Duke players have ruled the NBA for decades. Grant Hill set the bar, Kyrie Irving made big shots that will go down in history, and JJ Redick led his team to victory. It’s all part of their legacy. Let us look at how these Duke greats impacted the NBA.
Which Five Duke Blue Devils Had the Best NBA Careers?
1. Grant Hill
Grant Hill had a great career at Duke. In 1991 and 1992, he helped the Blue Devils win two NCAA titles. In 1993, the NABC named him Defensive Player of the Year. The next year, all the coaches named him to the First Team All-America.
When Hill entered the NBA, the Detroit Pistons selected him third overall in the 1994 Draft. In 1995, he shared the Rookie of the Year award after quickly making a name for himself.
During his 19-year career, he was named an NBA All-Star seven times (1995–1998, 2000, 2001, and 2005) and five times he was named an All-NBA player.
The NBA gave him the Sportsmanship Award thrice in 2005, 2008, and 2010. Adding Hill to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 confirmed his place in basketball history.
2. Kyrie Irving
Even though Kyrie Irving only played basketball at Duke briefly, he made a lasting impact. Because of a toe injury, he could only play in 11 games during the 2010–2011 season, but he still scored 17.5 points per game on average. In the 2011 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers picked him with the first pick.
He has been an NBA All-Star nine times since 2012 when he was named Rookie of the Year. Irving was a big part of the Cavaliers’ run to the 2016 NBA title. In Game 7, he made the game-winning three-pointer.
He is one of the best point guards in the league, as shown by his career numbers of 23.4 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.
3. JJ Redick
JJ Redick is famous in basketball for his excellent shooting and impact on people on and off the court.
He broke many records at Duke University, but during the 2005-06 season, he set a record for most points scored in a single season at 964 points. He became the school’s all-time top scorer.
He is one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history with 2,769 career points as a Blue Devil and was a two-time National Player of the Year pick in 2005 and 2006 while helping Duke to a four-year record of 116-23 with two league regular season championships, three conference tournament crowns, and four NCAA tournament appearances.
Redick had a great 15-year NBA career, playing for teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, the Orlando Magic drafted him 11th overall.
After retiring in 2021, he switched careers, became an ESPN reporter, and helped start ThreeFourTwo Productions. He became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in June 2024.
4. Elton Brand
Elton Brand made himself known during his second year at Duke. In 1999, he won several national player of the year awards.
He won multiple National Player of the Year awards in 1999 during his sophomore season at Duke.
The Chicago Bulls picked him first in the 1999 NBA Draft. In 2000, he was named Co-Rookie of the Year. Brand played in the NBA for 17 years and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2006 and twice as an NBA All-Star in 2002 and 2006.
That year, he also won the NBA Sportsmanship Award. Brand was a stable player and a good leader on the court. Throughout his career, he averaged 15.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
5. Zion Williamson
At Duke, Zion Williamson’s first season was nothing less than amazing. He scored 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game during his lone season with the program.
For his great play, he won awards like ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. He was also the first player picked by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Williamson has been hurt a few times but still shows how fast and good at scoring he is by making the NBA All-Star team twice (2021, 2023). His career averages of 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game show he has what it takes to be a significant force in the league for many years.
These players are examples of the remarkable ability that Duke University has created. Each has significantly impacted the NBA with their achievements and contributions to the game.
Uh, Jason Tatum?