Top 5 Tennessee NBA Players of All Time

In this blog, we will countdown the top 5 NBA players to come out of the state of Tennessee.

Introduction

In Tennessee, basketball is more than just a game. It is a way of life. The state is home to some of the most passionate fans in the country and has produced some of the greatest players in NBA history

From Memphis to Nashville, Tennessee has a rich Basketball History The state has produced Hall of Famers All-Stars, and champions. In honor of these Tennessee legends, we have compiled a list of the top 5 NBA players from the state of Tennessee.

Top 5 players

In honor of NBA All-Star Weekend, which is being held in Nashville this year, we decided to take a look at the top 5 NBA players from Tennessee of all time. While there are many Great players that have come from the state, these five players stand out above the rest.

1. Bernard King – A native of Brooklyn, New York, King was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history He played for the New York Knicks Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors during his 14-year career and was a four-time All-Star. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

2. Penny Hardaway – Hardaway was a star player for the Orlando Magic during the 1990s. He was a four-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1995. He also had his number (1) retired by the Magic in 2006.

3. Reggie Miller – Miller is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history and played his entire 18-year career with the Indiana Pacers He is a five-time All-Star and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

4. Shane Battier – Battier is from Birmingham, Alabama but played his college basketball at Duke University He won an NCAA championship with Duke in 2001 and went on to have a successful 13-year NBA Career with the Memphis Grizzlies Houston Rockets and Miami Heat He won two NBA championships with the Heat in 2012 and 2013.

5. Zach Randolph – Randolph is from Marion, Indiana but played his college basketball at Michigan State University He has had a long and successful NBA career, playing for the Portland Trail Blazers New York Knicks Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings He is a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2011.

Honorable Mentions

Though there have been many great Tennessee NBA players over the years, there are only a few who truly stand out as the best of the best. In this article, we’ll countdown the top 5 Tennessee NBA players of all time.

Before we get to the top 5, we want to give a few honorable mentions to some other great players from Tennessee. These players just missed the cut, but still deserve recognition for their accomplishments.

So without further ado, here are our honorable mentions for the top 5 Tennessee NBA players of all time:

Honorable Mentions:
-Tony Delk: A 6’1″ guard who played for 8 teams over his 12 year career, Delk was known for his sharpshooting and was a key player on several playoff teams. He averaged 10 points per game for his career and is currently an Assistant Coach for the Memphis Grizzlies
-Shawn Marion: A 6’7″ forward who was known for his versatility and athleticism, Marion played for 8 teams over his 17 year career. He was a 4-time All-Star and won an NBA Championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. He currently serves as a player development coach for the Mavericks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the top 5 Tennessee NBA players of all time are:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Michael Jordan
3. LeBron James
4. Shaquille O’Neal
5. Tim Duncan

The state of Tennessee has produced some of the best NBA players of all time. In this blog post, we will countdown the top 5 players from the state of Tennessee.

The state of Tennessee has always been a basketball hotbed. Some of the greatest players in NBA history have come from the state of Tennessee. In this blog post, we will countdown the top 5 players from the state of Tennessee.

5. Todd Day- A 6’7″ small forward who played for eight different NBA teams during his 14-year career, Todd Day is one of the most accomplished players in Tennessee Basketball history. He ranks 15th all-time in points scored and 10th in assists.

4. Allan Houston- A 6’6″ shooting guard Allan Houston enjoyed a successful 12-year nba career, spending 11 seasons with the New York Knicks He was a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2000. He currently works as the General Manager of the Knicks.

3. Bernard King- A 6’7″ small forward Bernard King is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history He averaged 22 points per game during his 14-year NBA career and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

2. Penny Hardaway- A 6’7″ point guard Penny Hardaway was a four-time All-Star during his 14-year nba career. He was named to the All-NBA First Team twice and won an Olympic gold medal in 1996.

1. Zach Randolph- A 6’9″ Power Forward Zach Randolph is one of the most accomplished players in Tennessee Basketball history. He ranks second all-time in rebounds and first all-time in points scored

George McGinnis

George McGinnis is a retired American professional basketball player He played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a two-time ABA All-Star, and a five-Ime Nba All-Star. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Bernard King

Born in Brooklyn and a product of the New York City playground scene, Bernard King was one of the most gifted pure scorers the NBA has ever seen. A 6-7 small forward King was a two-time consensus All-American at the University of Tennessee before being drafted seventh overall by the New Jersey Nets in 1977. He would go on to play for the Nets, Utah Jazz Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks during his 14-year NBA career

King was an instant star with the Nets, averaging 24.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a rookie en route to being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He would play three seasons in New Jersey before being traded to the Jazz in 1979. He enjoyed the best years of his career while with Utah, averaging a career-high 26.5 points per game in 1980-81 and earning selection to the NBA All-Star Team for the first time in his career.

