In its illustrious history, Kansas basketball has produced some terrific talent, but these 25 players have had the best NBA careers of any other former Jayhawks.
The Kansas Jayhawks have produced the fifth most NBA players compared to other schools. Although they have not sent as many guys to the league as some other blue-bloods, there is no denying that KU has an extensive lineage of professional talent.
There were 83 players to choose from, but just 25 could make the list. Here are the honorable mentions:
- Darrell Arthur
- Ron Franz
- Ben McLemore
- Paul Mokeski
With that being said, these are the 25 greatest Kansas basketball NBA careers of all-time.
Career statistics: 506 games, 4.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 0.4 APG, 49.4% FG
Detroit Pistons, 1997-1998
Sacramento Kings, 1998-2003
Indiana Pacers, 2003-2006
Cleveland Cavaliers, 2006-2007
Boston Celtics, 2007-2008
Although he’s more known for participating in Season 32 of Survivor and sporting freakish hairstyles on the court, Pollard put together a respectable career for himself. He won his first and only NBA Championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics before his subsequent retirement.
Pollard eclipsed the 20-minute-per-game mark just twice in the pros, so he was merely a bench piece for teams who needed big-man depth. His best season came in 2001-02 when he averaged 6.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. He played in a career-high 80 games that year, including 29 starts in place of the injured Chris Webber.
“Samurai Scot” was one of the biggest personalities in the NBA when he was active. He certainly didn’t care much for his public image — look no further than when he said to a camera, “Hey kids, do drugs.” Though he won’t be remembered as more than a benchwarmer in the league, not many players can say they made the postseason in over 90 percent of their NBA seasons.