The 5 Best NBA Players from UNC

Ok – let’s get this out of the way right off the bat.

There’s only ever going to be one number one on a list of the 5 best NBA players from UNC.

The most outstanding player of all time (disagree? Come at us)

This list is a hotly-debated (in The Jump Hub office anyhow) list of 4 exceptional players from NBA history, with Michael Jordan sitting firmly above them.

The University of North Carolina on Chapel Hill has produced some serious NBA-level talent over the years.

Among NBA active players that are UNC Tar Heel alumni we find:

Cole Anthony – Orlando Magic
Harrison Barnes – Sacramento Kings
Tony Bradley – Chicago Bulls
Reggie Bullock – Dallas Mavericks
Ed Davis – Cleveland Cavaliers
Wayne Ellington – Los Angeles Lakers
Danny Green – Philadelphia 76ers
Cameron Johnson – Phoenix Suns
Nassir Little – Portland Trail Blazers
Theo Pinson – Dallas Mavericks
Day’Ron Sharpe – Brooklyn Nets
Coby White – Chicago Bulls

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THE 5 BEST FORMER NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS

ANTAWN JAMISON

Born – June 12th, 1976 – Shreveport, Louisiana – age 46
Time spent at UNC – 1995 – 1998
Measurements – 6’8″ (2.03m) – 223lb (101kg)
Positions – Power forward, small forward
NBA Draft – 4th pick, 1998, Toronto Raptors (traded to Golden State Warriors)
NBA debut – February 6th, 1999
Career length – 16 years

COLLEGE CAREER

Jamison played a full 3 seasons with the Tar Heels and hit superb averages of 19 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He received numerous awards and accolades while there. His star was in the ascendancy and he chose, like so many other before and after him, to forego his final year of college. He announced himself eligible for the NBA Draft in 1998 and returned to his studies at a later date.

In the year 2000, Jamison’s jersey number 33 was retired by the university. He became only the 7th alum to receive this honor.

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

Antawn Jamison was picked fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors and immediately traded to the Golden State Warriors. In return? Fellow Tar Heel and best friend Vince Carter.

In his first season in the NBA, (2000/01), Jamison became the first player to score 50+ points in consecutive games since Michael Jordan in 1986/87.

He started all 82 games and averaged 24.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. An extraordinary beginning.

Jamison is in an elite group of players who surpassed 16,000 points and 6,000 rebounds.

Games – 1,083
Points – 18.5
Rebounds – 7.5
Assists – 1.6
Steals – 1
Field goal percentage – 45.1%
3-point percentage – 34.6%
Free throw percentage – 72.4%
Player efficiency rating – 18.1%

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

2× NBA All-Star – 2005, ’08
NBA Sixth Man of the Year – 2004
NBA All-Rookie Second Team – 1999
National college player of the year – 1998
Consensus first-team All-American – 1998
Consensus second-team All-American – 1997
ACC Player of the Year – 1998
3× First-team All-ACC – 1996-’98
ACC Tournament MVP – 1998
ACC All-Freshman Team – 1996
Jersey number 33 retired by North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina Mr. Basketball – 1995

WALTER DAVIS

Born – September 9th, 1954 – Pineville, North Carolina – age 67
Time spent at UNC – 1973 – 1977
Measurements – 6’6″ (1.98m) – 193lb (87kg)
Positions – Shooting guard, small forward
NBA Draft – 5th pick, 1977, Phoenix Suns
NBA debut – October 18th, 1977
Career length – 15 years

COLLEGE CAREER

Walter Davis was a college player for the University of North Carolina who drew attention to himself due to his seemingly effortless, highly-effective style of play. He was a strong, tough defender and soon made the USA men’s basketball team. He went on to win a gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games.

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

After the Phoneix Suns selected Walter Davis as 5th pick in the 1977 NBA Draft he began to repay them almost immediately.

With an average of 24.2 points per game across 81 games that season he was an easy choice for Rookie of the Year.

