Best NBA players by state (all time)

Although he’s now known best for his over-the-top commentary, there was a time when Charles Barkley was one of the most dominant players in the NBA. An undersized power forward, Barkley attacked the rim like few others and consistently overpowered players much taller than him. The 1993 NBA MVP, “Sir Charles” was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

One of just a handful of basketball players from the coldest state in the Union, power forward Carlos Boozer is certainly the best NBA player from Alaska. A two-time All-Star, Boozer has enjoyed successful seasons playing for the Jazz, Bulls and Lakers, and while he was born in Germany, he spent his formative years in Alaska. Boozer was not on an NBA roster this past season.

The first player in NBA history to return to the hardwood after receiving a kidney transplant, Sean Elliott is also the NBA’s best player from the state of Arizona. Elliott averaged 14.2 points per game over 12 seasons in the NBA and won one championship in 1999 with the San Antonio Spurs.

Michael Jordan’s partner in crime, it shouldn’t be forgotten just how dominant Scottie Pippen could be on a basketball court. Along with being one of the best defenders in NBA history, Pippen also shot over 47 percent from the field over the course of his 16-year career. A seven-time All-Star, he won six championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

Although many great NBA players have been born in California, it’s hard to take any of them over Bill Russell, who was actually born in Louisiana but raised mostly in Cali. Perhaps the greatest rebounder and defender in NBA history, Russell won an incredible 11 championships with the Boston Celtics. A five-time NBA MVP, he is universally considered one of the five best players ever to touch a basketball.

After bouncing around the NBA for several years, point guard Chauncey Billups found a home with the Detroit Pistons in 2002. A season later, Billups led the Pistons on a shocking NBA championship run and was named 2004 NBA Finals MVP. A five-time All-Star, Billups was born in Denver.

Born in Hartford, Conn., former Raptors, Knicks, Nuggets, Clippers and Rockets center Marcus Camby had a long and successful career in the NBA. The No. 2 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, Camby was a fantastic shot blocker, ranking 12th all time in NBA record books. Camby also had one of the most unusual shooting motions you’ll ever see.

Of the few NBA players born in Delaware, Walt Hazzard is the best of the lot. A combo guard, Hazzard played 10 seasons in the NBA and was even selected as an All-Star in 1968 when he was a member of the Seattle SuperSonics.

Many great NBA players have been born in Florida, but David Robinson is the state’s finest. “The Admiral” was always one of the top players in the NBA over his 14-year career with the Spurs. Robinson averaged 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and three blocks per game; was a 10 time All-Star; and helped the Spurs win two championships.

One of the smoothest players to ever dribble a basketball, Walt Frazier was born in Atlanta. The former Knicks great was a key member of their championship-winning teams in 1970 and 1973. A seven-time All-Star, Frazier averaged 18 points and six assists per night for his career.

Cedric Ceballos is the best NBA player to be born in the island state of Hawaii. Playing his best years with the post-Magic Johnson Lakers, Ceballos averaged a career-high 21.7 points in 1995 and was named an All-Star that year as well. He played 11 years in total in the NBA before retiring in 2001.

Although not the most physically gifted player ever to grace an NBA court, Luke Ridnour’s passing ability and high basketball IQ helped him play 12 seasons in the league. The point guard finished his career with averages of 9.3 points and 4.5 assists per game. Ridnour was born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

The greatest player in Miami Heat history, Dwyane Wade was born in Chicago. A 12-time All-Star, Wade has provided no shortage of memorable moments, but none are greater than his performance in the 2006 NBA Finals when he singlehandedly took down Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. A three-time NBA champion, Wade is one of the most electrifying stars the NBA has had.

There’s a reason he’s called “Larry Legend.” In fact, there are many reasons why former Celtics great Larry Bird earned that nickname. Along with winning three championships for Boston in the 1980s, Bird is one of the greatest shooters the NBA has ever seen, evident by his three victories in the NBA’s Three-Point Shooting Contest. A nine-time First-Team All-NBA player, Bird averaged 24.3 points per game over the course of his Hall of Fame career.

