Ranking the 25 best Kansas basketball NBA careers of all-time

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 04: Paul Pierce and Drew Gooden attend the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Caesars Superdome on April 04, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

24 of 25

Former Kansas Jayhawks Paul Pierce and Drew Gooden (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

player. 462. . SF. Jayhawks . Paul Pierce. 2

Career statistics: 1,343 games, 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 44.5% FG

Boston Celtics, 1998-2013
Brooklyn Nets, 2013-2014
Washington Wizards, 2014-2015
Los Angeles Clippers, 2015-2017

Paul Pierce, also dubbed as “The Truth,” comes in at No. 2 on the list. He played nearly 300 games more than any other player on this list, but that’s not the only reason why he comes in just shy of No. 1. Pierce is one of the most accomplished small forwards in NBA history.

In his first and only NBA Finals victory, he took home the MVP of the series in 2008. His 21.8 points and 6.3 assists per game average was enough to take down the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers. On top of that, he was named to four All-NBA teams, ten All-Star teams, and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

His best statistical seasons came from 2000 to 2003 when he averaged 25.8 points and 6.9 rebounds. Pierce’s mid-range game was one of the best we have ever witnessed, and he is one of the game’s top pure scorers ever. It was an easy choice to place someone with a history as illustrious as his at No. 2, but nobody will ever surpass the top player on this list. Which leads us to…

Home/KU Basketball All-Time Lists