NBA Rings and Duke

[RockyMtDevil]

I'm trying to remember if we've had any former Duke players win an NBA title in the K era and I cannot think of one. Seems strange if true that we've placed so many good players in the league and none have been able to capture an NBA title. Is this a true statement or am I missing someone?

[Rich]

I'm trying to remember if we've had any former Duke players win an NBA title in the K era and I cannot think of one. Seems strange if true that we've placed so many good players in the league and none have been able to capture an NBA title. Is this a true statement or am I missing someone?

I believe that Danny Ferry has one with the Spurs, but I can't remember if he was a player or team executive.

EDIT: Actually, he has two, one as a player with the Spurs and one as an executive with the team -- http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/110502_rodriguez

[Reilly]

And I believe Jeff Mullins is the only other Duke player to have an NBA championship as a player, which I learned when George Karl trotted out that fact -- this was before Ferry won his with the Spurs -- in one of those all-day espn lead-ins-need-filler-interviews before a Carolina game.

[SupaDave]

Ferry has one with the Spurs as a player. Mostly a bench player that year however.

[Reilly]

Ferry had a nice moment of glory in the opening round of the playoffs in 2003. The Spurs had lost the opener at home. And, David Robinson was out for game #2. Ferry started and grabbed 10 rebounds, the Spurs won, and went on to win that series and the championship.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200304210SAS.html

[ThePublisher]

I consider Kobe to be 1/4 Duke player since he always says he would have gone to Duke if he had attended college. He has 4 rings right? So there is one more for us! Haha

[NovaScotian]

jj came close in his epic showdown a few years ago with 'rival' adam morrison, but it didn't work out. i think shelden was on the celtics last year when they made the finals, but the lakers were able to finish them off even without morrison's help.

[dukelifer]

If you look over the K era which I will define as 1986-2011 (25 years), only 7 teams have won the NBA championship,

Celtics, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, Rockets, Spurs and Heat

Looks like Heat will win again this year and perhaps for several more years. So unless you were on one of these teams- you did not win a ring.

[DevilWearsPrada]

I consider Kobe to be 1/4 Duke player since he always says he would have gone to Duke if he had attended college. He has 4 rings right? So there is one more for us! Haha

I was thinking the same thing about Kobe. Would have loved for Kobe to have been a part of the Duke team for 1 year.

Also, can you count the USA title or Olympic medals? Carlos Boozer was a member of the 2008 Olympic team. I know they received medals. Did they receive rings?

I consider the USA and Olympic teams as an extension of the Duke team. It has been a Win Win situation for Coach K, and his staff to be a major part of the USA teams. They are coaching and associating with the best of the best NBA players.

[Rich]

If you look over the K era which I will define as 1986-2011 (25 years), only 7 teams have won the NBA championship,

Celtics, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, Rockets, Spurs and Heat

Looks like Heat will win again this year and perhaps for several more years. So unless you were on one of these teams- you did not win a ring.

Maybe I'm mincing words (although I don't think so), but I would say that 7 organizations won titles over that span, but each year it was a different team. Certainly, many of those teams had a nuclei of core players, but the makeup from year to year changed with drafts, free agency, trades, etc. It wouldn't have been out of the question for a Duke player to join one of those teams, but it never happened.

[dukelifer]

Maybe I'm mincing words (although I don't think so), but I would say that 7 organizations won titles over that span, but each year it was a different team. Certainly, many of those teams had a nuclei of core players, but the makeup from year to year changed with drafts, free agency, trades, etc. It wouldn't have been out of the question for a Duke player to join one of those teams, but it never happened.

Good point- That is what I meant- 7 organizations. If you look at the losing side- there were 11 other organizations represented-

Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, Utah, Dallas, Knicks, Indiana, Nets, Cleveland, Orlando, Philly

Even on that side- not many Duke players- but I cannot recall. Perhaps it is basketball Karma- you can win or play for an NCAA championship at Duke but not for a NBA championship when you leave Duke.

[loldevilz]

Good point- That is what I meant- 7 organizations. If you look at the losing side- there were 11 other organizations represented-

Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, Utah, Dallas, Knicks, Indiana, Nets, Cleveland, Orlando, Philly

Even on that side- not many Duke players- but I cannot recall. Perhaps it is basketball Karma- you can win or play for an NCAA championship at Duke but not for a NBA championship when you leave Duke.

Good point. It is also really rare I believe to win an NCAA championship and then an NBA championship.