Somewhere among all those cornfields in Iowa, NBA point guard Kirk Hinrich was born. The seventh overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, Hinrich has been a quality floor general over the course of his career. He played his best years in the NBA with the Bulls, averaging a career-high 16.6 points in 2007.

Despite having one of the most historic and prestigious college basketball programs in the country, not too many NBA players have been born in Kansas. Former Suns center Alvan Adams is the best of them. Adams played 13 years in the NBA, averaging 14.1 points and seven rebounds per game. He was even an All-Star his rookie year in the NBA in 1976.

Born in Louisville, Ky., few men have ever rebounded the basketball as well as Hall of Fame center Wes Unseld. Unseld averaged an incredible 14 rebounds per game over the course of his career with the Baltimore and Washington Bullets. That accomplishment was made all the more impressive by the fact that Unseld was an undersized center, standing six-feet-seven inches tall. Unseld’s Bullets won the 1978 NBA championship.

One of the best low-post players in NBA history, Karl Malone racked up 36,928 points in his career, best for second all time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “The Mailman” played nearly 20 years in the NBA for the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers and was an 11-time All-NBA First-Team player. Unfortunately for Malone, his Jazz would never win a championship, as they fell in the Finals twice to Michael Jordan’s Bulls.

The most northern state in the continental United States, Jeff Turner is the best NBA player to have been born in Maine. A forward, Turner played 10 years in the NBA for the Nets and Magic, averaging six points per game.

Are you ready for the Kevin Durant “sweepstakes” that will take place in free agency this upcoming summer? Whether you are or aren’t, expect to hear Durant’s name a whole lot once the season ends, as the 2014 NBA MVP has the chance to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for a new team. Durant, one of the best scorers in the NBA, is a seven-time All-Star and appears to be a future Hall of Fame inductee. And while he was born in Washington, D.C., Durant played his formative years mostly in Maryland.

Although many NBA fans write off Bill Laimbeer as just a goon for the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons, those who watched him knew he could play. Along with being a ferocious rebounder and defender, Laimbeer could step out and make three-pointers way before Stephen Curry made it cool. A four-time All-Star, Laimbeer was born in Boston.

One of the most exciting and charismatic sports figures ever, Magic Johnson is easily the best NBA player born in the state of Michigan. Magic and his “Showtime” Lakers helped revolutionize basketball and make it one of the most popular sports across the globe. Widely considered to be the greatest point guard in NBA history, Johnson led the Lakers to five championship wins in the 1980s. He is currently a minority owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Along with Larry Bird and Robert Parish, Kevin McHale helped form the Celtics' big three that led them to glory in the 1980s. Born in Hibbing, Minn., McHale was a constant force in the paint for the Celtics, averaging 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks for his career. McHale also won two Sixth Man of the Year awards during his prime.

A tremendous talent, Spencer Haywood is most famous in basketball circles for being the player to open the door for underclassmen in college to declare for the NBA Draft. A power forward, Haywood was a four-time All-Star in the NBA, playing his best years for the Seattle SuperSonics. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Of the all the Hall of Fame players who have played for the Celtics over the past 60 years, Jo Jo White is the one who is too often overlooked. A seven-time All-Star point guard, White helped lead the Celtics to two championships in the 1970s and was even named Finals MVP in 1976. A career 17.2 point per game scorer, White was born in St. Louis.

One of the greatest coaches in professional sports history, Phil Jackson won 11 championships as head coach of the Bulls and Lakers. What many people forget, however, is that Jackson also won two championships as key role player for the New York Knicks in the 1970s. The “Zen Master” was born in the city of Deer Lodge, Mont., which has a population of just over 3,000 people.

Currently the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, Fred Hoiberg also played 10 seasons in the NBA. Born in Lincoln, Neb., Hoiberg averaged just 5.4 points per game over the course of his career with the Pacers, Bulls and Timberwolves.

