Peter Press Maravich, known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player of Serbian descent. He starred in college at Louisiana State University's Tigers basketball team; his father, Press Maravich, was the team's head coach. Maravich is the all-time leading NCAA Division I men's scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game. All of his accomplishments were achieved before the adoption of the three-point line and shot clock, and despite being unable to play varsity as a freshman under then-NCAA rules.
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for nine years with the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Grizzlies.
The 1978 NBA draft was the 32nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 9, 1978, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, New York, before the 1978–79 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Indiana Pacers won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Kansas City Kings, who obtained the New Jersey Nets' first-round pick in a trade, were awarded the second pick. The Pacers then traded the first pick to the Portland Trail Blazers before the draft. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. Before the draft, five college underclassmen were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule. These players had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier. Prior to the start of the season, the Buffalo Braves relocated to San Diego and became the San Diego Clippers. The draft consisted of 10 rounds comprising the selection of 202 players.
Ronny Turiaf is a French former professional basketball player who played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Turiaf grew up in France and played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the United States, where he led the West Coast Conference (WCC) in scoring in his senior year. After graduating from Gonzaga, he entered the 2005 NBA draft and was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers. He later played for the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Turiaf won an NBA championship with Miami in 2012. He was also a member of the French national team. He was inducted into the French Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.
Anthony Bernard Carter is an American basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies. He played college basketball for Saddleback College and Hawaii.
Todd Samuel Lichti is an American former professional basketball player. At 6'4" and 205 lb (93 kg) he played at guard. He was selected with 15th pick in the 1989 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets where he stayed for 4 years. He also had short stints with Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors, and Boston Celtics before moving to Australia to play for the Perth Wildcats.
Artūras Karnišovas is a Lithuanian professional basketball executive and former player. He is the current executive vice president of basketball operations of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Tyrus Wayne Thomas is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Louisiana State University (LSU) before being drafted fourth overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2006 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Chicago Bulls where he went on to play three and a half seasons when in February 2010, he was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats.
Mark Christopher Randall is an American former professional basketball player who played in four National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons for the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Denver Nuggets. Randall was selected by the Bulls in the first round of the 1991 NBA draft and averaged 2.6 points per game for his career.
Jiří "George" Zídek Jr., is a Czech former professional basketball player who is a sports commentator. He played college basketball in the United States for the UCLA Bruins from 1991 to 1995. He then became the first Czech player ever drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA), when he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1995 NBA draft. He played in the NBA for a total of three seasons and then played professionally in Europe, before retiring in 2006.
Paul Millsap is an American former professional basketball player. A power forward from Louisiana Tech University, Millsap was selected by the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 2006 NBA draft and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He played in Utah until 2013, when he became a member of the Atlanta Hawks. Millsap has also played for the Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets. He is a four-time NBA All-Star.
Robert Leroy Smith is an American former professional basketball player and coach.
Anthony Erwin Randolph Jr. is a German-born American and naturalized Slovenian former professional basketball player who last played for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He also represented the senior Slovenian national basketball team, winning the 2017 EuroBasket with them. Born in Germany, to two American parents who served in the US military there, Randolph's family eventually relocated to the United States, where he grew up in Pasadena, California. The family later moved to Dallas, Texas, where Randolph soon became a standout at Woodrow Wilson High School, eventually being recruited by the Louisiana State Tigers. After one year, Randolph left college, and entered the 2008 NBA draft, where he was chosen as the fourteenth pick overall by the Golden State Warriors. In 2016, he earned an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection.
Don Redden was an American basketball player. Redden, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward for Louisiana State University (LSU) who averaged 13 points and five rebounds as a senior in 1985–86, was captain of the LSU team that reached the 1986 Final Four. During the 1986 NCAA tournament, Redden averaged more than 20 points per game, earning MVP honors for the Southeast Regional.
Willie Sims was an American-Israeli professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the LSU Tigers and professionally for a number of Israeli Basketball Premier League clubs.
Evan Mehdi Fournier is a French professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played junior basketball at the French INSEP academy from 2007 to 2009.
Ivica Zubac is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round in the 2016 NBA draft. He played for the Lakers until the 2019 trade deadline when he was traded to the Clippers. During the 2021 NBA Playoffs, he helped the Clippers reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Juan Alberto "Juancho" Hernangómez Geuer is a Spanish professional basketball player for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Spanish national team in international competition. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 15th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and spent seven seasons in the NBA with clubs such as the Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs, the Utah Jazz and the Toronto Raptors.
Jarred Jakobi Vanderbilt is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in high school. Vanderbilt played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft.
Nah'Shon Lee "Bones" Hyland is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the VCU Rams before being drafted 26th overall in the 2021 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets.
