History UsefulNotes / NotablePlayersOfTheNBA

* '''Larry Sanders''' was a C/PF selected by the Bucks #15 overall in 2010 out of VCU where he was one of the stars of the Rams two NCAA tournament "bracket buster" runs and goes down a major NBA OneHitWonder. A strong defensive presence, he was sent to the D-League to improve his scoring and was called up halfway through his rookie season. He became a full-time starter in his third year where he broke out, nearly averaging a double-double, finishing second in the league in blocks per game, and was a finalist for Most Improved Player while starring for the Bucks during their playoff appearance. His performance earned him a four year, $44 million extension... and he didn't even reach the first year before running afoul of the NBA's marijuana policy and some other off-court legal troubles. He appeared in just 55 more games for the Bucks, fell out of the starting lineup, got hit with another marijuana policy suspension, and had his contract bought out after just two seasons. After a final year in Cleveland, Sanders announced his retirement and has since moved into a career as a music producer.

* '''Quinn Buckner''' was drafted #7 overall in 1976 after leading Indiana to the last undefeated season in NCAA history and winning Olympic gold in Montreal. While never a prolific scorer, Buckner was a solid defensive contributor, still holding the Bucks franchise record for steals despite only playing there six seasons. He subsequently won a ring with the Celtics and retired in 1986 after a year back in his home state with the Pacers. He later moved into coaching (with a disastrous one-year stint as HC of the Mavericks in 1993-94) and broadcasting, serving as the Pacers' color commentator since 1999.

* '''Frank Ramsey''' was drafted #5 overall by the Celtics in 1953 out of Kentucky, where he won a national championship and helped lead the team on a perfect regular season. The Hall of Fame swingman is often identified as the first "sixth man" in NBA history, often playing off the bench and putting up stellar performances that helped the Celtics win seven championships during his tenure (1954-64, missing the 1955-56 to serve in the military). Ramsey was Auerbach's first choice to succeed him as head coach, but he opted instead to return to Kentucky to take care of his family. He would return to coach basketball for the ABA's Kentucky Colonels in 1970-71, helping lead them to a Finals appearance. Ramsey passed away in 2018.

* '''Sam Jones''' was a shooting guard who won 10 championships with the Celtics, just one shy of Bill Russell. He was drafted at #8 overall in 1957 out of North Carolina Central following two years in the Army. He was known for his quickness and game-winning shots; his perfect form when shooting a jump shot, along with his great clutch shooting in general, led opponents to nickname him "The Shooter". He was particularly adept shooting the bank shot, where the shooter bounces the ball off the backboard en route to the basket. At 6'4", Jones was the prototype of the tall guard who could run the floor, bang the boards, and have a rangy offensive game that gave opponents fits; he led the league in scoring for three seasons. The Hall of Famer's #24 jersey was retired by the Celtics following his 1969 retirement. He passed away in 2021.

* '''Bob Pettit''' was one of the greatest players of the '50s and '60s. The 6'9" Hall of Fame forward drafted #2 overall out of LSU began his career in 1954 when the Hawks were still in Milwaukee, averaging a double-double and being named Rookie of the Year. The next season, with the Hawks now in St. Louis, he led the league in [[JackOfAllTrades both scoring and rebounding]] and won the NBA's first official MVP award. He went on to lead the Hawks to their only NBA title in '58, won MVP again in '59 after again leading in scoring, and received four All-Star Game MVP awards (a record now shared with Kobe Bryant). In the 1958 Finals, Pettit scored 50 points in the Hawks' series clincher, a feat that wasn't repeated until Giannis Antetokounmpo did it in 2021, and kept the Celtics from an even longer championship streak. Perhaps most notably, he's the only player with 10 or more seasons in the league to be named All-NBA in every season of his career, earning first-team honors every season except his last (1964–65), in which he was on the second team due to injuries that led to his early retirement. He's further the only retired player [[TheAce to ever average over 20 points every season of his career]].[[note]]...besides Alex Groza, who only played two seasons before receiving a lifetime ban.[[/note]] He was the first player to score over 20,000 career points, sits behind only Chamberlain and Russell in career rebounds per game, and the Hawks retired his #9.

* Wayne '''"Tree" Rollins''' was a center who played [[LongRunner 18 seasons]] in the NBA, the first eleven of which were spent in Atlanta after he was drafted #14 overall in 1977. Rollins led the NBA in blocks in '83 and remains the franchise leader in the category, though NBA fans likely know him best as the guy who nearly bit Danny Ainge's finger off in a playoff game. He retired in 1995 after already serving as a player-coach and spent the next two decades as an assistant.