In 6 of his first 10 seasons, Davis averaged more than 20 points per game.

In 1983, Davis broke an NBA record that had stood for 22 years by scoring 34 points without missing a shot.

Over his career, Davis maintained excellent averages right across the board and play at the very highest level. He remains the Phoenix Suns’ all-time leading scorer with 15,666 points.

Injuries and personal problems caused a sad decline in Davis’s talents as the years passed but he still managed to score almost 20,000 points throughout hsis 15 years in the NBA. No mean feat by anyone’s standards.

Games –
Points – 18.9
Rebounds – 3
Assists – 3.8
Steals – 1.2
Field goal percentage – 51.1%
3-point percentage – 27.2%
Free throw percentage – 85.1%
Player Efficiency Rating – 19.1%

Davis still has the franchise record for career points at the Phoenix Suns. He became affectionately known as “The Man with the Velvet Touch.”

Despite recurring back problems, Davis still put in 15 seasons at the NBA level, managing impressive numbers through most of them.

6× NBA All-Star – 1978-’81, ’84, ’87
2× All-NBA Second Team – 1978, ’79
NBA Rookie of the Year – 1978
NBA All-Rookie First Team – 1978
Jersey number 6 retired by Phoenix Suns
First-team All-ACC – 1977
Second-team All-ACC (1976)

VINCE CARTER

Born – January 26th, 1977 – Daytona Beach, Florida – age 45
Time spent at UNC – 1995 – 1998
Measurements – 6’6″ (1.98m) – 220lb (99kg)
Positions – Shooting guard, small forward, power forward
NBA Draft – 5th pick, 1998, Golden State Warriors (traded to Toronto Raptors)
NBA debut – February 5th, 1999
Career length – 22 years

COLLEGE CAREER

Vince Carter played 3 seasons of college basketball in North Carolina. He helped the team to consecutive NCAA tournament titles in 1997 and ’98.

By the end of the 1997/98 season, Carter averaged 15.6 points per game and was awarded some of the accolades listed below. He declared for the NBA Draft that same year.

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

Vince Carter was taken at 5th pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 1998 NBA Draft and traded to Toronto Raptors for his fellow alum and best friend Antawn Jamison.

He showed incredible longevity and dedication to last for 22 years in the top flight. Most of his stats began to slide in his later seasons and his overall numbers suffer as a result. Nevertheless, his was a remarkable career that puts him among the best ever NBA players from North Carolina University as far as we’re concerned.

Career stats (averages per game)

Games – 1,541
Points – 16.7
Rebounds – 4.3
Assists – 3.1
Steals – 1
Field goal percentage – 43.5%
3-point percentage – 37.1%
Free throw percentage – 79.8%
Player Efficiency Rating – 18.6%

There have been few players in NBA history with the leaping ability of Vince Carter but he was so much more than that. He was a great all-rounder, a great shooter, and a persistent, awkward defender to play against in his heyday.

During his excellent 15-year career, Carter was named an NBA All-Star 8 times. In the 2002/03 game, to show his respect, he deferred his starting position to Michael Jordan who was retiring.

Vince Carter’s career includes two 51-point performances, along with a maximum of 16 rebounds, and 14 assists. Not to be sneered at by any in the game.

Vince Carter is the only player in NBA history to play in a game across four different decades.

JUST THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT…

He is one of just six players in the whole of NBA history to average at least 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game for 10 consecutive seasons.

Add to that the following:

Vince Carter is also one of six players in league history to record 24,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, 1,000 steals, and 1,000 3-point field goals.

