Basketball is a sport that is played at different levels and leagues. The lowest basketball level is the Youth, while the highest league in the NBA. Between that, we have College level basketball programs.
UCLA Basketball
Out of all the colleges in the world, UCLA (University of California) has one of the best basketball programs in history. The college basketball program is called a UCLA Bruins. When you compare all the College level wins, UCLA ranks 7th. Apart from that, they have also won the NCAA titles 11 times.
However, there are only a few colleges that are as good as UCLA. For example, Kentucky is the second best. Moreover, UCLA has produced some of the best basketball players of all time under the coaching of John Wooden. They won 10 NCAA titles under his training, consequently.
In the 1960s and 1970s, UCLA players were all the rage. Many players even made it to the NBA. It was all possible because of their legendary coach. Even now, UCLA doesn’t fail to surprise the world when it comes to basketball.
In the last ten years, they qualified for 7 NCAA tournaments. Out of that, they reached the Final Four for three consecutive years, i.e., 2006, 2007, and 2008. They also made it to the sixteen teams for four years in NCAA. All this was done under the coaching of Ben Howland. He is a good coach, but nothing compares to John Wooden.
The UCLA basketball team is one of the strongest college-level teams. They have incredible players. UCLA also has a great contribution in the NBA. There have been 99 players from UCLA who made it to the NBA. Out of that, there are 13active UCLA players in the NBA. Moreover, there have been many UCLA Bruins who won several titles in the NBA and made a name for themselves. These players did not stop at the college level; they showed their true potential in the NBA as well.
In this article, we will discuss the legendary UCLA players in the NBA. We will tell you about the beast of all-time players as well as the current players in the NBA from UCLA.
Best All-Time UCLA Bruins To Play In The NBA
As you know, UCLA has produced many NBA players. There have been 99 former UCLA players in the NBA as per the latest record. In the year 2010 – 2011, there were a total of 14 current. It was more than any other college program.
Unfortunately, we cannot discuss all the 99 players, but we can certainly discuss the legendary UCLA players in the NBA. There were certain legendary players in the NBA who came from UCLA, likewise. Moreover, here we are going to discuss the best of all-time players from UCLA.
Here is a list of players.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1966 – 1969)
Formerly known as Lew Alcindor is one of the greatest UCLA players in the NBA. However, he played for the Bruins from 1966 to 1969.
UCLA Achievements:
- 3 NCAA Championship
- 3 All American
- Naismith Award Winner
NBA Achievements:
- 6 Times MVP
- 6 Times NBA Champion
- 2 Times NBA Final MVP
- 19 Times NBA All-Star
Apart from all this, he has won several awards.
NBA Stats:
- 25.5 PPG
- 15 RPG
He is a 7’2” former NBA center. As he was taller than most of the players, he was very domination on the court. He went to fromNew York to California to play under the guidance of John Wooden. Moreover, he was picked by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1969 NBA draft. He played basketball for 20 years. His “Skyhook” shot is still unbeatable in the NBA. Even though he retired, he still holds the record for the highest points scored in the NBA.
Bill Walton (1971 – 1974)
Bill Walton is another legendary NBA player from UCLA. He played for the Bruins from 1971 to 1974, after which he was selected for NBA.
UCLA Achievements:
- 2 Times NCAA Champion
- 3 Times Naismith Award Winner
- 3 Times All American
NBA Achievements:
- 2 Times NBA Champion
- NBA Finals MVP
- NBA Most Valuable Player
- 2 Times NBA All-Star
- Multiple award winner
NBA Stats:
- 15 PPG
- 10 RPG
Bill Walton is a well-known former NBA player from UCLA. During his college days, he has to juggle between protest for Vietnam War and basketball. He played under the guidance of coach Wooden. However, he was selected by Portland Trail Blazers in the 1974 NBA draft. He played in 10 NBA seasons. Moreover, he was injured during one of the NBA matches, which hampered his career, but he still made a name for himself.
Jamaal Wilkes (1971 – 1974):
Jamaal Wilkes is also one of the greatest UCLA players in the NBA. Moreover, he played for the Bruins from 1971 to 1974, after which he was selected for NBA.