* '''Dikembe Mutombo''', or, in full, [[OverlyLongName Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo]]. It's a close call as to where this legendary center out of [[UsefulNotes/DemocraticRepublicOfTheCongo DR Congo]] should be placed. He spent [[LongRunner 19 seasons]] in the league, with five each for three teams (Nuggets, Hawks, and Rockets), ''narrowly'' earning the largest share of his honors with the Hawks. Mutombo had never been in the States before enrolling at Georgetown with ambitions of becoming a doctor. However, his 7'2" frame and athleticism changed those plans. He starred alongside Alonzo Mourning (see Miami Heat) before being picked #4 overall in 1991 by the Nuggets. In his five seasons there, he made three All-Star Games, led the league in blocks thrice, and picked up the first of his record ''four'' Defensive Player of the Year awards (a record later tied by Ben Wallace) in 1995. Going to the Hawks in 1996 as a free agent, he made four All-Star Games and two All-NBA teams there while winning his other three DPOY awards ('97, '98, '01) and leading the league in rebounds twice. After being traded away in 2001, he made NBA Finals trips with the Sixers and Nets, then spent a couple years with the Knicks before finishing his career in Houston, retiring behind only Hakeem Olajuwon in career blocks. The Nuggets and Hawks both retired his #55, and he made the Hall of Fame in 2015. Mutombo, however, may be even better known for his humanitarian work, mainly in Africa. Most notably, he spearheaded the building of a major hospital in his hometown of Kinshasa. He's the only two-time winner of the NBA's Citizenship Award. Mutombo was also well known for his [[IShallTauntYou signature taunt]], waving his index finger to an opposing player after a blocked shot, and his distinctive deep, gravely voice.

* '''Trae Young''' is the most recent Hawks star. Unlike other failed attempts to help them go far during the 21st century, Young looks to be the new constant for the Hawks to become a respected threat in the Eastern Conference again. He went from an unknown to an instant superstar in college, being the league leader in both points scored and assists made in his only year at Oklahoma. Drafted #5 overall by the Mavericks in 2018, he was traded to Atlanta after the Hawks were willing to give up Luka Dončić for him and another first round pick from Dallas. He became an instant leader for the team; his rookie season was so good that, if he were drafted in any other year, he likely would have won Rookie of the Year instead of being runner-up to the aforementioned Luka. (Due to the above trade, comparisons to Luka are always going to be a given.) In his third season, Young got the team into a Conference Finals, losing to the eventual champion Bucks.

* '''Lew Alcindor''' started his career with the Bucks, where he set the standing franchise record for career rebounds and led them to their first (and for a long time only) championship in 1971, and they retired his #33. Of course, you know him better by the name he adopted soon after said title: '''Creator/KareemAbdulJabbar'''. Since Kareem spent most of his career in Los Angeles and saw even more success there, see his full bio on his own page.

* '''Marques Johnson''' was drafted #3 overall by the Bucks in 1977 after he won a national championship with UCLA. He helped to pioneer the power forward position and was a regular All-Star before being traded back closer to home with the Clippers in 1984. He won Comeback Player of the Year in 1986 after successfully switching to guard, but a neck injury the following year basically ended his career save for a failed comaback with the Warriors in '89. His #8 was retired by the Bucks.

* '''Hakeem Olajuwon''', a legendary Hall of Fame center who holds the Rockets' records for points, games, minutes, rebounds, steals, and blocks, was drafted #1 overall in 1984, the same draft that included UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. The Nigerian native used to be a soccer player before getting into basketball, coming to the United States and becoming a leader of the "Phi Slama Jama" University of Houston teams that visited three straight Final Fours. Nicknamed "The Dream" for his grace on and off the court, his size (variously listed between 6'10" and 7'0"), high athleticism for that size, smarts, and soccer-honed footwork made him a near-unstoppable MasterOfAll who could defend and score with equal ease, especially when he broke out his "Dream Shake" SignatureMove. Olajuwon became the first non-American to be named an All-Star (he would earn 12 total All-Star nods) and formed the first pair of "Twin Towers" with the Ralph Sampson, leading the Rockets to the '86 Finals, losing in six to Larry Bird's Celtics. After Sampson was traded to the Warriors in '88, Olajuwon became the Rockets' undisputed leader. He led the league in rebounding twice ('89, '90) and blocks three times ('90, '91, '93) and recorded a quadruple-double in 1990. After he was very nearly traded away during a contract dispute in 1992, the Dream delivered Houston the '94 and '95 championships against Ewing's Knicks and Shaq's Magic, claiming Finals MVP both times. In the 1993–94 season, he became the only player in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year (which he also won the prior year), and Finals MVP awards in the same season. After becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1993, Olajuwon competed with the Dream Team II in the 1996 Olympics, winning gold. To stay true to his Islamic faith, Olajuwon fasted during daylight hours for one month during Ramadan, which in certain years coincided with the NBA season. During one of those Ramadan months, February 1995, he won NBA player of the month. He retired in 2002 after a final season with the Raptors, and the Rockets retired his #35. Olajuwon remains the NBA's all-time leader in career blocks (3,830), and the Defensive Player of the Year trophy is named in his honor. He was also featured on the cover of ''VideoGame/NBAJam Extreme''.

