NEWSLETTER
This article is part of a series of top North Carolina athletes and teams. As North Carolina sports betting recently launched in March, take a look at the top athletes across North Carolina college and professional sports.
Michael Jordan usually comes to mind when you think of the best NBA players who went to North Carolina. He had the most dominant run in basketball history in the 90s with six championships that included two three-peats. Is he the best North Carolina NBA player ever? Who else would be in the top 5? Let’s look at the 5 best NBA players who went to North Carolina. Then, let’s take a look at the 5 best players who went to colleges in North Carolina besides UNC.
5 Best NBA Players Who Attended North Carolina
Let’s start with the best NBA players who went to the University of North Carolina. Take a look at the 5 best NBA players who wore the Tar Heel uniform.
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5. Vince Carter – SF
NBA Career: 1998-2020
Since Vince Carter played in the NBA for 22 years, it’s easy to forget he was once one of the league’s most exciting players. The high flyer was a freak of nature at the beginning of his career with the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets.
Carter made 8 All-Star teams in his first 9 seasons, was the Rookie of the Year, and earned a spot on 2 All-NBA teams. From 1999-2009, Carter averaged 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 44.7% from the field. He also shot a solid 37.6% from three-point range.
In the second half of his career, Carter settled into a role-player situation and ended up playing 1541 career games which is third all-time behind Robert PArish (1,611) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1560). Carter is likely headed for the Hall of Fame.
Oh, and by the way, Carter still has one of the most incredible dunk contest performances of all time when he won the Slam Dunk Contest during the 2000 All-Star Weekend.
4. Billy Cunningham – SF
NBA Career: 1965-72, 1974-76
Billy Cunningham’s impressive career covered 11 seasons with 9 of those coming in the NBA and 2 in the ABA. In the NBA, he was a 5-time All-Star and an NBA Champion in 1967. He made 4 All-NBA teams and finds himself in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
Cunningham had his best stretch with the Philadelphia 76ers from 1968-72 when he averaged 24.3 points and 12.6 rebounds. He followed those seasons with a couple of strong years in the ABA where he put up 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.
Also, he was the 1972-73 ABA MVP and earned a spot on the ABA All-Time Team.
Billy Cunningham’s Career Stats:
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3. James Worthy – SF
NBA Career: 1982-94
Worthy spent 12 years with the Los Angeles Lakers and won 3 NBA Championships with the team while being named Finals MVP in 1988. Worthy was stellar for the entire 1988 playoffs as he averaged 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists to help the Lakers win their second title in a row and third in four years.
He was a 7-time All-Star, was named to the All-NBA team twice, and is on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Also, Worthy won a national title at North Carolina before the Lakers took him number one overall in the 1982 NBA Draft. He made the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.
During his run of making 7-straight All-Star games, Worthy averaged 20.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while playing alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.
Read More: All-Time UNC vs All-Time Duke. Who wins?
2. Bob McAdoo – C/PF
NBA Career: 1972-86
Bob McAdoo won 2 titles with the Lakers later in his career as a role player behind stars like Magic Johnson and Kareem Adbul-Jabbar. Early in his career, McAdoo was a force to be reckoned with. He led the league in scoring from 1973 to 1976 putting up 30.6, 34.5, and 31.1 points per game during that stretch for the Buffalo Braves.
He was a 5-time All-Star and made 2 All-NBA teams. Also, he won the 1974-75 MVP after an insane season of 34.5 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. He also led the league in minutes that year with 43.2 per game.
McAdoo is on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and was the 1972-73 Rookie of the Year. His incredible career landed him in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and among the greatest North Carolina players ever.
1. Michael Jordan – SG
NBA Career: 1984-93, 1994-98, 2001-03
No one is surprised to see Michael Jordan sit at number one on this list. The 14-time All-Star finds himself at the top of any list ranking the best NBA players of all time. Jordan was a 10-time scoring champion and made 11 All-NBA teams in a career that spanned 15 years.
Jordan led the Bulls to 3-straight championships from 1991-93 before retiring to play baseball. He returned and helped the Bulls win 3 more titles from 1996-98. He has an NBA record 6 Finals MVPs. Jordan also won 5 regular season MVPs, was 9-time All-Defensive, and won the 1987-88 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
The hall of famer spent 13 seasons with the Bulls and 2 with the Washington Wizards to finish his career after being retired from 1998-2001. Jordan still holds the NBA record for career points per game with 30.1. From 1986-93, he averaged 33.2 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists before he retired the first time.
