While today's sports fans may not be able to imagine an American sports scene without basketball, more than 115 years passed between the signing of the "Declaration of Independence" and the first game of hoops in Springfield, Massachusetts.
James Naismith's invention began its spread across the nation in 1891. One year later, colleges began playing. The NBA was founded in 1949, and George Mikan quickly became the first professional basketball superstar. Now, as we near our nation's 250th birthday, we look back at the best U.S. athletes to play this uniquely American sport.
Now through July 4, USA TODAY Sports is releasing our "250 for 250" list of America's top homegrown athletes of all time. Each week we'll bring you all-time standouts from across the sports world, and give readers a chance to vote on who should be featured.
You can also vote in a name that you feel is missing from this list by visiting our interactive poll.
Now, on to the list of our nation's top homegrown men's basketball players:
Jordan first became a national star when he hit the game-winning shot for North Carolina in the 1982 national championship game. He then took the NBA to new global heights as a six-time champion with the Chicago Bulls and member of the original Dream Team. Jordan won five NBA MVP awards and his "Air Jordan" shoe line and Jordan brand transformed Nike and the basketball apparel industry.
James was a high school sensation who lived up to all the hype to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and the most influential player of his generation. The Akron, Ohio native has won four NBA titles with three different teams, three MVP awards and three Olympic gold medals. He ushered in the league's player empowerment era when he made "The Decision" to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in 2010 and became the first NBA player to earn more than $1 billion in salary during his active career.
The 5-time NBA champion spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, initially starring alongside Shaquille O'Neal en route to three-straight titles (2000-02) under coach Phil Jackson. Bryant then won two more NBA championships without O'Neal and earned league MVP honors in 2008. He died tragically in a helicopter crash in Southern California in January 2020.
Michael Jordan, Laney High School (NC)LeBron James, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (OH)Kobe Bryant, Lower Merion High School (PA)Stephen Curry, Charlotte Christian School (NC)Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Power Memorial Academy (NY)Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, Everett High School (MI)Larry Bird, Springs Valley High School (IN)Bill Russell, McClymonds High School (CA)Wilt Chamberlain, Overbrook High School (PA)Shaquille O'Neal, Cole High School (TX)Tim Duncan, St. Dunstan's Episcopal High School (U.S. Virgin Islands)Kevin Durant, Montrose Christian School (MD)Allen Iverson, Bethel High School (VA)Oscar Robertson, Crispus Attucks High School (IN)Elgin Baylor, Spingarn High School (DC)Jerry West, East Bank High School (WV)Julius Erving, Roosevelt High School (NY)Moses Malone, Petersburg High School (VA)Kevin Garnett, Farragut Career Academy (IL)/Mauldin High School (SC)Charles Barkley, Leeds High School (AL)Karl Malone, Summerfield High School (LA)David Robinson, Osbourn Park High School (VA)Isiah Thomas, St. Joseph High School (IL)John Havlicek, Bridgeport High School (OH)Pete Maravich, Daniel High School (SC)Chris Paul, West Forsyth High School (NC)Meadowlark Lemon, Wiliston High School (NC)Dwyane Wade, Harold L. Richards High School (IL)1 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimMichael Jordan, Laney High School (NC)1 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimMichael Jordan, Laney High School (NC)2 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimLeBron James, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (OH)3 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimKobe Bryant, Lower Merion High School (PA)4 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimStephen Curry, Charlotte Christian School (NC)5 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimKareem Abdul-Jabbar, Power Memorial Academy (NY)6 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimEarvin 'Magic' Johnson, Everett High School (MI)7 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimLarry Bird, Springs Valley High School (IN)8 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimBill Russell, McClymonds High School (CA)9 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimWilt Chamberlain, Overbrook High School (PA)10 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimShaquille O'Neal, Cole High School (TX)11 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimTim Duncan, St. Dunstan's Episcopal High School (U.S. Virgin Islands)12 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimKevin Durant, Montrose Christian School (MD)13 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimAllen Iverson, Bethel High School (VA)14 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimOscar Robertson, Crispus Attucks High School (IN)15 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimElgin Baylor, Spingarn High School (DC)16 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimJerry West, East Bank High School (WV)17 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimJulius Erving, Roosevelt High School (NY)18 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimMoses Malone, Petersburg High School (VA)19 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimKevin Garnett, Farragut Career Academy (IL)/Mauldin High School (SC)20 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimCharles Barkley, Leeds High School (AL)21 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimKarl Malone, Summerfield High School (LA)22 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimDavid Robinson, Osbourn Park High School (VA)23 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimIsiah Thomas, St. Joseph High School (IL)24 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimJohn Havlicek, Bridgeport High School (OH)25 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimPete Maravich, Daniel High School (SC)26 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimChris Paul, West Forsyth High School (NC)27 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimMeadowlark Lemon, Wiliston High School (NC)28 / 28Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claimDwyane Wade, Harold L. Richards High School (IL)Stephen Curry, Charlotte Christian School (NC)The greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history burst onto the scene as a March Madness star who led the country in scoring and set NCAA records for 3-point shooting at Davidson. Curry then led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA championships and his infectious style of play, with the ability to hit shots from anywhere inside the halfcourt line, helped change the way the game is played by relying on the 3-point shot to historic levels.