* Ovinton J'Anthony '''"O.J." Mayo''' was a shooting guard drafted by the Grizzlies #3 overall in 2008. Mayo had a legendary but controversial prep career, as he bounced between three schools due to incidents with drug possession and allegedly assaulting a referee. He intended to go straight into the NBA, but its draft eligibility rule changes forced him to played collegiately for a year at USC. He earned all-conference honors and led the team to the NCAA tournament... but this was all stricken from the record books by NCAA sanctions when it came out that Mayo had accepted illicit payments (part of the same investigation that resulted in [[UsefulNotes/CollegiateAmericanFootballNamesToKnow Reggie Bush]] being stripped of his Heisman Trophy). Still, he had an impressive start to his pro career, finishing runner-up for Rookie of the Year. However, issues including fights with teammates and a banned substance suspension saw him relegated to the bench by the end of his rookie contract. Free agent stints in Dallas (where he conflicted with star Dirk Nowitzski) and Milwaukee (where he missed significant time with a fractured ankle) didn't go much better. In 2016, he was "dismissed and disqualified" from the NBA. Neither party has ever come forward with details on the situation, but by definition, such an expulsion could only come from testing positive for "drugs of abuse" ranging from cocaine to opiates. Mayo disappeared for nearly 10 months, with even friends and family not knowing where he was. He never applied for reinstatement with the NBA, making his suspension the longest in league history not related to gambling. He has since moved on to play internationally.

* '''Andrei Kirilenko''', one of the most versatile forwards of the early 21st century, arrived in the NBA from his homeland of Russia in 2001 after winning Russian League MVP the prior year. He played 13 seasons in the NBA, the first 10 of them for the Jazz (who drafted him #24 overall in 1999). Throughout his career, he was a threat [[JackOfAllStats on both offense and defense]], led the NBA in blocks per game in '05, and three times even accomplished the rare feat of a "5x5"—at least five of all the major statistical categories of points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals in a game. He frequently returned to play in Russia during the off-season, winning [=EuroBasket=] MVP in 2007. During the lockout season of 2011–12, he returned to Russia to play for his former club of CSKA Moscow, won MVP there too, led Russia to Olympic bronze, then came back to the States with the Timberwolves and Nets. During the 2014–15 season, he was traded to the Sixers but refused to report for the blatantly tanking team; he was first suspended and then released. He played the last months of that season in Russia with CSKA before announcing his retirement. He's also known for his love of puns—throughout his pro career, he wore the #47, inevitably leading to the nickname [[IncrediblyLamePun "AK-47"]].[[note]]Probably not coincidentally, he was born in Izhevsk, the city where the famous rifle was designed.[[/note]] Shortly after his retirement, he became head of the Russian Basketball Federation.

* '''"Sir" Charles Barkley''' got his start with the Sixers and spent the longest stretch of his career (1984-92) with the team, which retired his #34 jersey. However, he experienced arguably his greatest individual and team success with the Phoenix Suns; see his full bio in their folder.

* '''"Sir" Charles Barkley''' was a Hall of Fame power forward noted for his StoutStrength. Nicknamed "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley was noticeably shorter and chubbier than most basketball players, but his strength and aggressiveness made him one of the NBA's most dominant rebounders (hence the nickname), leading the league in that category in 1988. Also a prolific scorer, Barkley had the ability to score from the perimeter and the post, using an array of spin moves and fadeaways or finishing a fast break with a powerful dunk, with the tradeoff of being one of the worst three-point shooters ever.[[note]]Of all players to attempt at least 1,000 three-pointers, Chuck has the lowest percentage at 26.6%.[[/note]] One of his {{Signature Move}}s was to grab a defensive rebound, dribble the length of the court, and finish at the rim with a powerful dunk. His aggressive, fast-break defensive prowess led to Barkley finishing his career as one of the all-time leaders in blocks and steals, and his impressive court vision made him a playmaker who could rack up several assists per night. An eleven-time All-Star, he started off with the Sixers, who drafted him #5 overall in 1984 out of Auburn, but went to Phoenix in 1992, where he became the MVP in the same year that he faced UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan in the 1993 NBA Finals. Though he [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut never won a ring in the NBA]], Barkley was also part of the Dream Team, winning Olympic gold in 1992 and 1996. He was often a beacon of controversy, from fights on/off the court to various statements and unintentionally abrasive behavior towards fans (e.g. spat on a young girl by mistake while aiming for a heckler); notably, this led to him making a Nike commercial in which he claimed he was not a role model, which was considered a pretty big deal at the time. "Chuck" retired in 2000 after a few years with the Rockets but has remained very much in the spotlight as a broadcaster and entertainer known for emphasizing humor and relatability over analysis. He is best known today for his basketball commentary on ''NBA on TNT'', where he has something of a SitcomArchNemesis to another former Suns player, Shaquille O'Neal. The Sixers retired his #34, and he is enshrined in the Suns Ring of Honor.

