Holding Court With David Glenn: All-Time NC/NBA Squad - Chapelboro.com

Curry, Paul Join Jordan, Worthy on All-Time NC/NBA Squad Loaded With Former Tar Heels

By David Glenn

The countless connections between the state of North Carolina and the National Basketball Association are deep, impressive and rich.

On the latter point, there were two recent reminders that the richness of a player’s game and that of his bank account often go together nicely.

Last week, Golden State guard Steph Curry, formerly of Charlotte Christian School and the Davidson Wildcats, signed a four-year, $215 million contract extension with the Warriors, through the 2025-26 season.

Around the same time, Phoenix guard Chris Paul, a free agent after leading the team to the NBA championship series this summer, signed a new four-year deal worth up to $200 million to remain with the Suns. Paul played previously at West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, N.C., then at Wake Forest.

Almost every year, meanwhile, the NBA champion includes one or more players with ties to North Carolina. PJ Tucker (Raleigh Enloe/Texas), for example, was a starter for the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks.

The Curry and Paul news raised an interesting question: Could they, as still-active players, already be among the greatest North Carolina products in NBA history?

The numbers actually, already and emphatically say yes.

While the player summaries below place Curry and Paul alongside the GOAT, Michael Jordan, on this just-for-fun hypothetical All-Time, All-North Carolina NBA Team, it’s important to remember the parameters utilized for this particular team.

First, this squad includes only those who spent at least half their prep career at a North Carolina high school. This excludes a few superstars who were raised elsewhere but played a single season here, including Tracy McGrady (Durham Mount Zion Christian) and Charlie Scott (Laurinburg Institute). Both are members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and multi-time NBA All-Stars, but McGrady spent most of his high school career in his native Florida, and Scott (a UNC standout) in his native New York.

Second, this team ignores a player’s birthplace and collegiate affiliation, focusing instead on those who were developed through the North Carolina high school ranks.

Jordan, for example, played at Wilmington Laney High and of course at UNC, but he’s not a North Carolina native. He was born in New York City. Basically, he qualifies because he became a player here.

Similarly, although Vince Carter (UNC), Tim Duncan (Wake Forest), Grant Hill (Duke), Earl “The Pearl” Monroe (Winston-Salem State) and many others who came through North Carolina-based colleges or universities went on to become brilliant NBA players, they were excluded because they’re not really “from here.” They were from Florida, the Virgin Islands, Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively.

Finally, in this particular exercise (you certainly could have fun using different rules/parameters!), players were evaluated entirely on their professional basketball (mainly NBA) success. In other words, they didn’t get any bonus points for their (often amazing) accomplishments in high school or college.

With these things in mind, we present the 15-man All-Time, All-North Carolina NBA Team:

All-North Carolina NBA First Team

Name, North Carolina High School (College)

(*-active NBA player)

 

Guard: Steph Curry*, Charlotte Christian (Davidson)

NBA Entry: #7 overall to Golden State in 2009

NBA Team(s): Golden State (12 seasons)

NBA Honors: 2x MVP, 3x champion, 7x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 2x scoring champion, 1x steals leader

NBA Stat Line*: 12 seasons, 34 mpg, 24 ppg, 5 rpg, 7 apg, 48% FG, 91% FT, 43% threes

Guard: Chris Paul*, Clemmons West Forsyth (Wake Forest)

NBA Entry: #4 overall to New Orleans in 2005

NBA Team(s): New Orleans (6 seasons), LA Clippers (6), Houston (2), OKC (1), Phoenix (1)

NBA Honors: 11x All-Star, 10x All-NBA, 9x All-Defense, 6x steals leader, 4x assists leader

NBA Stat Line*: 16 seasons, 35 mpg, 18 ppg, 5 rpg, 9 apg, 47% FG, 87% FT, 37% threes

Guard: Michael Jordan, Wilmington Laney (North Carolina)

NBA Entry: #3 overall to Chicago in 1984

NBA Team(s): Chicago (13 seasons), Washington (2)