It seems only fitting that a player like Ricky Davis was born in Las Vegas. A wild shooting guard, Davis averaged 13.5 points per game over his 12-year career in the NBA. He is also remembered by NBA fans for missing a shot on his own basket in game in an attempt to grab his 10th rebound to record a triple-double. The rebound didn’t count.

The only NBA player ever to be born in the state of New Hampshire, Matt Bonner has won two championships as a role player with the San Antonio Spurs. Bonner, a center who attended the University of Florida, is currently in his 12th NBA season.

On March 6, 1972, a boy named Shaquille O’Neal was born in Newark, N.J. That boy would grow into one of the most dominating big men ever to play in the NBA. A 15-time All-Star, few players in recent memory have dominated a basketball game the way Shaq could. Simply too big and strong for most players to handle in the post by themselves, O’Neal averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in his 19 years in the NBA. O’Neal also won four championships and was named NBA Finals MVP three times.

Born in Hobbs, N.M., power forward Bill Bridges was a three-time All-Star for the St Louis and Atlanta Hawks. Bridges' best year in the NBA came in 1967, when he averaged 17.4 points and 15.1 rebounds per game.

Although he grew up in North Carolina, Michael Jeffrey Jordan was actually born in Brooklyn, N.Y. Regardless, however, of where he was born, Jordan is universally considered the greatest basketball player ever. An unstoppable scorer, shut-down defender and clutch shot maker, Jordan carried the NBA to unprecedented heights. An All-star in all but one of the 15 seasons he played in the NBA, MJ led the Bulls on six championship runs in the 1990s. And that number would have likely been eight, had Jordan not decided to briefly retire and pursue a career in baseball in 1993.

When his career is all set and done, Stephen Curry will almost certainly own the title of greatest basketball player born in North Carolina. But for now, it’s Bob McAdoo. Averaging an incredible 34.5 points and 14.1 rebounds for the Buffalo Braves, McAdoo won the 1975 NBA MVP. Along with being a six-time All-Star, he also won two championships with the Lakers in the 1980s. McAdoo was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Born in Grand Forks, N.D., Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott is one of just six NBA players ever to be born in the Roughrider State. The 11th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, McDermott also won the John R. Wooden Award for most outstanding player in college basketball as a member of the Creighton University Bluejays.

Whether or not LeBron James can bring the city of Cleveland its first NBA title remains to be seen, but there is no question that King James is the greatest NBA player to be born in the state of Ohio. A four-time NBA MVP, James will likely go down as one of the five greatest players ever to play in the NBA. Love him or hate, LeBron is one of the best ever.

Is too early to deem Blake Griffin the greatest basketball player form Oklahoma? Well, Mark Price and Wayman Tisdale were pretty good players, but they’re not on Griffin’s level. Along with being an awe-inspiring dunker, Griffin is also one of the NBA’s best players when healthy. The No. 1 overall pick the of the 2010 NBA Draft, the Clippers power forward has been an All-Star five of his six years as a pro.

A key member of championship Celtics teams of the 1980s, sharpshooter Danny Ainge was born in Eugene, Ore. A career 37.8 percent three-point shooter, Ainge won two titles in Boston and played over 1,000 games in the NBA. Ainge is currently the general manager and president of basketball operations for the Celtics.

No disrespect to Kobe Bryant, but it's hard to argue that Wilt Chamberlain isn’t the greatest NBA player to be born in Pennsylvania. The Hall of Fame center once averaged over 50 points a game for an entire season and scored a record 100 points in one game. Chamberlain also averaged an absurd 22.9 rebounds a night over his 14-year career with the Warriors, Sixers and Lakers. A four-time NBA MVP, “Wilt the Stilt” finished his career with 31,419 points scored.