* '''Geoff Petrie''' was the Trail Blazers' first ever draft pick, taken #8 overall in 1970 out of Princeton. He was a solid first pick and solid scorer, winning Rookie of the Year in Portland's first season, but a [[CareerEndingInjury knee injury ended his career]] after just six seasons, missing the franchise's only championship by a year. He later moved into the Blazers' front office, and the team retired his #45. He had a much more successful career as a basketball executive, eventually becoming the president of basketball operations for the Sacramento Kings from 1994-2013, where he won two Executive of the Year awards in '99 and '01. Petrie's biggest NBA claim to fame, however, might be being the first NBA player to wear Nike shoes.

* '''"Pistol" Pete Maravich''' played during the '70s, mostly for the Atlanta Hawks (1970-74) and New Orleans/Utah Jazz (1974-80). After leading the nation in scoring in three straight years while at LSU, he set the record for career college scoring with 3,667 points, an absolutely absurd record considering his lower-scoring era. (It took over half a century for another collegiate player, Caitlin Clark, to beat his record; he still holds the men's record.)[[note]]Note that this does ''not'' include 741 points he scored as a junior-varsity freshman ''and'' that there was no three-point line ''or'' shot clock at the time. Maravich was an exceptional outside shooter, and someone calculated that, had there been a three-point line, his scoring average would have risen from 44 to ''57'' points a game. One male player ''did'' seriously threaten the record—Antoine Davis, who ended his career at Detroit Mercy in 2023 ''three points shy'' of the record. However: (1) Davis got to play for ''FIVE'' years, thanks to the NCAA giving every player active in the COVID-disrupted 2020–21 season an extra year of eligibility. (2) Not only did he have the benefit of the three-point line, he made more threes than any other player in NCAA history (again, partially thanks to the extra year).[[/note]] While not ''quite'' as prolific in the NBA, he remained an exceptional scorer, earning five All-Star nods and the scoring title in 1977, and dazzled fans with his dexterity and ball tricks. His ''teams'' never quite lived up to his skills; he didn't really fit in with the Hawks, and while the newly formed Jazz moved mountains to trade for him to help sell tickets in the Big Easy, this likely contributed to the team's very poor start that led to their move to Utah. Maravich retired in 1980 after a very brief stint with the Celtics, missing a shot at a championship by a year. Sadly, his other claim to fame was his early death from an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of 40, which happened while [[FatalMethodActing he was playing a casual game]] of basketball at a church.[[note]]One of the other players in said game was James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, the Christian ministry responsible for ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey''.[[/note]] When the 50 greatest players were selected in 1996, he was the only one who was deceased, despite being born decades later than some of the others. Both the Hawks and Jazz retired his jersey number (#44 and #7, respectively), as did the ''Pelicans'', a team he never played for but who owe a great deal to what Maravich did to popularize basketball in Louisiana.

* '''"Pistol" Pete Maravich''' played during the '70s, mostly for the Atlanta Hawks (1970-74) and New Orleans/Utah Jazz (1974-80). After leading the nation in scoring in three straight years while at LSU, he set the record for career college scoring with 3,667 points, an absolutely absurd record considering his lower-scoring era. (It took over half a century for another collegiate player, Caitlin Clark, to beat his record; he still hold's the men's record.)[[note]]Note that this does ''not'' include 741 points he scored as a junior-varsity freshman ''and'' that there was no three-point line ''or'' shot clock at the time. Maravich was an exceptional outside shooter, and someone calculated that, had there been a three-point line, his scoring average would have risen from 44 to ''57'' points a game. One male player ''did'' seriously threaten the record—Antoine Davis, who ended his career at Detroit Mercy in 2023 ''three points shy'' of the record. However: (1) Davis got to play for ''FIVE'' years, thanks to the NCAA giving every player active in the COVID-disrupted 2020–21 season an extra year of eligibility. (2) Not only did he have the benefit of the three-point line, he made more threes than any other player in NCAA history (again, partially thanks to the extra year).[[/note]] While not ''quite'' as prolific in the NBA, he remained an exceptional scorer, earning five All-Star nods and the scoring title in 1977, and dazzled fans with his dexterity and ball tricks. His ''teams'' never quite lived up to his skills; he didn't really fit in with the Hawks, and while the newly formed Jazz moved mountains to trade for him to help sell tickets in the Big Easy, this likely contributed to the team's very poor start that led to their move to Utah. Maravich retired in 1980 after a very brief stint with the Celtics, missing a shot at a championship by a year. Sadly, his other claim to fame was his early death from an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of 40, which happened while [[FatalMethodActing he was playing a casual game]] of basketball at a church.[[note]]One of the other players in said game was James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, the Christian ministry responsible for ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey''.[[/note]] When the 50 greatest players were selected in 1996, he was the only one who was deceased, despite being born decades later than some of the others. Both the Hawks and Jazz retired his jersey number (#44 and #7, respectively), as did the ''Pelicans'', a team he never played for but who owe a great deal to what Maravich did to popularize basketball in Louisiana.

* '''"Pistol" Pete Maravich''' played during the '70s, mostly for the Atlanta Hawks (1970-74) and New Orleans/Utah Jazz (1974-80). After leading the nation in scoring in three straight years while at LSU, he set the record for career college scoring with 3,667 points, an absolutely absurd record considering his lower-scoring era[[note]]Note that this does ''not'' include 741 points he scored as a junior-varsity freshman ''and'' that there was no three-point line ''or'' shot clock at the time. Maravich was an exceptional outside shooter, and someone calculated that, had there been a three-point line, his scoring average would have risen from 44 to ''57'' points a game.[[/note]] that likely will never be beaten given that top players almost never stay in college for four years anymore.[[note]]One player ''did'' seriously threaten the record—Antoine Davis, who ended his career at Detroit Mercy in 2023 ''three points shy'' of the record. However: (1) Davis got to play for ''FIVE'' years, thanks to the NCAA giving every player active in the COVID-disrupted 2020–21 season an extra year of eligibility. (2) Not only did he have the benefit of the three-point line, he made more threes than any other player in NCAA history (again, partially thanks to the extra year).[[/note]] While not ''quite'' as prolific in the NBA, he remained an exceptional scorer, earning five All-Star nods and the scoring title in 1977, and dazzled fans with his dexterity and ball tricks. His ''teams'' never quite lived up to his skills; he didn't really fit in with the Hawks, and while the newly formed Jazz moved mountains to trade for him to help sell tickets in the Big Easy, this likely contributed to the team's very poor start that led to their move to Utah. Maravich retired in 1980 after a very brief stint with the Celtics, missing a shot at a championship by a year. Sadly, his other claim to fame was his early death from an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of 40, which happened while [[FatalMethodActing he was playing a casual game]] of basketball at a church.[[note]]One of the other players in said game was James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, the Christian ministry responsible for ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey''.[[/note]] When the 50 greatest players were selected in 1996, he was the only one who was deceased, despite being born decades later than some of the others. Both the Hawks and Jazz retired his jersey number (#44 and #7, respectively), as did the ''Pelicans'', a team he never played for but who owe a great deal to what Maravich did to popularize basketball in Louisiana.

* '''Victor Wembanyama''' was the #1 overall pick of the 2023 Draft. Sporting freakish athleticism at 7'3" with an 8' wingspan, he was widely regarded as the best prospect since UsefulNotes/LeBronJames and made for one of the most anticipated Draft Lotteries of all time. Born and raised in France where he played in the top pro league and on the national team as a teenager, his combination of size, shooting (including from three-point range), ball-handling, and shot-blocking ability made him a unique and multiple-threat prospect. Spurs fans hope that he will live up to the legacy of former Spurs #1 picks David Robinson and Tim Duncan and return their franchise to its former greatness after an unprecedented dry spell in the wake of Kawhi's departure. He almost immediately set about breaking several "youngest ever" records, mostly pertaining to his ability to rack up sizable block and steal tallies.