A colossal accomplishment.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

8× NBA All-Star – 2000-’07
All-NBA Second Team – 2001
All-NBA Third Team – 2000
NBA Rookie of the Year – 1999
NBA All-Rookie First Team – 1999
Slam Dunk Contest Winner – 2000
NBA Sportsmanship Award – 2020
NBA Teammate of the Year – 2016
Consensus second-team All-American – 1998
First-team All-ACC – 1998
Third-team All-ACC (1997)
Jersey number 15 honored by North Carolina Tar Heels
First-team Parade All-American – 1995

JAMES WORTHY

Born – February 27th, 1961 – Gastonia, North Carolina – age 61
Time spent at UNC – 1979 – 1982
Measurements – 6’9″ (2.06m) – 225lb (102kg)
Positions – Small forward, power forward
NBA Draft – 1st pick, 1982, Los Angeles Lakers
NBA debut – October 29th, 1982
Career length – 12 years
Hall of Fame – Inducted in 2003

COLLEGE CAREER

James Worthy stood out immediately on arriving at the University of North Carolina on Chapel Hill. Although a broken ankle marred his freshman year he still became an integral part of the Tar Heels team that was stuffed with talent.

Worthy was the leading scorer on the team with 15.6 points per game from power forward. His teammates included soon-to-be NBA superstars Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan.

They won the NCAA tournament title in 1982 and James dominated the game. He sealed the 63-62 win with an interception in the final seconds and hit 28 points in the game. He was awarded Most Outstanding Player.

Another successful player who elected to forgo his senior year, Worthy entered the NBA Draft and returned to complete his studies later.

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

James Worthy was 1st overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1982 NBA Draft.

He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team that season but played second fiddle to Jamaal Wilkes for much of his first 2 seasons there.

Career stats (averages per game)

Games – 926
Points – 17.6
Rebounds – 5.1
Assists – 3
Steals – 1.1
Field goal percentage – 52.1%
Free throw percentage – 76.9%
3-point percentage – 24.1%
Player Efficiency Rating – 17.7%

Worthy went on to be a 7-time NBA All-Star and 3-time NBA Champion. He is one of only three Tar Heels to be added to the list of “50 Greatest Players in NBA History.”

Overall, James Worthy’s NBA career was as solid as a rock. But he saved his best moments for the NBA Playoffs, averaging 21.1 points per game there. His nickname “Big-Game James” stems from that fact and he is one of only 2 players on this list to be named MVP in an NBA Final.

Guess who the other one was?

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

3× NBA Champion – 1985, ’87, ’88
NBA Finals MVP – 1988
7× NBA All-Star – 1986-’92
2× All-NBA Third Team – 1990, ’91
NBA All-Rookie First Team – 1983
NBA Anniversary Team – 50th & 75th
Jersey number 42 retired by L.A. Lakers
NCAA Champion – 1982
NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player – 1982
Consensus first-team All-American – 1982
First-team All-ACC – 1982
Second-team All-ACC – 1981
ACC Tournament MVP – 1982
Jersey number 52 retired by North Carolina Tar Heels
First-team Parade All-American – 1979
Second-team Parade All-American – 1978

MICHAEL JORDAN

Born – February 17th, 1963 – Brooklyn, New York – age 59
Time spent at UNC – 1981 – 1984
Measurements – 6’6″ (1.98m) – 198lb (89kg)
Positions – Shooting guard, small forward
NBA Draft – 3rd pick, 1984, Chicago Bulls
NBA debut – October 26th, 1984
Career length – 15 years
Hall of Fame – Inducted in 2009

It’s simultaneously very easy and rather difficult to write about Michael Jordan. There’s nothing that hasn’t been said before a thousand times. The temptation to gush is very real. His accolades and awards are all-encompassing. His impact on the game we love was astronomical.

COLLEGE CAREER

As a young man, Jordan was already showing great promise. He was named ACC Freshman of the Year and then came what he describes as a significant turning point in his basketball career. He made a jump-shot with 14 seconds on the clock in the 1982 NCAA Championship game. It turned out to be the winning shot…

Awards and accolades were already starting to pile up and he left the team one year early to join the 18984 NBA Draft and returned to complete his studies 2 years later.

Jordan spent 3 seasons with the Tar Heels and averaged 17.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

The best was very much still to come.

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

Career stats (averages per game)

Points – 30.1
Rebounds – 6.2
Assists – 5.3
Steals – 2.3
Field goal percentage – 49.7%
3-point percentage – 32.7%
Free throw percentage – 83.5%
Player Efficiency Rating – 27.9%

Michael Jordan was the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft and was selected by the Chicago Bulls.

Imagine that?

There are legitimate reasons why Jordan ended up being 3rd pick but, still. Wow.

He dominated the league from the first time he stepped foot on the court as an NBA player. In his first season, he averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. He was a shoo-in for NBA Rookie of the Year.

Michael Jordan changed basketball forever. He brought to it a level of skill and pizzazz that had simply never been seen before. Some would say since.

He became a global brand in his own right and led that Chicago Bulls team to victory after victory. Smashing records along the way.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

6× NBA Champion – 1991-’93, ’96-’98
6× NBA Finals MVP – 1991-’93, ’96-’98
5× NBA Most Valuable Player – 1988, ’91, ’92, ’96’, ’98
14× NBA All-Star – 1985-’93, ’96-’98, ’02, ’03
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP – 1988, ’96, ’98
10× All-NBA First Team – 1987-’93, ’96-’98
All-NBA Second Team – 1985
NBA Defensive Player of the Year – 1988
9× NBA All-Defensive First Team – 1988-’93, ’96-’98
NBA Rookie of the Year – 1985
NBA All-Rookie First Team – 1985
10× NBA scoring champion – 1987-’93, ’96-’98
3× NBA steals leader – 1988, ’90, ’93
2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest – 1987, ’88
Jersey number 23 retired by Chicago Bulls
Jersey number 23 retired by Miami Heat
3× AP Athlete of the year – 1991-’93
Sports Illustrated Magazine’s Sportsperson of the Year – 1991
2× IBM Award – 1985, ’89
NBA Anniversary Team – 50th & 75th
NCAA Champion – 1982
National college player of the year – 1984
2× Consensus first-team All-American – 1983, ’84
ACC Player of the Year – 1984
2× First-team All-ACC – 1983, ’84
ACC Rookie of the Year – 1982
Jersey number 23 retired by North Carolina Tar Heels
2× USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year – 1983, ’84
First-team Parade All-American – 1981
Presidential Medal of Freedom – 2016

There have been pioneers in NBA history that we might say have been braver. Faced tougher odds, prejudice, and persecution. It’s impossible and silly to compare them and say who made the biggest difference.

Did these 5 guys not have a greater overall impact culturally?

Satch Sanders
K.C. Jones
Willie Naulls
Sam Jones
Bill Russell

They started for the Boston Celtics as the first-ever all-black lineup on Boxing Day of 1964.

WHO CAN SAY?

Either way, they have all earned the right to be long remembered and the name Michael Jeffrey Jordan will sit proudly among them forever.

Jordan himself lists other basketball heroes that had a huge impact on him.

Namely – Julius Erving, David Thompson, Walter Davis, and Elgin Baylor. He states in his autobiography that his talents were built on their shoulders and without them –

“THERE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN A MICHAEL JORDAN. I EVOLVED FROM THEM.”

Had it not been for the murder of his father in 1993 and his time off to try his hand at baseball, the records would have continued to grow and be even more mind-blowing.

As it is, Jordan won six NBA titles and was Finals MVP each time. Across his NBA Playoff games, he averaged 33.4 points per game. Remarkable.

Across the entirety of the 1986/87 season, Jordan averaged 37.1 points per game. Truly staggering. He simply excelled in almost every aspect of the game as an individual. It’s easy to be blown away by his high-flying offensive domination and invention. However, his superiority on the court brought those around him to new levels (as they, in turn, helped him to improve) and he created chances for his teammates consistently. The 1988/89 season saw his best effort there and he averaged 8 assists per game throughout.

We are (for once) in agreement here.

Michael Jordan is easily the greatest Tar Heel ever to play in the NBA.

Not only that, but he is the greatest player in the entire history of the game.