Ranking the 10 biggest Kansas basketball NBA Draft busts of all-time
PF. Los Angeles Clippers. Danny Manning. 3. player. 77.
1988 NBA Draft, selected 1st overall
Los Angeles Clippers, 1988-1994
Atlanta Hawks, 1994
Phoenix Suns, 1994-1999
Milwaukee Bucks, 1999-2000
Utah Jazz, 2000-2001
Dallas Mavericks, 2001-2002
Detroit Pistons, 2002-2003
It feels wrong to have the best player that ever put on a Kansas uniform on this list. Injuries derailed his career, as he tore his ACL multiple times — the first was halfway through his rookie season. The second he set foot on an NBA court, Manning and his knees were doomed.
The former Wake Forest head coach is the most accomplished player in KU’s lengthy history. He won three consecutive Big 8 Player of the Year awards, made three consecutive All-American teams, and won the Wooden Award the same year he carried the Jayhawks to a national title.
Manning would have been a terrific NBA talent had he not always been hurt, but that was not the case. After dominating the college scene for multiple years, he could not be the same excellent player in the pros he once was with the Jayhawks. His statistics suggest he had several impressive seasons, yet Kansas fans know that if he tapped into his full potential, he would have been an All-NBA caliber guy.
- 883 games played
- 14.0 points
- 5.2 rebounds
- 2.3 assists
- 1.1 steals
- 51.1% FG
- 2-time All-Star
- 1998 Sixth Man of the Year
He was held to towering expectations coming into the league because of what he showed he was capable of in college. Manning might be the best NBA player on this list, but the number one pick in the draft typically performs better than he did during his career.
Considering the achievements he garnered at Kansas, anything would have been viewed as disappointing for Manning. We will never know what he could have amounted to if he did not have a degenerative knee condition.