* '''Nate "Tiny" Archibald''' was a Hall of Famer who got his start with the then-Cincinnati Royals drafted him in the second round in 1970. As his nickname implied, the 6-foot UTEP product was smaller than many of his peers, but he quickly broke out as a star. In 1973, the year the Royals moved to Kansas City and became the Kings, Archibald became the first and only player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists, with his average of 34 points per game still standing as a record for point guards. Despite his talents, the Kings only had one winning season with Archibald, and they traded him to the Nets in 1976. This turned out to be a bad trade for the Nets, as Archibald immediately struggled with injuries, and they shipped him out to the Braves after just one season; that proved to be an even more lopsided trade for Buffalo, as Archibald missed the entire season and never played for the team. Once they traded him to Boston, however, he experienced a great CareerResurrection, winning a championship and All-Star MVP in 1981. The six-time All-Star retired in 1984 after a year with the Bucks, and his #1 was later retired by the Kings.

* '''Victor Wembanyama''' was the #1 overall pick of the 2023 Draft. Sporting freakish athleticism at 7'3" with an 8' wingspan, he is widely regarded as the best prospect since UsefulNotes/LeBronJames and made for one of the most anticipated Draft Lotteries of all time. Born and raised in France where he played in the top pro league and on the national team as a teenager, his combination of size, shooting (including from three-point range), ball-handling, and shot-blocking ability made him a unique and multiple-threat prospect. Spurs fans hope that he will live up to the legacy of former Spurs #1 picks David Robinson and Tim Duncan and return their franchise to its former greatness after an unprecedented dry spell in the wake of Kawhi's departure.

* '''Connie Hawkins''' was a New York City high school star and playground legend playing on the University of Iowa's freshman team[[note]]In his day, freshmen were ineligible for varsity sports.[[/note]] when he became implicated in a point-shaving [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Molinas scandal]]. Despite no evidence being found against him, he was expelled from the school and banned from the NBA. He played for a year with the short-lived American Basketball League, winning the MVP award for that season. He then played with the Harlem Globetrotters for several years before joining the fledgling ABA with the Pittsburgh Pipers. He became the league's first MVP and playoff MVP when he led the team to the ABA championship in 1968. When the NBA lifted its ban on him in 1969, he joined the one-year-old Suns at the age of 27; the team improved by 23 wins over the previous season and almost upset the Lakers (who had Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, ''and'' Elgin Baylor) in the playoffs. He was the original "palm the ball" guy, even before Dr. J, able to move it anywhere he wanted one-handed and throw defenders off their game before passing, shooting, or driving to the hoop. He played with the Suns for four years, making the All-Star team in each, before being traded to the Lakers and playing a few more years there and with the Hawks. Despite losing what many felt could have been some of his best years to the ban, he made it to the Hall of Fame, and the Suns retired his #42. He went on to work for the Suns for decades after his retirement and continued to live in the Phoenix area until his death in 2017.

* '''Kobe Bryant''' was a skilled shooting guard who played his entire career for the Lakers, which he brought five championships and set franchise records for points, games, minutes, and steals. Praised for his one-track determination and work ethic and heralded as the heir to UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan, the son of former player Joe Bryant was drafted #13 overall in 1996 straight out of high school by the Lakers (via the Hornets). [[RedBaron Nicknamed]] [[Film/KillBill "the Black Mamba"]], Kobe became the leader and the face of the Lakers while still a teenager and set ''a lot'' of the league's "youngest-to" records until [=LeBron's=] arrival. Kobe had a very strained relationship with Shaq, but they [[TeethClenchedTeamwork managed to achieve three consecutive championships]] from 2000-02, the first since Jordan's Bulls. After a few down years following Shaq's departure and a very public controversy in which Bryant was charged with sexual assault (the charges were later dropped after a settlement and a public apology), he quickly bounced back to his former on-court dominance, winning league MVP in 2008 after leading the NBA in scoring the prior two seasons. During the short time where he had to lead the Lakers on his own, he ended up scoring the second-largest amount of points in a game for an NBA player with 81 against the Raptors in 2006.[[note]]Some believe that wasn't even his most impressive performance of the season when compared to the time he went OneManArmy on the eventual Western Conference champion Mavericks, singlehandedly outscoring them 62-61 through three quarters.[[/note]] He won two more rings in '09 and '10, earning Finals MVP for both, and won Olympic gold in '08 and '12. Eventually, his supporting cast and his own performance began to decline. His final season of 2015–16 marked [[LongRunner his 20th with the Lakers]], breaking the league record for longest single-team tenure (later surpassed by Dirk Nowitzki with the Mavs). While the Lakers went through the franchise's worst season ever, Kobe continued to put on a show, going out in style with a 60-point performance in his final game. He was the first player in the history of ''any'' sport to have two separate numbers retired by the same team; the Lakers retired the #8 he wore for his first 10 seasons and the #24 he wore for his last 10.
** Kobe remained a major face of basketball in the years after his retirement, including becoming the only pro athlete to win an [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] for his autobiographical animated short "WesternAnimation/DearBasketball". He was also a major advocate for women's and girls' basketball, spurred by his daughter Gianna's interest in the sport. Tragically, Kobe, Gianna, and seven others (including two of Gianna's teammates) were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, just two months before he was announced as a Hall of Fame inductee. His death shook the basketball world: The NBA postponed the Lakers' next game, and the teams that played from the day of his death onwards honored him by deliberately forcing a 24-second shot clock violation or an 8-second back-court violation on their first possession, in reference to his jersey numbers. Kobe appeared in 18 All-Star Games (tied for second behind only fellow Laker legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and [=LeBron=] James) and won game MVP in four of them (tied with Bob Pettit for most). In recognition of those accomplishments, the league renamed the All-Star MVP award in his honor and adopted a change to the game's format specifically to honor him, adding Kobe's second number of 24 to the leading team's (or tied teams') score to set a target score at the end of the third quarter. He was also featured on the cover of ''VideoGame/NBA2K 10'' during his career, a special edition of ''17'' after his retirement, and multiple editions of ''21'' after his passing.