There really is no argument. Michael Jordan is the best North Carolina NBA player of all time.
Michael Jordan’s Career Stats:
Read More: Where does Jordan’s college career rank among UNC greats?
5 Best NBA Players From NC Schools Besides UNC
Now, let’s shift our focus to players who went to colleges in the state of North Carolina but did not attend UNC. Here are the 5 best NBA players from North Carolina schools besides UNC.
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5. Kyrie Irving – PG
College: Duke
NBA Career: 2011-Present
Say what you want about Kyrie Irving and off-the-court drama but when he plays, he’s an elite scorer and one of the best shooters in the league. Irving has made 8 All-Star teams and 3 All-NBA teams. The guard was the 2011-12 Rookie of the Year and hit the three-pointer in game 7 of the 2016 Finals to put the Cavaliers up for good and win a title after trailing the series 3-1.
Kyrie had a particularly impressive stretch from 2016-22 when he averaged 25.4 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 48.5% from the field, 40.4% from three-point range, and 90.1% from the free-throw line.
Irving has played with the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Nets before landing with his current team the Dallas Mavericks. The number one pick back in 2011 out of Duke after playing just 11 games with the Blue Devils, Irving has lived up to expectations.
4. Grant Hill – SF
College: Duke
NBA Career: 1994-2013
Duke superstar Grant Hill was on his way to being an all-time great before injuries ruined his prime years from 2000-04. Before that point, Hill had made 5 All-Star teams and was a 5-time All-NBA selection with the Detroit Pistons. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1994-95 after averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.
From 1995-2000, Hill averaged 21.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 6.5 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field. He bounced back after 4 seasons of injuries to spend the back half of his career with the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns before playing his final year with the Clippers.
Hill was known for being an incredible teammate and leader who won the NBA Sportsmanship Award 3 times and now finds himself in the Hall of Fame.
Read More: Where does Hill rank among Duke greats?
3. Chris Paul – PG
College: Wake Forest
NBA Career: 2005-Present
Chris Paul has had a tremendous career that has spanned 18 years with the Hornets, Clippers, Rockets, Suns, and Warriors. The Wake Forest alum has made 12 All-Star teams, 11 All-NBA teams, and 9 All-Defensive teams.
The accolades don’t stop there as Paul won the Rookie of the Year, is a 6-time steals champion, and a 5-time assists champion. Paul is also a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He has averaged 10+ assists in 6 seasons and at least 2 steals in 11 seasons.
The only thing missing for Paul is an NBA title to go along with an insane career. Paul was able to reach the 2021 NBA Finals with the Suns but they were defeated by the Bucks.
2. Stephen Curry – PG
College: Davidson
NBA Career: 2009-Present
Stephen Curry helped Davidson reach the Elite 8 as a sophomore and now he finds himself as the greatest shooter ever. Curry has shattered the NBA record for three-pointers while winning 4 NBA Championships.
Curry has made 10 All-Star teams, 9 All-NBA teams, and won 2 MVP awards. Also, he’s won 2 scoring titles and was the 2022 NBA Finals MVP. A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Curry also won a steals championship in 2015-16.
Curry has 3,680 and counting threes which is almost 600 more than second-place Ray Allen and he holds the record for most threes in one season with 402.
Want more NBA rankings? Check out the 10 best NBA players born and raised in North Carolina.
1. Tim Duncan – PF
College: Wake Forest
NBA Career: 1997-2016
A former Wake Forest Demon Deacon tops the list as Tim Duncan ranks as the best player from a North Carolina school besides UNC.
Duncan’s Hall of Fame career was ridiculous. He was a 5-time NBA Champion with 3 Finals MVP Awards. He made 15 All-Star teams and was a 15-time All-NBA selection. Also, he made All-Defensive 15 times too. Ducan is a 2-time regular season MVP and won the Rookie of the Year.
The number one overall pick in the 1997 draft, Duncan spent his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs and is on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He was particularly dominant from 1997-2007 when he averaged 21.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks while helping the Spurs win 4 NBA Championships.
Duncan was the major piece that helped head coach Greg Popovich and the Spurs have one of the most successful runs of any franchise in sports history.
Read More: Best North Carolina NFL player ever
