventh overall pick in the 1986 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He played 10 seasons with the Bucks, leading them to the playoffs four times. He was an NBA All-Star in 1991 and a member of the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team in 1992. In his second season, Skiles set an NBA record for assists in a game with 30, a record that still stands.

Jay Vincent

Jay Vincent (born November 8, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 1991. After playing college basketball for Michigan State University, he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 1981 NBA draft. Vincent averaged double figures in scoring in each of his first eight NBA seasons, including a career-high 21.4 points per game for the San Diego Clippers in 1984–85. He was out of the NBA for two seasons before returning to play for the Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. Vincent also spent time playing overseas in Italy and Greece.

Jay Vincent was born in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Flint, Michigan. He attended Flint Northern High School, where he played high school basketball under head coach Tim Herman. As a senior in 1976–77, he averaged 27 points and 12 rebounds per game, leading Flint Northern to a 20–2 record and a #3 ranking in the state of Michigan.

After high school, Vincent attended Michigan State University, where he played college basketball for head coach Jud Heathcote. As a freshman in 1977–78, he averaged 11 points and 3 rebounds per game. As a sophomore in 1978–79, he averaged 17 points and 5 rebounds per game. In his junior season of 1979–80, Vincent averaged 19 points and 5 rebounds per game as Michigan State won the NCAA championship with a magic Johnson-led team that is often considered one of the best college basketball teams of all time. The following year, his senior season of 1980–81, Vincent again averaged 19 points per game as the Spartans reached the NCAA championship game before losing to Indiana University. For his collegiate career, Vincent totaled 1,706 points (17th all-time at MSU), 572 rebounds (tied for 23rd), 117 steals (tied for 10th), and 73 blocks (tied for 10th). He was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.