The NBA’s 79th season tipped off this week with Tuesday’s opening matchup between the New York Knicks and the defending champion Boston Celtics.
It’s an exciting time for basketball fans as not only is the professional game now underway, but that also means that college ball is just around the corner as well.
As any local will tell you, basketball is big in North Carolina and there is quite a lot of talent that can be linked to the state.
Take last year’s final for example.
The Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, who is arguably a top-5 talent in the league, and the Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving, another of the NBA’s best, are both Duke basketball products.
And it wasn’t just them in the final either as both Seth Curry and Dereck Lively II of Dallas are also former Blue Devils.
Overall, Duke is by far leading the way in terms of the development of pro talent as 10 former players are slated to be starters this season.
And not only are the Blue Devils representing on the court, but also amongst the coaches and general managers too.
Atlanta’s Quin Snyder played four years at Duke (1985-1989) and was an assistant there as well (1995-1999) and new Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick played there too (2002-2006).
Golden State Warrior general manager Michael Dunleavy went to Duke (1999-2002) and so did Philadelphia 76ers GM Elton Brand (1997-1999). Memphis Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman got a degree from Duke Law.
But it’s not just Duke who’ve made their mark on the league.
Stephen Curry, one of the greatest basketball players of all time and the NBA’s best three-point shooter, is a graduate of Davidson College and spent most of his childhood living in NC when his dad, Dell Curry, was with the Charlotte Hornets. He’s looking to add a fifth title to his resume with a new-look Golden State Warriors team.
Winston-Salem native and 11-time All-NBA talent Chris Paul is still searching for his first ring in his 20th season. He joins 2023 first-overall pick Victor Wembanyama and legendary coach Gregg Popovich in San Antonio this season.
Bam Adebayo, a three-time All Star and five time NBA All-Defensive team, is a critical piece for the Miami Heat, but before that, he was playing ball in Pinetown and at High Point Christian Academy.
Even the future is looking promising as four players with North Carolina ties were drafted this year and while none are slated to be starters this year, two have the chance to be big pieces for their teams in the near future.
Hickory-native and eighth overall pick Rob Dillingham joined a star-studded cast in Minnesota and while he’s currently the number two on the depth chart behind Mike Conley, it’s only a matter of time before he takes over the 37-year-old’s spot.
The other would be another Duke player, one-and-done Jared McCain, who went 16th overall to the Philadelphia 76ers. McCain still needs time to develop, but with his natural scoring touch, he could very easily be an impact player down the line.
The Tar Heels are another blue blood who are normally well represented in the league but they are projected to only have two former players who will be starters this year: Brooklyn Net Cameron Johnson and San Antonio Spur Harrison Barnes.
Former NC State twin forwards Caleb and Cody Martin are both still playing in the NBA and John Collins is another Wake Forest alum who is a projected starter.
North Carolina has long been a bastion for basketball when it comes to the college game with 12 NCAA titles amongst the state’s universities, but it also goes to show that that talent continues to grow and develop into impactful pros as well.