[NovaScotian]

Good point. It is also really rare I believe to win an NCAA championship and then an NBA championship.

Ooo, very nice trivia question. In this year's finals I think chalmers is the only player who won a college title. Obviously Jordan is in this group, as is worthy and Isaiah, and oh yea magic. Off the top of your head who else can you get? Who is the most recent?

[pfrduke]

Ooo, very nice trivia question. In this year's finals I think chalmers is the only player who won a college title. Obviously Jordan is in this group, as is worthy and Isaiah, and oh yea magic. Off the top of your head who else can you get? Who is the most recent?

Antoine Walker and Derek Anderson, both of whom played on the '96 Wildcats and the '06 Heat.

[pfrduke]

Antoine Walker and Derek Anderson, both of whom played on the '96 Wildcats and the '06 Heat.

The other post-Jordan double champions are Nazr Mohammed ('96 and '98 Wildcats) of the '05 Spurs, Corliss Williamson ('94 Razorbacks) and Rip Hamilton ('99 Huskies) of the '04 Pistons, and Glen Rice ('89 Wolverines) of the '00 Lakers.

[pfrduke]

Ooo, very nice trivia question. In this year's finals I think chalmers is the only player who won a college title. Obviously Jordan is in this group, as is worthy and Isaiah, and oh yea magic. Off the top of your head who else can you get? Who is the most recent?

Also, Mike Bibby ('97 Wildcats) and Jamaal Magliore ('98 Wildcats) were college champions, as were Corey Brewer ('06-'07 Gators) and Jason Terry ('97 Wildcats). This year's finals features an abundance of NCAA champions.

[DukeDevilDeb]

I was thinking the same thing about Kobe. Would have loved for Kobe to have been a part of the Duke team for 1 year.

Also, can you count the USA title or Olympic medals? Carlos Boozer was a member of the 2008 Olympic team. I know they received medals. Did they receive rings?

I consider the USA and Olympic teams as an extension of the Duke team. It has been a Win Win situation for Coach K, and his staff to be a major part of the USA teams. They are coaching and associating with the best of the best NBA players.

Actually, your statement about Kobe and Duke is absolutely untrue. In an interview last year that was referenced on DBR, Kobe said that if he had gone to college, he would have gone to Carolina... and he said that he had told Coach K that.

Here is the link to the story: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1003/cbb.celebrity.picks.ncaa/content.12.html

I would count him as a -1/4 Duke! :p

[Highlander]

If you look over the K era which I will define as 1986-2011 (25 years), only 7 teams have won the NBA championship,

Celtics, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, Rockets, Spurs and Heat

Looks like Heat will win again this year and perhaps for several more years. So unless you were on one of these teams- you did not win a ring.

After Ferry won a title with the Spurs, he was asked how it felt to be only the 2nd Duke grad with an NBA title. I thought his response was great. It was something to the effect of "<sic> unless you played with Michael, Tim, or Shaq, you probably haven't won a ring either." I believe that was in 2003, and those 3 players accounted for all but 3 titles during Ferry's entire NBA career (1990-2003 - drafted in '89 but went to Italy).

Since then, not much has changed. Add Kobe to that list, you account for 16 of the last 20 NBA titles players. Add Hakeem, and you've got 18 of 20, or 90%.

[bdeviled11]

Actually, your statement about Kobe and Duke is absolutely untrue. In an interview last year that was referenced on DBR, Kobe said that if he had gone to college, he would have gone to Carolina... and he said that he had told Coach K that.

Here is the link to the story: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1003/cbb.celebrity.picks.ncaa/content.12.html

I would count him as a -1/4 Duke! :p

While I don't think Kobe should be in this conversation, he would have gone to Duke.

“There’s no maybe about it,” Bryant says. “Every time I turn on the TV and see Cameron Indoor Stadium, see everybody in Krzyzewskiville and see the Crazies jumping up in down with the intensity and the building almost shaking, I wonder what it would have been like to play there with Corey [Maggette] and Elton [Brand] and all those guys." -08/19/2007

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=1153901

[turnandburn55]

Winning championships has so much more to do with your NBA situation that the program you attended. The fact that James Worthy, for example, landed with the defending champion Lakers, is pure blind luck. 20 years later, I was shocked that the defending champion Lakers decided to pass on Carlos Boozer when they had previously tried to snag every power forward in the western world.

[darjum]

Winning championships has so much more to do with your NBA situation that the program you attended.

