Illinois has produced over 49 NBA players and it has a rich culture of basketball. Currently, only two players Deron Williams and Meyers Leonard are playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Here is the list of top 10 NBA players from Illinois.
10. Nick Weatherspoon
The 6’7” small forward played seven seasons in the NBA. He played for four different teams – Washington Bullets, Seattle SuperSonics, Chicago Bulls and San Diego Clippers. Nick averaged 9 points and 4.9 rebounds in his professional career. He died in 2008 at the age of 58.
9. Ken Norman
He was later selected 19th in the 1987 NBA Draft. Ken played in the NBA from 1987 to 1999. Norman averaged 13.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his career. During his career, he represented the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks.
8. Kendall Gill
The 6’5” NBA career started in 1990 and he retired in 2005. Kendall played for seven teams in the NBA. His most successful season was with the New Jersey Nets in 1996-97. In the 1996-97 season, he averaged 21.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and four assists.
7. Nick Anderson
He played in the NBA from 1989 to 2001. Nick spent 10 seasons at the Orlando Magic where he shared court with Shaquille O’Neal. His career stats are 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per match. Anderson has an average of 19.9 points per match in his most successful season.
6. Derek Harper
Derek Harper spent 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). For most of his career, he represented the Dallas Mavericks. In his NBA career, he averaged 13.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists. However, he failed to appear for the All-star team.
5. Eddie Johnson
He had a successful career in the NBA. Eddie donned jerseys of six different teams in the NBA. Johnson averaged 16.0 points in 1,199 games played. He won the 1989 sixth Man of the Year award while playing for the Phoenix Suns.
4. Don Ohl
Don spent 10 years in the NBA. He was a member of the All star team from 1962 to 1967. During his NBA career, he averaged 15.9 points, three rebounds and 3.1 assists per season.
3. Johnny Kerr
Johnny played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Baltimore Bullets during his 12 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected for the All star team thrice in his career. Kerr averaged a double-double at 13.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per season. He died in the year 2009.
2. Andy Phillip
Phillip is a member of the NBA Hall of fame. He played 11 seasons in the NBA. Phillip averaged 9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists for his career. The 6’2” tall player played as a point guard/forward; he died at the age of 79 in 2001.
1. Deron Williams
The two time Olympic gold medalists averaged 17.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists per season. He represented the Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Deron Williams averaged 17.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists per season.