NBA Players Who Went to College

Wondering which NBA players went to college? Here’s a list of some of the best, including Lebron James Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving one of the best point guards in the NBA today went to Duke University for his collegiate career. He helped lead the team to a National Championship in 2010 and was subsequently drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft Kyrie has since gone on to make multiple All-Star teams and was even named the NBA Finals MVP when he helped lead the Cavaliers to a historic comeback against the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star 11 times and an All-NBA team member 10 times. He played college basketball for one season with the Syracuse Orange winning a National Championship before declaring for the NBA Draft Anthony was selected with the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets and slowly emerged as a star player in his first few seasons. He won gold medals as a member of Team USA at the 2004 Summer Olympics and again at the 2008 Summer Olympics

While playing for Denver, Anthony led the Nuggets to their first playoff appearance in nine years; he was traded to the New York Knicks after requesting a trade from Denver in 2009. In New York, Anthony became one of two main scoring options on a team which also included Amar’e Stoudemire; he later played as a small forward following Jeremy Lin’s breakout season. In 2012–13, he led a Knicks team lacking other established stars to its second-best record in 18 years and its first playoff appearance since 2001–02. While those accomplishments were significant, they were overshadowed by a series of low points during his tenure with New York: not qualifying for playoffs any of his 5 full seasons there; periodically being clashed with former coaches Mike D’Antoni and Derek Fisher having some off court legal trouble; developing a reputation as someone who did not make those around him better and not being able to prevent fellow star Kristaps Porziņģis from suffering multiple season ending injuries. Afterward, he was traded to Oklahoma City where he spent one season before signing with Houston where he spent three seasons before signing back with Portland where he had started his career.

LeBron James

Lebron James is one of the most successful NBA players of all time. He was drafted out of High School by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 and played for them until 2010, when he joined the Miami Heat He won two championships with the Heat, in 2012 and 2013, before returning to the Cavaliers in 2014. He has since wonanother championship with the Cavaliers, in 2016. In addition to his three NBA championships Lebron James has also been named NBA MVP four times (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) and NBA Finals MVP three times (2012, 2013, 2016).

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant played college basketball at Lower Merion high school in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. He entered the NBA directly from high school and played for the Los Angeles Lakers his entire 20-year career.

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is one of the most successful NBA players who went to college. He played one season of College Basketball for the University of Texas before being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007. Durant was named Rookie of the Year in his first season and quickly became one of the league’s best players. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009 and helped lead them to the NBA Finals in 2012. Durant was named MVP of the NBA Finals in 2014 and has won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade played College Basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles He was drafted fifth overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Miami Heat He has played for the Heat his entire NBA Career Wade is a nine-Ime Nba All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team three times. He was the NBA Scoring champion in 2009. He has also been named the NBA Finals MVP three times and is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award an All-Star game Most Valuable Player Award two Olympic gold medals, and led the NBA in assists four times and steals six times. He has also been selected to nine NBA All-Star teams, eight All-NBA teams and nine NBA All-Defensive Teams

Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin who was drafted first overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers played two seasons of college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners before going pro. He was named the National Player of the Year in 2009 and led the Sooners to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament that year.

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook was drafted 4th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2008 NBA Draft He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and was named to the Consensus All-American first team twice. He is a nine-time NBA All-Star and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2017. Westbrook has also been selected to eight All-NBA Teams and nine NBA All-Defensive teams.

Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan is a retired Professional Basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire 19-year career. He is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time and was a two-time NBA MVP and five-time NBA Champion Duncan was also a 15-time NBA All-Star and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Duncan attended Wake Forest University, where he was a four-year starter for the men’s basketball team He helped lead the team to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Final Fours. Duncan was named the National Player of the Year as a senior in 1997 and was drafted first overall by the Spurs in the 1997 NBA Draft