Top 5 Creighton Bluejays who played in the NBA, featuring Kyle Korver and Paul Silas
Over the years, Creighton has produced more than a handful of NBA players.
Here are some of the top players to come from the program:
#1) Doug McDermott
Currently, there is only one player in the NBA who came from Creighton. That being San Antonio Spurs veteran Doug McDermott. During his four years with the Bluejays, the sharpshooting forward scored over 3,000 points.
In the NBA, McDermott has bounced around as a 3-point specialist. He is coming off a season with the Spurs where he averaged 10.2 points while shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc.
#2) Kyle Korver
Another deadeye shooter to come from the program is Kyle Korver. He played in the league for 17 years before retiring in 2020. Now, he is a member of the Atlanta Hawks front office.
Korver was also a journeyman, suiting up for the Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls and many others. The lone accolade of his career is being named an All-Star in 2015 as a member of the Hawks.
#3) Paul Silas
Paul Silas was a star for Creighton in the 1960s, averaging over 20 points and rebounds per game. Following his stint in college, he went on to have a very successful NBA career.
During his 16-year run in the league, Silas played for the Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics and Seattle Supersonics. Over his career, he averaged 9.4 points and 9.9 rebounds.
Some of Silas' accolades include being a two-time All-Star and three-time champion.
#4) Benoit Benjamin
Benoit Benjamin was a dominant center for the Bluejays before going on to be a top pick in the draft. In his final college season, he averaged 21.5 points, 14.1 rebounds and 5.1 blocks.
The seven-foot center ended up being the No. 3 pick by the LA Clippers in 1985. He bounced around the league for 15 years before retiring in 2000. Benoit finished his career with averages of 11.4 points and 7.5 rebounds.
#5) Anthony Tolliver
Rounding out this list is a veteran forward who is not far removed from the league. Anthony Tolliver played in the NBA for 13 years and suited up for 13 different franchises along the way.
Tolliver's NBA run began in 2008 as a member of the San Antonio Spurs. His most recent stint was with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021 where he appeared in 11 games.
The sharpshooting forward played in 730 career games and averaged 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds.