Does Duke have the most NBA players? Exploring the achievements and legacy of the Blue Devils
Duke University is one of the most heralded men's college basketball programs in the United States – if not the entire world. That's because a veritable number of legitimate NBA stars, young up-and-comers, and legends once wore Blue Devils jerseys and led the team to continued success over the decades. As such, this then begs the question: Does Duke have the most NBA players out of any other D1 men's hoops stable?
Perhaps you would be surprised at just how many basketball legends have come and gone through Duke's gates.
Does Duke have the most NBA players?
No, it doesn't. But this doesn't detract from the fact that Duke University is a premiere breeding ground for NBA players--and by extension, NBA stars and legends.
Thus far, Duke has produced the third-most NBA players in NCAA D1 men's basketball history (via Rookie Road) with 97 total players as of 2023. The only two schools that have produced more are UCLA (99 players) and Kentucky (119 players). Rounding up the top 10 are UNC, Kansas, Indiana, Arizona, Louisville, Notre Dame and St. John's, in descending order.
Who is the best NBA player who went to Duke?
Answering this question is a monumental order, as it comes from a subjective look at things. There are simply so many Blue Devils alums that have come and gone in the NBA that have made their marks on the league one way or another.
But if one is really to try and pick who the greatest player ever to come out of Duke is, perhaps that title will go to Grant Hill.
Sure, Hill never won an NBA championship nor took his teams deep enough in the playoffs to contend, but there's a reason that even if he was snubbed from the NBA's 75th Anniversary team, Hill arguably remains one of the best to ever lace it up on an NBA hardwood. In his prime, he was heralded as one of the best all-around players in the league, with his best years coming as a member of the Detroit Pistons in the late 90s.
Here are a handful of NBA legends gushing about Grant Hill's game – perhaps the best sources of information to tell folks just how good the Duke legend was.
List of the greatest NBA players that came from Duke
So Grant Hill is arguably the best Blue Devil to ever set foot in the NBA – the key word is "arguably" – but what about the rest?
There's simply too many names to go through for this section, but here are other Blue Devil alums that have definitely made their mark in the pros, in the past or even right now. Take note that this list is entirely subjective, so some names could be deemed ill-fitting or just plain wrong to include. But that's the beauty of basketball discussions: everyone's got their own, personal take on things.
- Kyrie Irving
- Jayson Tatum
- Carlos Boozer
- Luol Deng
- JJ Reddick
- Zion Williamson
- Shane Battier
- Elton Brand
- Corey Maggette