North Carolina Players in the NBA

The North Carolina Players in the Nba Blog tracks the progress of all the players from North Carolina who are currently playing in the NBA.

North Carolina’s NBA history

North Carolina has a long and storied history in the NBA, dating back to the league’s inception in 1946. The state has produced some of the game’s greatest players including Michael Jordan Jerry West and Lebron James North Carolina has also been home to several NBA teams most notably the Charlotte Hornets and the Raleigh-Durham Bulls

Notable North Carolina NBA players

Since the NBA was founded in 1946, North Carolina has been home to some of the greatest players in the league. Here are just a few of the most notable North Carolina NBA players

--Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1998, winning six NBA championships
--Lebron James is a current NBA superstar and one of the greatest players of his generation. He played for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2010 and then again from 2014 to 2018, winning one NBA Championship
-Shaquille O’Neal is a retired NBA legend who was one of the most dominant players of his generation. He played for six different teams during his career, winning four NBA Championships

North Carolina’s current NBA players

There are currently twelve North Carolina players in the NBA. They are:

Andre Drummond – Detroit Pistons
Harrison Barnes – Dallas Mavericks
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Los Angeles Lakers
Marvin Williams – Charlotte Hornets
Zach LaVine – Chicago Bulls
Justin Jackson – Sacramento Kings
Tony Parker – Charlotte Hornets
John Collins – Atlanta Hawks
Moses Malone Jr. – Houston Rockets
Wendell Carter Jr. – Chicago Bulls
Theo Pinson – Brooklyn Nets
Reggie Bullock – New York Knicks

North Carolina’s NBA draft picks

In total, North Carolina has had 208 NBA Draft picks, meaning that, on average, each of the 23 NBA Teams has drafted 9 North Carolina players. The Los Angeles Lakers have drafted the most North Carolina players with 18, while the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks have each drafted 16. The Brooklyn Nets Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings have each drafted 15 North Carolina players.

North Carolina’s NBA All-Stars

Since the NBA was founded in 1946, North Carolina has been represented by some of the greatest players in the league. From Michael Jordan to Jerry West these all-stars have made a lasting impact on the Basketball World

Here are some of the most famous North Carolina players in the NBA:

--Michael Jordan Considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan was a 6-Ime Nba champion with the Chicago Bulls He was also a 5-time MVP and a 14-time All-Star.

--Jerry West A legend of the game, West was a 12-time All-Star and an NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers He was also named Finals MVP in 1971 and is considered one of the greatest players in NBA history

-Bob Cousy: A 6-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics Cousy was a 13-time All-Star and a 2-time MVP. He is widely regarded as one of the best point guards in history and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.

-David Thompson: A 5-time All-Star, Thompson was one of the most explosive scorers in NBA history He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

North Carolina’s NBA champions

Since the NBA began in 1947, there have been a total of 53 players from the state of North Carolina who have been drafted into the NBA. Of those 53 players, eight have gone on to win NBA championships

The first North Carolina player to be drafted into the NBA was Lennie Rosenbluth, who was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1957. Rosenbluth never won an NBA Championship

The most recent North Carolina player to be drafted into the NBA is Luke Kennard, who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in 2017. Kennard has not yet won an NBA Championship

North Carolina’s NBA statistical leaders

As of the end of the 2017-18 Season these are the NBA statistical leaders among players who were born in North Carolina
*Most points in a career: Jerry West 25,192
*Most assists in a career: Chris Paul 9,181
*Most steals in a career: Chris Paul 2,122
*Most three-pointers made in a career: Jerry Stackhouse 1,761
*Most blocks in a career: Alonzo Mourning, 2,356

North Carolina’s NBA retired numbers

The North Carolina Tar Heels have had numerous players go on to successful careers in the NBA, and several of those have had their numbers retired by the team. Here is a list of North Carolina’s NBA retired numbers

--Michael Jordan (23)
--James Worthy (52)
-Sam Perkins (00)
-Billy Cunningham (32)
--Vince Carter (15)
-Bob McAdoo (50)

North Carolina in the NBA playoffs

There have been a number of North Carolina players who have made it to the NBA playoffs Some of the most notable include:

-George Karl: He played for the Sixers and the Bucks.
--Larry Brown He coached the Sixers, the Pistons, and the Knicks.
-Sam Perkins: He played for the Lakers, the Pacers, and the Sonics.
--Dean Smith He coached the Tar Heels for many years.
– Michael Jordan He played for the Bulls and is considered one of the greatest players of all time.

North Carolina’s NBA head coaches

North Carolina has been represented in the National Basketball Association (NBA) by several head coaches The first was William Holladay, who coached the Charlotte Hornets for part of the 1988–89 season. Holladay, who also played collegiately at North Carolina coached the Hornets for 28 games after taking over for Dick Harter midway through the season. He compiled a record of 8–20 before being replaced by Allan Bristow.