UCLA Achievements:
- 2 Times NCAA Champion
- 2 Times All American
NBA Achievements:
- 4 Times NBA Champion
- 3 Times NBA All-Star
- NBA rookie of the year
NBA Stats:
- 11.1 PPG
- 4.7 RPG
Jamaal Wilkes is a well-known former NBA player from UCLA. He went to high school in California and was an excellent basketball player, likewise. So he went with the right choice by joining UCLA. He played along with Bill Walton in college as well as the NBA. They won 88 consecutive games in college, likewise. Moreover, he was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 1974 NBA draft. However, he played 12 NBA seasons. He is also a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Other HOF UCLA players In The NBA
- Don Barksdale (1946 – 1947): 1 Time NBA All-Star; 11 PPG and 8 RPG
- Baron Davis (1996 – 1999): 2 Times NBA All-Star; 16.1 PPG and 3.8 RPG
- Gail Goodrich (1962 – 1965): 5 Times NBA All-Star; 18.6 PPG and 3.2 RPG
- Marques Johnson (1973 – 1977): 5 Times NBA All-Star; 20.1 PPG and 7 RPG
- Willie Naulls (1953 – 1956): 4 Times NBA All-Star; 15.8 PPG and 9.1 RPG
- Sidney Wicks (1968 – 1971): 4 Times NBA All-Star; 16.8 PPG and 8.7 RPG
Current UCLA Bruins In The NBA
Now that we are done we the best of all-time players, it is time to learn about the current UCLA Bruins in the NBA. You might know some of these players. Here is a list of the current UCLA Bruins in the NBA.
- Kyle Anderson (2012 – 2014): Memphis Grizzlies; 0.9 PPG and 0.9 RPG
- Trevor Ariza (2003 – 2004): Portland Trail Blazers; 10.7 PPG and 4.8 RPG
- Lonzo Ball (2016 – 2017): New Orleans Pelicans; 10 PPG and 6.2 RPG
- Jonah Bolden (2015 – 2016): Philadelphia 76ers; 4.7 PPG and 0.8 RPG
- Moses Brown (2018 – 1019): Portland Trail Blazers
- Aaron Holiday (2015 – 2018): Indiana Pacers; 5.9 PPG and 1.3 RPG
- Jrue Holiday (2007 – 2009): New Orleans Pelicans; 1 Time NBA All-Star; 15.6 PPG and 3.8 RPG
- Zach LaVine (2013 – 2014): Chicago Bulls; 16.1 PPG and 3.4 RPG
- T.J Leaf (2016 – 2017): Indiana Pacers; 3.4 PPG and 1.9 RPG
- Kevon Looney (2014 – 2015): Golden State Warriors; 4.5 PPG and 3.8 RPG
- Kevin Love (2007 – 2008): Cleveland Cavaliers; 5 Times NBA All-Star; 18.3 PPG and 11.3 RPG
- Norman Powell (2011 – 2015): Toronto Raptors; 7.1 PPG and 2.1 RPG
- Russell Westbrook (2006 – 2008): Houston Rockets; 9 Times NBA All-Star; 23 PPG and 7 RPG
Best Current UCLA Bruins In The NBA
Here is a list of 5 best current UCLA Bruins in the NBA.
Russell Westbrook (2006 – 2008):
Russell Westbrook is known for his energy and defense, after all. He entered the Bruins in his sophomore year. Moreover, his college-level stats were, 12 PPG, 4 RPG. When they lost the Final Four, he entered the NBA draft. However, he was selected by Seattle SuperSonic-s in the 2008 NBA draft. His NBA stats are 23.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG. He is 9 Times All-Star and an MVP award winner, consequently.
Kevin Love (2007 – 2008)
He played only one season with Bruins in which his stats were 17 PPG and 10 RPG. After that, he was selected by Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2008 NBA draft. However, he is a very successful NBA player. He is a five-time All-Star and winner of 1 NBA Championship. Moreover, his NBA stats are 10.7 PPG and 6.7 RPG.
Lonzo Ball (2016 – 2017)
He won the All Americana and Pac-12 Rookie of the year, consequently. Moreover, his UCLA Bruins is very short. He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA draft. However, he is an elite player. His NBA Stats are 10 PPG and 6.2 RPG.
Jrue Holiday (2007 – 2009):
He played for UCLA bruins for only 1 season. Moreover, he was selected by Philadelphia76ers in the 2009 NBA Draft. He has one 1 NBA All-Star and many other awards. His NBA stats are 6 PPG and 2 RPG.
Zach LaVine (2013 – 2014)
He played 1 season with Bruins under the training of Ben Howland. However, he was selected by Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2014 NBA draft. Moreover, his NBA stats are 17.7 PPG and 3.6 RPG.
Future UCLA Players To Draft In NBA
Here the future UCLA Players to draft in NBA, likewise. As one now, there is only one potential player at UCLA who is fit for the NBA.
Chris Smith (2018 – 2021)
He is a junior player in the UCLA Bruins Basketball team. In early 2020 he signed the NBA draft but canceled it later on. As of now, he will focus on his final year at UCLA and then decide to enter the NBA. His stats are 7.7 PPG and 3.6 RPG. However, he has scored 743 points and 350 rebounds in his college career.
Jaylen Hands (2017 – 2019)
He has already been selected by Los Angeles Clippers in the 2019 NBA draft. We can expect to see this UCLA player in the upcoming NBA season, likewise. However, his Stats are 12. 1 PPG and 3.8 RPG with UCLA Bruins.
Conclusion
These are all the UCLA Players in the NBA. Over time the number of UCLA players is decreasing in the NBA. Despite the number, there are still some exceptional players in the NBA from UCLA.