* '''Brook Lopez''' is the Nets' all-time leader in points and blocks. The center was drafted #10 overall in 2008 out of Stanford (five picks ahead of his teammate and twin brother '''Robin Lopez''', who has also had a long NBA career as a journeyman) and played well for the team for the next nine seasons despite occassional struggles with injuries. Lopez was traded to the Lakers in 2017 and signed the following year with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he has played a critical role on defense and contributed significantly to their 2021 championship.

** His son Luke played 10 seasons in the league, mostly with the Lakers. He then went into coaching, landing with the Warriors as an assistant for their 2015 championship and record-setting 2016 team. Right after the Dubs' loss to the Cavs in the 2016 Finals, he became the Lakers' head coach, lasting three seasons before being canned in 2019 after failing to make the playoffs in [=LeBron's=] first season in L.A. He landed on his feet, with the Kings soon hiring him as their new head coach, though he lasted only two seasons there. Luke is now an assistant with the Cavs.

* '''Lenny Wilkens''' was a NBA legend as both a player and a coach, being the only man honored in ''both'' categories on the league's 75th Anniversary team (fitting, since he was an active part of the league for [[LongRunner over half that time]]). Relatively tiny for the NBA at just 6'1", he was regardless drafted #6 overall out of Providence by the St. Louis Hawks, where he played for eight seasons before being traded to Seattle. In his second season with the Sonics, Wilkens was promoted to player-coach for the young team and steadily improved its performance, posting the team's first winning record... at which point he was shipped out of town to Cleveland and the team's performance deflated once again. The nine-time All-Star had another stint as a player-coach in Portland before retiring from playing in 1975. He would later return to Seattle to lead the franchise to its only championship. His #19 was retired by the Sonics. See more of his bio on [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation the main NBA page]] under "Coaches".

* '''David Robinson''' is one of the greatest and most respected centers in NBA history. He's a Hall of Famer, Rookie of the Year, 1995 MVP, 1992 Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA player, eight-time Defensive Team member, and a two-time NBA champion with Tim Duncan; the pair was known as the "Twin Towers". He's also notable for having been drafted #1 overall out of the U.S. Naval Academy and serving two years as a commissioned officer before beginning his basketball career in 1989, giving him the nickname "The Admiral" (he was actually a lieutenant, though the idea of a 7-foot tall FourStarBadass who could kick your ass on the court is certainly awesome). That two-year gap meant he was still an "amateur" in 1988, allowing him to play for the bronze medal-winning Olympic team that year, which made his membership in the Dream Team in 1992 MyGreatestSecondChance; he won gold in that and the next Olympics. Robinson's arrival immediately turned the Spurs around after a few down years. He is one of the six NBA players to post a 70+ point game, doing so in the final game of the 1993-94 season; this monster effort ensured he ''narrowly'' won his only scoring title that year (he had previously led the league in rebounds and blocks). That season also saw him become the last player to put up a quadruple-double. Despite his individual success and leading the team on several playoff runs (including a Conference Finals appearance after his MVP year), a title eluded Robinson until late in his career after Duncan's arrival. He retired in 2003 after winning his second ring, and the Spurs retired his #50. The trophy for NBA's Community Assist Award recognizing philanthropic activity is named in his honor.

