5 best NBA players who were Kansas Jayhawks
Throughout the program's history, Kansas has produced an array of elite NBA talent. Here are some of the top players to ever come from the University.
Top NBA players that played for Kansas:
5) Joel Embiid
Kicking off this list is a current player and reigning MVP, Joel Embiid. He played just 28 games for Kansas before being drafted third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. In his lone college season, Embiid averaged 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds.
Over the past few years, Embiid has cemented himself as a top player in the NBA. He is a two-time scoring champion, one-time MVP, six-time All-Star and has five All-NBA nominations.
4) Clyde Lovellete
Next up is Clyde Lovellete, who averaged close to 25 points per game across three seasons with Jayhawks. Following his impressive college career, he was drafted 10th overall by the Lakers in 1952.
Lovellete was able to carry on his college success into the pros. He played 11 seasons in the NBA and was a three-time champion and four-time All-Star. The 6-foot-9 center was later inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.
3) Jo Jo White
Jo Jo White played four seasons at Kansas before being a top ten pick by the Boston Celtics in 1969. He spent over a decade in the NBA, where he won two championships and was named Finals MVP in 1976.
White played a total of 837 games over his career and finished with averages of 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He too was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
2) Paul Pierce
Another Celtics legend who played his college ball for the Jayhawks was Paul Pierce. He played three seasons before Boston selected him 10th overall in 1998.
Pierce spent nearly two decades in the league, most with the Boston Celtics. In that time, he was a 10-time All-Star, one-time champion and one-time Finals MVP. "The Truth" was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.
1) Wilt Chamberlain
Rounding out this list is one of the greatest players in NBA history. To this day, Wilt Chamberlain holds a record that will likely stand the test of time. Many have tried, but none have come close to his 100-point game.
Chamberlain played two seasons for tha Jayhawks, averaging 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds. In 1959, he was drafted by the then Philadelphia Warriors third overall. During his 14 years in league, Chamberlain cemented himself as one of the greatest centers in the history of the sport.