By ADAM ZAGORIA
No surprise, Kentucky and Duke lead again.
As the 2020-21 NBA season begins Tuesday, 31 players on NBA opening-day rosters (including two-way and inactive lists) played and finished their college basketball careers at Kentucky.
Duke is next with 26.
Of the 495 players in the NBA to start the 2020-21 season, 6.3% played and finished their college basketball careers at Kentucky, 5.3% played at Duke.
The list was compiled from the NBA’s official opening-day roster list.
Of the NBA’s 30 teams, 18 have former Wildcats and 17 have former Blue Devils.
The “Kentucky Knicks” lead with four former Wildcats in Kevin Knox, Nerlens Noel, Immanuel Quickley and Julius Randle.
The Hornets (Malik Monk, Nick Richards, P.J. Washington), Thunder (Hamidou Diallo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Miller) and Timberwolves (Karl Anthony-Towns, Ashton Hagans, Jarred Vanderbilt) each have three.
Of the 31 Wildcats on an opening-day NBA roster, head coach John Calipari has coached 30 of them. With Derrick Rose (Detroit Pistons), who played for Calipari during the 2006-07 season at Memphis, Calipari has coached 32 players on 2020-21 opening-day rosters.
Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski has coached all 27 Duke players in the NBA.
The Grizzlies (Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones, Justice Winslow), Pelicans (Brandon Ingram, J.J. Redick, Zion Williamson) and Trail Blazers (Harry Giles, Rodney Hood, Gary Trent Jr.) each have three former Duke players.
The Knicks have two in R.J. Barrett and Austin Rivers, as do Boston (Semi Ojeleye, Jayson Tatum) Sacramento (Marvin Bagley III and Jabari Parker) and Detroit (Jahlil Okafor and Mason Plumlee).
Wildcats in the NBA
Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat
Eric Bledsoe – New Orleans Pelicans
Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns
Willie Cauley-Stein – Dallas Mavericks
DeMarcus Cousins – Houston Rockets
Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers
Hamidou Diallo – Oklahoma City Thunder
De’Aaron Fox – Sacramento Kings
Wenyen Gabriel- New Orleans Pelicans (INACTIVE)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Ashton Hagans – Minnesota Timberwolves (INACTIVE)
Tyler Herro – Miami Heat
Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs
Enes Kanter – Portland Trail Blazers
Kevin Knox – New York Knicks
Trey Lyles – San Antonio Spurs
Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers
Darius Miller – Oklahoma City Thunder
Malik Monk – Charlotte Hornets
Mychal Mulder – Golden State Warriors
Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets
Nerlens Noel – New York Knicks
Patrick Patterson – Los Angeles Clippers
Immanuel Quickley – New York Knicks
Julius Randle – New York Knicks
Nick Richards – Charlotte Hornets
Rajon Rondo – Atlanta Hawks
Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves
Jarred Vanderbilt – Minnesota Timberwolves
John Wall – Houston Rockets
PJ Washington – Charlotte Hornets
Blue Devils in the NBA
Grayson Allen – Memphis Grizzlies
Marvin Bagley III– Sacramento Kings
RJ Barrett – New York Knicks
Marques Bolden – Cleveland Cavaliers
Vernon Carey Jr. – Charlotte Hornets
Wendell Carter Jr. – Chicago Bulls
Quinn Cook – Los Angeles Lakers
Seth Curry – Philadelphia 76ers
Harry Giles III – Portland Trail Blazers
Rodney Hood- Portland Trail Blazers
Brandon Ingram – New Orleans Pelicans
Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets
Luke Kennard – L.A. Clippers
Tre Jones – San Antonio Spurs
Tyus Jones – Memphis Grizzlies
Jahlil Okafor – Detroit Pistons
Jabari Parker– Sacramento Kings (INACTIVE)
Mason Plumlee – Detroit Pistons
J.J. Redick – New Orleans Pelicans
Cam Reddish – Atlanta Hawks
Austin Rivers – New York Knicks
Cassius Stanley – Indiana Pacers
Jason Tatum – Boston Celtics
Gary Trent Jr.– Portland Trail Blazers
Zion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans
Justice Winslow – Memphis Grizzlies
This post has been updated.
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