** He's also the father of Dell Curry, who (much like his sibling) is noted for his three-point prowess, even if he never reached the heights Stephen did. However, Dell was traded to Charlotte in early 2024, making him the second Curry to wear #30 for the Hornets.

* '''Dominique Wilkins''', a.k.a. "The Human Highlight Film", is the Hawks' all-time leading scorer. Originally drafted by the Jazz at #3 overall in 1982 out of Georgia, he forced a historically lopsided trade to the Hawks. The Hall of Fame forward was known for his thunderous dunks, usually on top of opposing players. He won the Slam Dunk contest twice; his notable Slam Dunk contest losses were to Spud Webb and to a tightly contested final against UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan. The nine-time All-Star was also a scoring machine, winning the scoring title in '86, having a career average of 24.8 ppg, and setting a unique NBA record with 23/23 made free throws in a '92 game. The latter record was set shortly after he became one of the few players to recover relatively well from a torn Achilles, normally a career ender. He was traded to the Clippers midseason in '94 and spent the next five years bouncing between various teams in the NBA and Europe, winning his only championship with Panathinaikos Athens in '96 before retiring after 1999. The Hawks retired his #21.

* '''Nikola Jokić''' is the current face of the Nuggets and has the resume to claim to be the greatest player in franchise history. The center from Serbia was picked by the team in the ''second round'' of the 2014 Draft but stayed in Europe for another year, being named MVP of the Adriatic League[[note]]basically covering the former Yugoslavia[[/note]] in 2015 before coming to the States. [[FanNickname "Joker"]] was immediately seen as a future star, making the All-Rookie team in 2016 (the same year he led Serbia to an Olympic silver medal) and improving his per-game totals in points, rebounds, ''and'' assists in each of the next three seasons, becoming an annual All-Star by 2019. While the 7-foot Jokić has the body of a typical inside banger—or at least ''did'' until he dropped a noticeable amount of weight during the league's COVID-19 hiatus—his greatest skill is his passing, and he's now seen as a strong candidate for the best passing big man ever. His tremendous one-handed passes (which share more in common with those of water polo than traditional basketball), coupled with his large size and excellent fadeaway, have made him one of the NBA's greatest triple-double machines. The Nuggets run their offense through him at least as much as any of their guards, and Jokić even served as ''point guard'' in the Nuggets' half-court offensive sets in 2021–22 with Jamal Murray out injured for most of that season. After leading the Nuggets to the Conference Finals in the 2020 bubble, Jokić cemented himself as one of the league's elite in '21 when he was named league MVP, becoming both the first center in two decades and the lowest drafted player ''ever'' to win the award. He arguably topped this performance the following season when he became the first NBA player ever to (1) lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, and field-goal percentage, and (2) collect [[MasterOfAll 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists]] in a season.[[note]]Stats nerds will note that this is the best single-season "player efficiency rating" in NBA history, shattering a record held by Wilt Chamberlain for six decades.[[/note]] That was more than enough to earn Joker his second straight MVP. After signing a "supermax" contract[[labelnote:Explanation]]The NBA's 2017 collective bargaining agreement allows elite players who meet defined criteria for excellence, are entering their eighth or ninth season in the league, and have played with the same team since the end of their rookie contracts to sign extensions with that team that provide salaries that otherwise would not be allowed until they've been in the league 10 years.[[/labelnote]] that was at the time the richest in league history by both total and average annual pay, he remained the main engine of the Nuggets' success. In 2023, after being [[AwardSnub arguably snubbed]] for his third straight regular season MVP and putting up a historically dominant playoff run (smashing the NBA record for most triple-doubles in a single postseason and becoming the first in NBA playoff history to lead all players in points, rebounds, and assists), Jokić led the franchise to its first Finals berth and championship after over half a century of postseason ineptitude and became the lowest drafted player to be named Finals MVP. He has already surpassed Alex English as the franchise's all-time leader in assists.

* '''Gordon Hayward''', a 6'8" small forward, became the face of the Jazz in the mid-'10s. Hayward first entered the national consciousness as a college player at [[UsefulNotes/{{Indianapolis}} Butler]], where he led the Bulldogs to [[DownToTheLastPlay within an eyelash]] of a national title in 2010. He declared for the Draft that spring, going to the Jazz #9 overall, and steadily improved from good to All-Star level. His decision to opt out of the last year of his contract to join the Celtics in 2017 unfortunately cut short his ascent, as he suffered a gruesome leg injury in the season opener. He missed all of that season and didn't recover completely until late in the 2019–20 season, and even then he was never the same player he was pre-injury. He moved to the Hornets after that season, where he remains for now. Also JustForFun/OneOfUs, as he's a video game enthusiast, even dabbling in UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming.