Ten best NBA players all-time on NCAA teams that are in 2021 Final Four

The final four is set for the 2021 NCAA Basketball Tournament. This year in Indianapolis, the teams that have reached the semifinals of the national championship in men’s college basketball are the University of Gonzaga Bulldogs, the University of Houston Cougars, the University of Baylor Bears, and the University of California-Los Angeles Bruins. Here are the top 10 players in NBA history who have their Alma Mater at a team that has reached the Final Four in 2021.

10) Kevin Love–The five-time NBA All-Star played in the NCAA with the UCLA Bruins in 2007-08. Initially with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Love led the NBA with 15.2 rebounds per game in 2010-11. Since being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, Love teamed up with LeBron James to win the 2016 NBA Finals.

9) Elvin Hayes–The Hall of Famer who starred with the Washington Bullets and won the NBA Finals in 1978, led the NBA in scoring (28.4 points per game) with the San Diego Rockets in 1968-69. The 12-time all-star attended the University of Houston from 1965 to 1968, before being the number one pick by the Rockets in the 1968 NBA Draft.

8) Gail Goodrich–The Hall of Fame guard who won the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1972, initially played for the UCLA Bruins from 1962 to 1965. A five-time all-star, Goodrich had a career-high 25.9 points per game with the Lakers in 1971-72.

7) Reggie Miller–The Hall of Fame shooting guard with the Indiana Pacers, played for UCLA from 1983 to 1987. A five-time all-star, Miller was known for his outstanding free throw shooting during his 18-year NBA career. Five times Miller led the NBA in free-throw shooting, including a career-high .933 in his final season of 2004-05.

6) Clyde Drexler–Another hall of fame shooting guard, Drexler starred with the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets from 1985 to 1998. A 10-time NBA All-Star, Drexler played for the University of Houston from 1980 to 1983.

5) Russell Westbrook–The 2017 NBA MVP has made headlines as of late for his frequent triple-doubles with the Washington Wizards. While in college, Westbrook played for UCLA from 2006 to 2008, before being a nine-time NBA All-Star with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.

4) Bill Walton–The Hall of Famer was the 1977 NBA Finals MVP and 1978 NBA MVP with the Portland Trail Blazers. A center with UCLA from 1971 to 1974, Walton was picked first overall by the Trail Blazers in the 1974 NBA Draft. Known for his rebounding and blocks, Walton later teamed up with Larry Bird to win the 1986 NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics.

3) Hakeem Olajuwon–The 12-time All-Star with the Rockets from 1984 to 2001, Olajuwon was the NBA’s all-time leader in blocks with 3830. He was the NBA’s most valuable player in 1994, and was the NBA Finals MVP in 1994 and 1995. In 1994 and 1995, Olajuwon guided the Rockets to back-to-back NBA Finals championships, winning the latter with Drexler. Initially with the University of Houston from 1981 to 1984, Olajuwon was the first pick overall in the 1984 NBA Draft.

2) John Stockton–The Hall of Fame point guard from Spokane played with his hometown Gonzaga Bulldogs from 1980 to 1984. He was then drafted by the Utah Jazz, and became the greatest point guard in NBA history. He holds the NBA record for most assists (15,806) and steals (3265) all-time.

[adrotate banner=”147″]

1)Kareem-Abdul Jabbar–The first overall pick of the 1969 NBA Draft out of UCLA played with the Bruins from 1966 to 1969, before starring with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989. A six-time NBA MVP, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA Finals, and went to a remarkable 19 NBA All-Star games. Known for the skyhook shot, Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time leader in NBA points with 38,387.

Fill In The Form Below To Receive Our NBA News Straight To Your Email For FREE!