King’s scoring prowess was matched by few during his time in the league. He was a three-time NBA Scoring champion, winning titles in 1977-78 with the Nets (28.2 ppg) and again in 1980-81 and 1981-82 with the Jazz (26.5 ppg & 26.8 ppg). His 50 points against Detroit on December 25, 1984 is still an Knicks franchise record. For his career, King averaged 22.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the Free Throw Line He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

Reggie Miller

Reggie Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire 18-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Indiana Pacers Miller was known for his precision Three-point shooting especially in clutch situations and most notably against the New York Knicks for which he earned the nickname “Knick Killer”. He is currently the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made

Penny Hardaway

Many basketball experts consider University of Memphis product Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway to be one of the greatest players ever to come out of the state of Tennessee. Hardaway was a 6’7” point guard who is probably best remembered for his years with the Orlando Magic where he formed a formidable duo with center Shaquille O’Neal. Together, they led the Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995.

Hardaway was a four-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1996 and 1997. He also represented the United States at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, where he won a gold medal. After his Orlando Magic days, Hardaway played for several other teams, including the Phoenix Suns New York Knicks and Miami Heat He retired from basketball in 2008.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu just before his birth. Kobe’s elder sister Sharia and younger brother, Joe (Jellybean), were also athletes.
Kobe Bryant enjoyed a successful High School basketball career at Lower Merion high school in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, where he was recognized as the top high school player in the country. He decided to forgo college and declare himself eligible for the 1996 NBA draft The Charlotte Hornets selected him with the 13th overall pick, but traded him almost immediately to the Los Angeles Lakers with whom he would spend his entire 20-year career.

Bryant became one of the league’s best players while still a teenager and helped lead the Lakers to three consecutive NBA Championships from 2000 to 2002. He was named MVP of the NBA Finals in 2000 and 2001 and was voted an All-Star in each of his first 14 seasons. In 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors the second most points ever scored in an NBA game Kobe retired in 2016 as one of only five players—and the only guard—in NBA history to have played at least 20 seasons with one team.

Some other great players from Tennessee include:

In addition to the players already mentioned, some other great players from Tennessee include:

-Tony Delk: A 6’3″ guard who played 11 seasons in the NBA, Delk was known for his shooting ability and was a key member of the Detroit Pistons team that won the NBA Championship in 2004.
-Austin Croshere: A 6’9″ forward who played 12 seasons in the NBA, Croshere was a versatile player who could shoot from long range and was a key member of the Indiana Pacers teams that made the NBA Finals in 2000 and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
--Clyde Drexler A 6’7″ guard who played 15 seasons in the NBA, Drexler was one of the league’s premier players in the early 1990s and was a member of the 1992 USA Basketball “Dream Team” that won Olympic gold.

Jerry West

Jerry West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers He is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history He was chosen as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996 and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

During his 14 seasons with the Lakers, West won one NBA Championship in 1972. He was also a 10-time NBA All-Star a 12-time member of the All-NBA First and Second teams, and a five-time member of the All-Defensive First Team. West held the record for highest career scoring average in 1966–67 season with 31.2 points per game until Bob McAdoo surpassed him in 1974–75 season.

Chris Webber

Chris Webber is a retired American Professional Basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a five-time NBA All-Star and a one-time All-NBA team member. He also won two gold medals as a member of the United States men’s national basketball team Webber played College Basketball for the University of Michigan Wolverines. He was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the first overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft Webber’s professional career included stops with the Warriors, Washington Bullets / Wizards, Sacramento Kings Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons

Kevin Durant

As one of the most successful and popular NBA players of all time, Kevin Durant is a natural choice for the top spot on our list of the best Tennessee NBA players of all time. Durant was born and raised in Washington, D.C., but he played his College Basketball at the University of Texas. He was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007 and spent his first nine seasons with the team before they relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. nt Won an MVP Award with the Thunder in 2014 and was a member of their Finals team in 2012. He left Oklahoma City in 2016 to join the Golden State Warriors where he won two more championships and was named Finals MVP both times. Durant played one season for the Brooklyn Nets before suffering a torn Achilles tendon in 2019. He is currently rehabbing from that injury and is expected to return to action sometime during the 2020-21 season.

Zach Randolph

Zach Randolph is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans Pelicans He was an All-Star in 2010 and 2011, and he helped lead the Grizzlies to the NBA playoffs seven times. He is the Grizzlies’ all-time leader in rebounds and second in points.

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] He played college basketball for one season with the Syracuse Orange winning a National Championship [2] Anthony then entered the 2003 NBA Draft where he was selected as the third overall pick by the Denver Nuggets While playing for Denver, Anthony led the Nuggets to their first postseason appearance in 11 years. In 2010, he was traded to the New York Knicks just days prior to the NBA trade deadline Following his second stint with Denver, Anthony signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014.

There you have it, the top 5 NBA Players from the state of Tennessee. These players have all made a huge impact on the game of basketball and will be remembered for years to come.

1. Penny Hardaway – Hardaway was born in Memphis and played his collegiate basketball at Memphis State University He was a four-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team three times. Hardaway also played for Team USA in the 1996 Olympics, winning a gold medal.

2. Zach Randolph – Randolph was born in Marion, Indiana but grew up in Chicago. He played college basketball at Michigan State University before being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2001. Randolph is a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2011.

3. Shane Battier – Battier was born in Birmingham, Michigan but grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He played college basketball at Duke University before being drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2001. Battier is a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member and won an NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2012.

4. Mike Conley – Conley was born and raised in Fayetteville, Tennessee and played his collegiate basketball at Ohio State University He was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 4th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft and has been