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) /

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Nick Collison #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by Elsa/ Getty Images) /

. PF. Jayhawks . Nick Collison. 17. player. 462

Career statistics: 910 games, 5.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 53.8% FG

Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, 2004-2018

Collison can be categorized as a Thunder lifer. He did have some productive NBA seasons, but his longevity earned him his spot on this list. His 910 career games played are the fifth most of all KU NBA players.

Despite being one of the most dominant big men in Kansas basketball history, his skill set was not transferable to the league. Collison never eclipsed double digits in the points column or more than one block per game. However, what he did show was a level of grit and intensity that not many other players could match.

His best season came in 2007-08, the final season that the Seattle SuperSonics played before their franchise relocated. He averaged 9.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, both career-highs. Collison spent all 14 years of his NBA career in Seattle/Oklahoma City, and he was always dedicated to their franchise before anything else. Every single team could use a guy like him — the Thunder retired his jersey because of his commitment to the organization, not how well he played.

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