I have been watching alot of playoff action in the NBA. By the way, there have been quite a few great games during the first two rounds of the playoffs. We are down to four teams. Minnesota and Oklahoma City are squaring off in the Western Conference Finals while the Indiana Pacers are taking on the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. But I digress. Let’s get back to Kentucky Wildcat Basketball.
While watching this year’s playoffs, it hit me that there are a bunch of NBA players who played their college ball at Kentucky. This season, 30 former Wildcats made a roster to start the season. And we are talking about some of the top players in the league. The next closest college with alumni in the NBA is Duke with 21 players on opening-night rosters. The two schools could easily field an all-star team.
I would take Kentucky if there was a game between the two. Twelve of the top 100 players in the NBA went to school in Lexington, Kentucky.
Here is why. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legit MVP candidate and will likely lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Finals.
Tyrese Maxey is the reigning Most Improved Player.
Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, and Anthony Davis all won gold medals in the 2024 Olympics.
That is just a start. Here are some more NBA standouts that were coached by John Calipari at Kentucky.
Karl-Anthony Towns who is still in the playoffs with the Knicks. De’Aaron Fox of the San Antonio Spurs. Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat. Malik Monk of the Sacramento Kings. Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets who won a title in 2023. And Julius Randle who is still in the playoffs with the Timberwolves.
There are more. I just listed all-star caliber players. Editing and going over this list, I have to ask how did Calipari only win one national title?