Abdul-Jabbar, under the name Lew Alcindor, led Power Memorial Academy to a national record 71-straight wins and won three-straight NCAA championships at UCLA (1967-69) while being named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament in all three appearances. Abdul-Jabbar won an NBA record six MVP awards and six NBA titles with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. The skyhook became his signature move.
Johnson's rivalry with Larry Bird, beginning when Johnson won an NCAA championship with Michigan State over Bird's Indiana State team in 1979, jumpstarted the NBA's growth during the 1980s. Johnson won five NBA titles and three MVP awards, revolutionizing the point guard position and turning the "Showtime" Lakers into a national sensation with his combination of size, court vision and sublime passing skills.
Bird became a household name after leading Indiana State to the 1979 national championship game and began a career-long rivalry with Magic Johnson that helped define an entire generation of NBA basketball. "The Hick From French Lick" won three NBA championships and three-straight MVP awards (1984-86) with the Boston Celtics. He is also the only person in NBA history to be named rookie of the year, MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA All-Star Game MVP, coach of the Year, and executive of the Year.
Russell led San Francisco to back-to-back NCAA titles (1955-56) and served as captain of the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team that won a gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Games before becoming the most important figure of the NBA's greatest dynasty. Russell won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics as a dominating defensive force, including eight titles in a row at one point. He also served as a player-coach for the Celtics later in his career, becoming the first Black coach in a major U.S. sport and the first to win an NBA championship in 1969.
Chamberlain's prodigious ability on offense using his 7-foot-1 frame allowed him to lead the NBA in scoring, rebounding and assists at various points in his legendary career. He is the only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a game and the only player to average more than 30 points and 20 rebounds for a season. He won two NBA championships and four MVP awards, with his matchups against Bill Russell's Celtics turning into the league's biggest attraction for years.
O'Neal's combination of size, power, footwork and personality made him a dominating figure on and off the court during his NBA career, initially when he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and later when he won NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. He is one of only three players in NBA history to win the regular-season MVP award, All-Star Game MVP award and NBA Finals MVP award in the same year (2000). He remains a ubiquitous presence with his role on "Inside the NBA" and a plethora of endorsement deals.
Duncan won five NBA titles and three MVP awards over 19 years with the San Antonio Spurs, emerging as arguably the greatest power forward of all-time thanks to his remarkable consistency. He is the only player in NBA history to earn all-NBA and all-defense honors in each of his first 13 seasons.
"The Slim Reaper" is viewed as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, with four Olympic gold medals, two NBA championships, one NBA Finals MVP and a regular-season MVP to his credit. He remains one of the league's stars after finishing his 18th NBA regular season with the Houston Rockets this year.
Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors' Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards' Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.
1 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponentsOct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors' Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.1 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponentsOct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors' Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.2 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponentsOct. 26: The Washington Wizards' Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.3 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponentsOct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.
Iverson was one of the most influential players of his time because of his fearless athleticism as a 6-foot guard, his signature crossover move, his embrace of hip-hop culture and even his hairstyle (cornrows). Iverson was a four-time NBA scoring champion who won MVP in 2011 when he led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals.