D2 Legends

"The Pearl." Under Clarence "Big House" Gaines at Winston-Salem State he averaged 41.5 points as a senior and led the Rams to the 1967 College Division national title, the first NCAA basketball championship won by an HBCU. Baltimore took him No. 2 overall, he was Rookie of the Year in 1968, and after a trade to New York he and Walt Frazier formed the "Rolls-Royce Backcourt" that won the 1973 title. Four-time All-Star, number retired by both the Knicks and the Wizards, NBA 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. Hall of Fame, 1990.

"The Iceman." Played at Eastern Michigan when it was still a College Division program, then went to the ABA before coming to the NBA with the Spurs in 1976. Four scoring titles, including the 1978 race he won on the final day by dropping 63 on New Orleans. Nine straight NBA All-Star games on top of three in the ABA, number 44 retired in San Antonio, NBA 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. Hall of Fame, 1996.

Charles Oakley spotted him at a camp and steered him to Virginia Union, where he played two seasons. No NBA team drafted him in 1996; he worked his way from Washington to Orlando to Detroit and became the best defensive center of his era: four Defensive Player of the Year awards (nobody has more), four All-Star games, two rebounding titles, a blocks title, and the anchor of the 2004 champion Pistons. Number 3 retired in Detroit. Hall of Fame, 2021, the first undrafted player of the modern era to get in.

Played for John McLendon at North Carolina Central and was Boston's first-round pick in 1957. In twelve seasons with the Celtics he won ten championships, more than any player other than Bill Russell, and his bank shot was the go-to bucket on the greatest dynasty in the sport. Five-time All-Star, number 24 retired in Boston, NBA 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. Hall of Fame, 1984.

"Clyde." Southern Illinois was a College Division power when he played there: national runner-up in 1966, then NIT champion in 1967 with Frazier as tournament MVP. The Knicks took him fifth overall, and in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals, the Willis Reed game, it was Frazier who actually won it with 36 points and 19 assists. Two titles, seven All-Star games, seven All-Defensive First Teams, number 10 retired in New York, NBA 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. Hall of Fame, 1987.

Out of Norfolk State in the CIAA, he was the third star next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson on the 1971 champion Bucks, then the leading scorer of the 1978 champion Bullets, where he outplayed Julius Erving in the conference finals. Four-time All-Star, one of the most underrated forwards of the 1970s. Hall of Fame, 2021.

A two-time College Division All-American at North Dakota under Bill Fitch before the Knicks took him in the second round in 1967. He won rings with the 1970 and 1973 Knicks as a reserve, then became the winningest coach in NBA history: six championships with Michael Jordan's Bulls, five with Shaq and Kobe's Lakers, eleven in all, and the best winning percentage of any coach ever. "The Zen Master." Hall of Fame, 2007; named one of the ten greatest coaches in league history.

A 1985 consensus All-American and Division II Player of the Year at Virginia Union, where he averaged a double-double and went 31-1 as a senior. Drafted ninth overall and traded to Chicago on draft night; led the NBA in total rebounds in 1987 and 1988 as Michael Jordan's bodyguard, then spent ten years as the heart of the Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy Knicks. All-Star and All-Defensive First Team in 1994, nineteen seasons and 1,282 games in all.

7-foot-7, the tallest player in NBA history, and a shot-blocker like no one before or since. One season at Bridgeport was enough for the Bullets to take him in the second round in 1985. He led the league in blocks twice, finished with 2,086 blocks against 1,599 points, the only player ever with more of one than the other, and gave most of what he earned to relief work in his native Sudan.

Second-round pick out of Longwood (a Division II program until 2004) who became a starter on the Trail Blazers teams that reached the 1990 and 1992 Finals, averaging 19 points in 1988-89. Seventeen seasons in all, with a ring as a reserve on the 1999 champion Spurs.

Three-time Division II All-American at Hampton, a second-round pick in 1980, and the starting power forward on the 1989 champion "Bad Boys" Pistons, the enforcer in the lineup with Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman. Eighteen NBA seasons.

A seventh-round pick out of American International who played in Portugal, Ireland, Argentina and the CBA before his first NBA minute at 26. Then: three championships. He hit the "Kiss of Death" three in Game 7 at Phoenix in 1995 for the back-to-back Rockets, and started for the 1999 champion Spurs.

Undrafted out of Fayetteville State, he played overseas and in the minor leagues before the Magic signed him at 26. In 1998-99 he won Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player in the same season, the only player ever to do it, and he played fourteen NBA seasons.

