3 current players who won both NBA and NCAA championships ft. Anthony Davis
Throughout NBA history, there have been a rare group of players to win at the highest level in the pros and college. Today, only three current players can boast about such an achievement.
In previous decades, college basketball was the main route to go for top prospects to go prior to entering the draft. Now, there are countless options such as going overseas or playing competitively elsewhere in the states. Nonetheless, there are still a handful of top prospects every year that still opt for the NCAA.
The overall list of players to win NCAA and NBA titles includes legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Here is a look at the few current players that are also part of this exclusive club.
Current players who won both NBA and NCAA championships:
1) Anthony Davis
The most recent superstar-level player to win both titles is Anthony Davis. Before being a No. 1 pick in the NBA, he had an impressive college season at Kentucky.
In his lone year at Kentucky, Davis managed to lead the team to a national championship. It would take some time, but AD would eventually have similar high-level success in the pros. Upon joining the LA Lakers, he won a title alongside LeBron James in the bubble.
2) Chrisitan Braun
Next up is the most recent player to achieve this feat, Chrisitan Braun of the Denver Nuggets. What makes his more impressive is that he did it in back-to-back seasons.
Braun did something most prospects don't do these days, stay in college for multiple years. He had a breakout year for Kansas as a junior, and played a key role in winning a national championship.
The Nuggets would then go on to draft Braun with the 21st pick in the 2022 draft. As a rookie, he saw rotation minutes all year as he helped provide a boost off the bench during the Nuggets' title run last season. In Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, he notched 15 points in 19 minutes of 7-for-8 shooting.
3) Danny Green
Rounding out this group is a player who has had success at all levels, Danny Green. Before being a second-round pick in the NBA, the sharpshooting forward spent four years at UNC. In his senior season, the Tarheels managed to secure a national title.
Since entering the league, Green has shown has valuable he can be as a role player. Over the past 14 years, he has won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs, LA Lakers and Toronto Raptors.
At the age of 36, things look to be winding down for Green. He played in just two games this season for the Philadelphia 76ers before getting waived.