Exactly. I am surprised that someone such as Battier hasn't found his way onto a championship team yet, he is just the perfect glue guy. Maybe had McGrady and Yao not had the injuries maybe he would have been, but really it's all about luck. Historically Duke has provided the NBA with some wonderfully complimentary parts and eventually there will be a plethora of Duke players carrying NBA rings. I will still care more about their NCAA rings though!

[shoutingncu]

If you look over the K era which I will define as 1986-2011 (25 years), only 7 teams have won the NBA championship,

Celtics, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, Rockets, Spurs and Heat...

Looks like you can add one more franchise to that list.

[kong123]

Looks like you can add one more franchise to that list.

and another Heel to that list.....

[jipops]

and another Heel to that list.....

Yeah, Haywood really earned it. Almost in a Danny Ferry sort of way... almost...

[phaedrus]

And add Jason Terry to the list of double (NCAA and NBA) champions.

[CDu]

And add Jason Terry to the list of double (NCAA and NBA) champions.

And Corey Brewer (UF in 2006 and 2007, Mavs this year).

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

Looks like Heat will win again this year and perhaps for several more years.

Maybe not.

[dukelifer]

Maybe not.

Happy to be wrong on that one.

[dukiemaniac]

Also, Mike Bibby ('97 Wildcats) and Jamaal Magliore ('98 Wildcats) were college champions, as were Corey Brewer ('06-'07 Gators) and Jason Terry ('97 Wildcats). This year's finals features an abundance of NCAA champions.

Neither Bibby nor Magliore have NBA rings, though. Both were gone from Miami after the 2010-11 season.

[dukiemaniac]

Winning championships has so much more to do with your NBA situation that the program you attended. The fact that James Worthy, for example, landed with the defending champion Lakers, is pure blind luck. 20 years later, I was shocked that the defending champion Lakers decided to pass on Carlos Boozer when they had previously tried to snag every power forward in the western world.

The Lakers saw a forward who could run like a guard and was a beast in transition and in the lane. There was no luck involved. If they had randomly picked his name from a hat or something, that would've been luck or chance. Don't you think the front office did a little homework before they picked?

[dukiemaniac]

If you look over the K era which I will define as 1986-2011 (25 years), only 7 teams have won the NBA championship,

Celtics, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, Rockets, Spurs and Heat

Looks like Heat will win again this year and perhaps for several more years. So unless you were on one of these teams- you did not win a ring.

You can add the Mavs to that list now. Sadly, neither Mullins nor Ferry was a real starter when they won their rings. It seems Mullins was mainly a bench player like Ferry when he won with the Warriors. It's so crazy to think Duke hasn't had guys who were regular starters who have won NBA rings, but schools like UK, UNC, and UCLA, have had numerous such players. UCLA I understand was really guys from the 60's/70's (the Sam Gilbert era). Well, there's always to future when that can change. Battier was an occasional starter.

[Billy Dat]

It's so crazy to think Duke hasn't had guys who were regular starters who have won NBA rings, but schools like UK, UNC, and UCLA, have had numerous such players. UCLA I understand was really guys from the 60's/70's (the Sam Gilbert era). Well, there's always to future when that can change. Battier was an occasional starter.

Can't we just spin that K, therefore, has won more with lesser talent?:p

[yancem]

The Lakers saw a forward who could run like a guard and was a beast in transition and in the lane. There was no luck involved. If they had randomly picked his name from a hat or something, that would've been luck or chance. Don't you think the front office did a little homework before they picked?

I don't think that he was saying that the Lakers were lucky to draft Worth but that Worth was lucky to be drafted by the Lakers. One of the down sides of being a high lottery pick is that many of the teams in that position find themselves routinely in that position. Often not because of not having talented players but because bad GM's, coaches or owners. There is a reason why Ferry refused to play for the Clippers or that Kobe forced Charlotte to trade him to the Lakers. There is also a reason that Labron decided to go to Miami. Good owners usually hire good basketball people who hire good coaches and draft/sign talented players. Bad owners often hirer yes men who can't recognize talent or aren't cleaver enough to work smart trades. Either that or you have cheap owners that hire the smart basketball players but are unwilling to pay the talented players that are drafted/traded for enough to stick around.

Where you end up is often the luck of the draw see example 1) David Robinson!

[pfrduke]

Neither Bibby nor Magliore have NBA rings, though. Both were gone from Miami after the 2010-11 season.

True, although as you'll note by the date, that was a post about last year's finals (as was this entire thread up until the last couple posts), not this year's.