The "rainbow" jumper. Fifth pick in the 1978 draft out of Jackson State, which moved up to Division I during his career there. Averaged 28.0 points for Golden State in 1984-85, scored 59 in a game against the Nets, and finished twelve NBA seasons with more than 11,000 points.

"The Human Eraser" led Morgan State to the 1974 Division II national championship and was taken third overall in 1975 by both the NBA and the ABA. He anchored the Sonics team that reached the 1978 Finals, then signed with the Knicks on what was at the time one of the richest contracts in the league.

One of "Big House" Gaines's first stars at Winston-Salem State, and in 1961 the St. Louis Hawks took him eighth overall, the first player from an HBCU ever drafted in the first round. His NBA career lasted one season; his place in the history of the game is permanent.

The best of four Jones brothers from Albany State who all played pro ball. Seventeen pro seasons, ABA and NBA, including three trips to the Finals with the 76ers, All-Defensive First Team in 1981 and 1982, and a career that ran until he was 39. Philadelphia traded him to Houston in the deal that brought Moses Malone, and the 76ers won the title the next spring.

"Mr. Mean." Second-round pick out of Alcorn State who made the All-Rookie team with Golden State and spent thirteen seasons as one of the league's best offensive rebounders; he averaged more than ten boards a game for the 1980s Warriors despite rarely looking for his own shot.

"Black Superman." A fourth-round pick out of Kentucky State who was tearing up the CBA when Portland called in 1980. He averaged 25 points in that spring's playoffs and became a cult hero in the Rose Garden, then went on to win two championships as an import in the Philippines, where he is still one of the most famous players the PBA has ever had.

From Winston-Salem State to Italy and back: Indiana signed him in 1993 and he started at point guard for the Pacers teams that took the Knicks and the Magic to seven games in the 1994 and 1995 conference finals.

CIAA Player of the Year who led Shaw to the 2002 conference title, then a second-round pick of the Bucks. In Seattle he opened the 2003-04 season scoring 20 a night while Ray Allen was hurt. Eight NBA seasons with six teams.

From West Florida through the CBA to nine NBA seasons, most of them running the point for the Rockets, where his hair was as famous as his handle.

"Mad Dog." A third-round pick out of Mount St. Mary's who led the 1972-73 76ers in scoring, which took some doing on a 9-73 team, and later coached them. Eight NBA seasons.

The University of New Orleans was still a Division II program when he arrived. Fourteen NBA seasons as a shot-blocking center for Golden State, Portland and Denver, more than 1,100 blocks.

A starter on the 1976 Suns team that reached the Finals and played the triple-overtime Game 5 in Boston that is still called the greatest game ever played. Southwest Missouri State was Division II at the time.

The first Mexican-born player in the NBA, with the Suns in 1997, out of Grand Canyon when it was a Division II program. A national hero in Mexico, where he played and coached for two more decades.

The first Japanese player in the NBA, with the Suns in 2004, after two seasons at BYU–Hawaii. Back home he won titles in the B.League and is the most recognizable basketball player in the country.

"The Animal." Out of St. Augustine's to seven seasons of bruising minutes with the Knicks and Clippers.

Twelve NBA seasons out of Virginia Union, most of them as the starting center in Dallas during the Jason Kidd and Jim Jackson years.

Ten NBA seasons out of Pfeiffer in Conference Carolinas, with the Lakers, Clippers, Hawks, Blazers and more. Later a longtime radio voice of the Trail Blazers.

An ABA champion with Julius Erving's 1974 Nets before seven NBA seasons, most of them starting next to George Gervin with the Spurs. Elizabeth City State, CIAA.

Division II All-American at Central Oklahoma who went undrafted, made the Hornets, and signed a five-year deal with the Bulls in 2001 as one of the league's best athletes.

ACB champion with Caja Laboral (2010) and Barcelona (2014), ACB Defensive Player of the Year 2015.

Italian champion with Sassari (2015), Polish league MVP (2008), LKL top scorer (2017); EuroBasket 2009 with Poland.

CBA champion and Finals MVP with Xinjiang (2017), CBA MVP (2019); scoring titles in the CBA, Spain's ACB and Germany's BBL.

LKL champion with Žalgiris Kaunas (2026); led the EuroCup in steals (2025).

Italian champion with Sassari (2015); AfroBasket champion with Nigeria (2015).

2007 Division II National Player of the Year; played EuroBasket 2017 for Italy.

Polish league MVP (2018) and Finals MVP (2019), three straight Portuguese titles (2022–24); AfroBasket 2015 with Cape Verde.

Two Olympics (2008, 2012) and two World Championships for the Boomers; NBL champion (2009), four-time All-NBL First Team.

Olympic bronze with Australia (Tokyo 2020), Paris 2024 squad; NBL champion with Perth (2019, 2020).

Six NBL championships with the Perth Wildcats, NBL Rookie of the Year (2010).

NBL champion with Melbourne United (2021); FIBA Asia Cup 2017 and 2022 with Australia.

NBL scoring champion, 2012-13.

2012 Olympics and 2014 World Cup with Brazil; No. 4 retired by Bauru.

2019 FIBA World Cup and AmeriCup with the Dominican Republic.

FIBA Asia Championship 2007 and 2009 (bronze) with Jordan.

P.League+ MVP (2021) and three straight titles (2021–23); FIBA Asia 2009 and 2011 with Chinese Taipei.

PBA MVP (2011) and six PBA titles; captained the Philippines at the 2014 World Cup and to FIBA Asia silver in 2013.

PBA MVP (2003); FIBA Asia Championship 2007, 2011 and 2015 with the Philippines.

PBA MVP (2005) and four PBA titles; FIBA Asia 2007 with the Philippines.

PBA MVP (2009) and six PBA titles; FIBA Asia 2009 with the Philippines.

Seven PBA titles (2003–15); No. 4 retired by TNT.

Nine PBA titles; Finals MVP, 2017 Commissioner's Cup.

Won the 2010 Division II national title at Cal Poly Pomona, then six PBA titles; FIBA Asia silver with the Philippines (2015).

Four PBA titles (2009–21), twice Best Player of the Conference.

Four PBA titles with San Miguel (2022–26).

PBA champion 2001 and 2002, Finals MVP (2001), Defensive Player of the Year (2002).

PBA champion (2024 Philippine Cup); ABL champion and Finals MVP (2013).

PBA champion and Defensive Player of the Year, 2024.

PBA champion, 2022 Philippine Cup and 2023-24 Commissioner's Cup.

Six PBA titles with Alaska (1991–97), PBA Best Import (1996). Cal Poly was a Division II program until 1994.

MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2023 and twice second-team All-MIAA at Northwest Missouri State, then followed Ben McCollum to Drake and on to Iowa. Taken 16th overall in 2026 by Memphis and traded to Oklahoma City, he averaged 17.0 points through his first four preseason games, including 26 at Atlanta.

No Division I offers out of high school, so he took a partial scholarship at UCCS and became an All-RMAC pick and a Division II All-American before finishing at Colorado. San Antonio took him in the first round in 2017; in Boston he became an All-Defensive guard, the tip-in with 0.1 seconds left that saved the 2023 conference finals, and a starter on the 2024 NBA champions. The best D2 player of this generation.

Two seasons at Lewis in the GLVC, where he was a Division II All-American, then two at DePaul. Undrafted in 2019, cut by the Bulls, signed by Miami, and three years later he was starting in the 2023 NBA Finals. Signed a four-year deal with Cleveland that summer.

Two years at Sonoma State in the CCAA, one at Washington State, then the 39th pick in the 2024 draft. He started 74 games for Memphis as a rookie and made the All-Rookie First Team.

The 2018 Division II Player of the Year at Wheeling Jesuit. Undrafted, he went through the G League with Delaware and Sioux Falls, earned a full contract with the Heat in 2022, and played rotation minutes in Miami's run to the 2023 Finals. Back with Phoenix on a one-year deal for 2026-27.

The most decorated player in Division II history: three straight national championships at Northwest Missouri State (2019, 2021, 2022, with 2020 cancelled), two straight national Player of the Year awards, and a career the program will never see again. Signed a two-way contract with Houston in 2022.

No scholarship offers above Division II; at Truman State he became GLVC Player of the Year and the school's all-time leading scorer. Signed with Houston in 2020 and spent the 2021-22 season on the Celtics' run to the Finals before joining Cleveland.

ECC first-teamer at Molloy who paid $150 for a G League tryout with the Long Island Nets in 2017. A year later he was in an Atlanta Hawks uniform; stints with Milwaukee and San Antonio followed.

All-American at Lincoln Memorial, where he led the Railsplitters to SAC regular-season and tournament titles. Undrafted, he went through Denver's G League team to NBA stints with Phoenix and Miami.

From Indianapolis in the GLVC to a roster spot with the 2019 champion Raptors, then a long career in Europe including EuroCup and ACB play.

Set UAH's assist records in the Gulf South, then played for the Hawks and Magic between long runs as one of the G League's best point guards.

Out of Cal State San Bernardino and a run as a dominant import in Korea to two seasons as a rotation big with the Hawks.