NBA Honors: HOF, 5x MVP, 6x champion, 6x Finals MVP, 14x All-Star, 11x All-NBA, 10x scoring champion, 9x All-Defense, 3x steals leader

NBA Stat Line: 15 seasons, 38 mpg, 30 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg, 50% FG, 84% FT, 33% threes

Forward: Dominique Wilkins, Washington High (Georgia)

NBA Entry: #3 overall to Utah (traded to Atlanta) in 1982

NBA Team(s): Atlanta (11.5 seasons), LA Clippers (0.5), Boston (1), San Antonio (1), Orlando (1)

NBA Honors: HOF, 9x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 1x scoring champion; also 3x international league (EuroLeague, Greece, Italy) champion

NBA Stat Line: 15 seasons, 36 mpg, 25 ppg, 7 rpg, 3 apg, 46% FG, 81% FT, 32% threes

Forward: James Worthy, Gastonia Ashbrook (North Carolina)

NBA Entry: #1 overall to LA Lakers in 1982

NBA Team(s): LA Lakers (12 seasons)

NBA Honors: HOF, 3x champion, 1x Finals MVP, 7x All-Star, 2x All-NBA

NBA Stat Line: 12 seasons, 32 mpg, 18 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg, 52% FG, 77% FT

All-North Carolina NBA Second Team

Guard: Pete Maravich, Raleigh Broughton (Louisiana State)

NBA Entry: #3 overall to Atlanta in 1970

NBA Team(s): Atlanta (4 seasons), New Orleans (5), Utah (0.5), Boston (0.5)

NBA Honors: HOF, 5x All-Star, 4x All-NBA, 1x scoring champion

NBA Stat Line: 10 seasons, 37 mpg, 24 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg, 44% FG, 82% FT

Guard: Sam Jones, Laurinburg Institute (North Carolina Central)

NBA Entry: #8 overall to Boston in 1957

NBA Team(s): Boston (12 seasons)

NBA Honors: HOF, 10x champion, 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA

NBA Stat Line: 12 seasons, 28 mpg, 18 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg, 46% FG, 80% FT

Forward: David Thompson, Shelby Crest (North Carolina State)

ABA/NBA Entry: #1 overall to Virginia/traded to Denver (ABA) and Atlanta (NBA) in 1975

ABA/NBA Team(s): Denver (7 seasons), Seattle (2)

ABA/NBA Honors: HOF, 4x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 1x ABA All-Star, 1x All-ABA

ABA/NBA Stat Line: 9 seasons, 33 mpg, 23 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg, 51% FG, 78% FT

Forward: Bob McAdoo, Greensboro Smith (North Carolina)

NBA Entry: #2 overall to Buffalo (NBA), #1 overall to Virginia (ABA) in 1972

NBA Team(s): Buffalo (4.5 seasons), New York (2), Boston (0.5), Detroit (1.5), New Jersey (0.5), LA Lakers (4), Philadelphia (1)

NBA Honors: HOF, 1x MVP, 2x champion, 5x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 3x scoring champion; also 5x international league (EuroLeague, Italy) champion

NBA Stat Line: 14 seasons, 33 mpg, 22 ppg, 9 rpg, 2 apg, 50% FG, 75% FT

Center: Walt Bellamy, New Bern Barber (Indiana)

NBA Entry: #1 overall to Chicago Packers in 1961

NBA Team(s): Chicago (2 seasons), Baltimore (2.5), New York (3), Detroit (1), Atlanta (4.5), New Orleans (1)

NBA Honors: HOF, 4x All-Star

NBA Stat Line: 14 seasons, 37 mpg, 20 ppg, 14 rpg, 2 apg, 52% FG, 63% FT

All-North Carolina NBA Third Team

Guard: John Wall, Garner High/Word of God Christian (Kentucky)

NBA Entry: #1 overall to Washington in 2010

NBA Team(s): Washington (9 seasons), Houston (1)

NBA Honors: 5x All-Star, 1x All-NBA, 1x All-Defense

NBA Stat Line*: 10 seasons, 36 mpg, 19 ppg, 4 rpg, 9 apg, 43% FG, 78% FT, 32% threes

Guard: Walter Davis, Charlotte South Mecklenburg (North Carolina)

NBA Entry: #5 overall to Phoenix in 1977

NBA Team(s): Phoenix (11 seasons), Denver (3.5), Portland (0.5)

NBA Honors: 6x All-Star, 2x All-NBA

NBA Stat Line: 15 seasons, 28 mpg, 19 ppg, 3 rpg, 4 apg, 51% FG, 85% FT, 27% threes

Forward: Bobby Jones, Charlotte South Mecklenburg (North Carolina)

ABA/NBA Entry: Carolina/traded to Denver (ABA) in 1973, #5 overall to Houston (NBA) in 1974

ABA/NBA Team(s): Denver (4 seasons), Philadelphia (8)

ABA/NBA Honors: HOF, 1x champion, 5x All-Star, 1x All-ABA, 11x All-Defense

ABA/NBA Stat Line: 12 seasons, 27 mpg, 12 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg, 56% FG, 77% FT

Forward: Buck Williams, Rocky Mount High (Maryland)

NBA Entry: #3 overall to New Jersey in 1981

NBA Team(s): New Jersey (8 seasons), Portland (7), New York (2)

NBA Honors: 3x All-Star, 1x All-NBA, 4x All-Defense

NBA Stat Line: 17 seasons, 33 mpg, 13 ppg, 10 rpg, 1 apg, 55% FG, 66% FT

Center: Brad Daugherty, Black Mountain Owen (North Carolina)
NBA Entry: #1 overall to Cleveland in 1986

NBA Team(s): Cleveland (8 seasons)

NBA Honors: 5x All-Star; 1x All-NBA

NBA Stat Line: 8 seasons, 37 mpg, 19 ppg, 10 rpg, 4 apg, 53% FG, 75% FT

This team does not represent an exhaustive list, obviously. The North Carolina high school ranks have produced a bevy of other prominent NBA players.

Just at the point guard position, for example, Phil Ford (Rocky Mount High/UNC), John Lucas (Durham Hillside/Maryland), Dennis Smith Jr (Fayetteville Trinity Christian/NC State) and Sleepy Floyd (Gastonia Huss/Georgetown) are among the others worth mentioning.

On the wing, there’s Jerry Stackhouse (Kinston High/UNC), Lou Hudson (Greensboro Dudley/Minnesota) and many more. At forward, there’s Danny Manning (Greensboro Page/Kansas), Cornbread Maxwell (Kinston High/Charlotte), Rodney Rogers (Durham Hillside/Wake Forest), David West (Garner High/Xavier) et al. At center, there’s Tommy Burleson (Newland Avery County/NC State).

Last, but not least, two of the most unforgettable members of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters are products of the Old North State. Showman forward Meadowlark Lemon (Wilmington Williston/Florida A&M) is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, while Lemon and ball-handling wizard Curly Neal (Greensboro Dudley/Johnson C Smith) are both in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

NOTE: “HOF” = Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Photo via AP Photo/Jeff Chiu.

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David Glenn (DavidGlennShow.com, @DavidGlennShow) is an award-winning author, broadcaster, editor, entrepreneur, publisher, speaker, writer and university lecturer (now at UNC Wilmington) who has covered sports in North Carolina since 1987.

The founding editor and long-time owner of the ACC Sports Journal and ACCSports.com, he also has contributed to the Durham Herald-Sun, ESPN Radio, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Raycom Sports, SiriusXM and most recently The Athletic. From 1999-2020, he also hosted the David Glenn Show, which became the largest sports radio program in the history of the Carolinas, syndicated in more than 300 North Carolina cities and towns, plus parts of South Carolina and Virginia.

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