Although he only played five years in the NBA, Marvin Barnes is unquestionably the best basketball player from the state of Rhode Island. As talented as they come, Barnes was a star in the ABA, before jumping ship to the Pistons in the NBA. Unfortunately, personal problems derailed Barnes' career, and he was never able to duplicate the ABA success he had in the NBA. He averaged 16 points per game in total for his professional basketball career.

Kevin Garnett is the ultimate example of player you would love to have on your team but viscerally hate if he isn’t. Born in Greensville, S.C., Garnett is one of the best power forwards in NBA history, as he has been a 15-time All-Star over the course of his career with the Timberwolves and Celtics. The 2004 NBA MVP, Garnett led the Celtics to their first NBA title in 22 years in 2008.

A 16-year NBA veteran, Mike Miller was born in Mitchell, S.D. The fifth overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft from the University of Florida, Miller’s most memorable time as an NBA player came in the 2012 Finals, where he simply could not miss a three-pointer for the Miami Heat. The 2001 NBA Rookie of the Year, Miller spent this past season with the Denver Nuggets.

Before Shaq had Kobe, he had Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. A six-foot-seven point guard, it looked as though the Orlando Magic had the next Magic Johnson when it teamed up Hardaway with O’Neal in 1993. Unfortunately, injuries and some poor decisions from management prevented Orlando from ever having the dynasty it should have had. Hardaway made four All-Star teams in his first five seasons in the NBA. His best season came in 1997, when averaged 21.7 points, 7.1 assists and two steals per game.

Back in the 1990s, Grant Hill was basically a miniature version of LeBron James: a small forward who could do it all. In his first six years in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was selected to five All-Star games and was an All-NBA First-Team player in 1997. After signing with the Orlando Magic in 2000, ankle injuries ended Hill’s days as an elite NBA player, but the Texan still managed to player professional basketball until the age of 40.

The 1987 All-Star Game MVP, Tom Chambers enjoyed 16 successful years in the NBA. Playing his best years for the SuperSonics and Suns, Chambers compiled over 20,000 points in his career. Not too shabby for a kid from Utah.

The state of Vermont has given us John Deere, delicious maple syrup and even an inspiring senator and former presidential candidate. But an NBA player is yet to be born in the state. One day, Vermont, one day.

The first player in NBA history to jump straight form high school to the pros, for whatever reason Moses Malone gets lost amid the conversation of basketball’s all-time greats. Playing his best years for the 76ers and Rockets, Malone averaged 20.2 points and 12.3 rebounds over his 20 years as a professional basketball player. A three-time NBA MVP and 1983 NBA Finals MVP, Malone died from heart disease in 2015.

As Karl Malone’s running mate in Utah, John Stockton ended his 19-year career as the NBA’s all-time assists leader, with 15,806 in total. Along with being a superb passing point guard, Stockton was also a stout defender, evident by the fact that he is the NBA’s all-time leader in steals as well. Stockton was a 10-time All-Star for the Jazz, the team he played his entire career for.

Born in Chelyan, W.V., Jerry West not only became one of the NBA’s all-time greats, but his image is also used as the silhouette for the league’s logo. An All-Star in every one of his 14 seasons with the Lakers, West was one of the NBA’s first pure shooters. Averaging 27 points per game for his career, West helped lead the Lakers to the 1972 NBA title and even won Finals MVP in 1969 against the Celtics in a losing effort. After retiring in 1974, West became one the NBA’s best front office executives for the Lakers and Warriors.

Remembered best by NBA fans as the player who was suspended 68 games in 1997 for choking his head coach in practice, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Latrell Sprewell was a pretty darn good basketball player. Born in Milwaukee, Sprewell played 13 seasons in the NBA for the Warriors, Knicks and Timberwolves. The small forward averaged 17.1 points per game for his career and made four All-Star teams. Sprewell also helped lead the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals as an eight seed, where they lost to Tim Duncan and the Spurs.

Raptors small forward James Johnson is one of just seven NBA players to have been born in the state of Wyoming. Now in his seventh year in the NBA, Johnson has also spent time with the Bulls, Kings and Grizzlies.