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For more than four decades, Hall of Fame Coach Mike Kryzewki has produced some gems that made it to the NBA. He also steadily transformed the Duke Blue Devils. He has turned the men's basketball program into arguably one of the most revered college programs of all-time.
However, as the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." Earlier today, it was announced that Coach K plans on retiring after this upcoming 2021-22 season, which will mark his 42nd and final year as Duke's head coach.
In the midst of his past 41 seasons at Duke, Coach K has oversaw a plethora of quality talent who've parlayed such skills into long and successful NBA careers.
On that note, let's take a look at the five greatest NBA players to come from the tutelage of the legendary coach, Mike Kryzewki.
#5 Elton Brand
Elton Brand, the former No.1 overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, was one of the few big men under Coach K to have renowned NBA careers.
Brand's NBA career started off with a bang as he was named to the 1999-00 NBA All-Rookie first team. Furthermore, Brand was part of one of a mere three instances in NBA history where co-Rookies of the Year were awarded. He, along with Steve Francis, was part of the 2000 NBA's ROTY.
Brand went on to enjoy a lengthy and successful seventeen-year NBA career. He suited up for the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, and the 76ers once again during his final year in the league.
Nonetheless, Brand enjoyed most of his individual success during his seven-year stint with the Clippers. It was in LA where he became a two-time All-Star (02, 06) and was named to the 2005-06 All-NBA second team.
Currently, Brand serves as the general manager for the Philadelphia 76ers, a role he's held since September 20, 2018.
#4 Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson is the youngest player on this list. Despite only having appeared in 85 career regular-season games, Williamson has already made a sizable imprint in the NBA.
Williamson, the former No.1 overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, has been a force to be reckoned with during his brief two-year tenure in the NBA. During his 85 games, Williamson has averaged 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 60.4% from the field.
In his second season, Williamson took it up an even further notch. He finished the year averaging 27 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting an ultra-efficient 61.1% from the field. Williamson's stellar play this season was the primary reason as to why he was selected for his first All-Star appearance, along with eventually being named an All-Star starter.
Although Williamson's the lone player on this list without a single career playoff appearance, if his first 85 career games were a sound indicator, it won't be long until Zion makes his NBA playoff debut.
#3 Jayson Tatum
So far, the 23-year old Jayson Tatum has only played four seasons in the NBA. But he's quickly become an ascending star and currently one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA.
In his rookie season, Tatum was named to the 2017-18 All-NBA Rookie First team and finished as a finalist for the 2018 NBA's ROTY. In the midst of his rookie season, Tatum broke the Celtics franchise record for rookies in three-point makes (105), and three-point percentage (43.4%).
Furthermore, in 2018 during Tatum's first career postseason run, he led the second-seeded Boston Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals. They were one win away from winning the Eastern Conference title and advancing to the NBA Finals. He scored 351 points in total, at 18.5 points per game.
More impressively, Tatum fell just two points shy of breaking Kareem Abdul Jabbar's record, set in 1970, for most total points in a single postseason for a rookie.
As of now, Tatum and the Boston Celtics were recently eliminated in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs in five games by the Brooklyn Nets. However, during Game 3 which was Boston's lone win in the series, the two-time All-Star became the third-youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in a playoff game.
#2 Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving, the former No.1 overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, is widely regarded as one of the most skilled and polarizing players in NBA history.
Irving only played 11 games under Coach K at Duke. That didn't deter the Cleveland Cavaliers from selecting Irving as their fourth No.1 overall selection in their franchise history. Thus far he has lived up to the billing.
In 2012, Irving became the only Cavaliers player other than LeBron James to win the NBA's ROTY. During his five seasons afterwards in Cleveland, Irving was named an All-Star four times. Matter of fact, Irving's the lone player on this list to have been named an All-Star MVP, winning the award back in his second All-Star appearance in 2014.
Two years later, Irving finished the 2015-16 regular season with Cleveland's second-highest points, assists and steals per game. Additionally, Irving was a key catalyst for a Cavs team that became the only team in history to comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals and win the series. It was a triumph that marked the first championship in franchise history.
Overall, Irving is a seven-time NBA All-Star (13-15, 17-19, 21), a one-time All-NBA Second team selection (19), and a one-time Third team selection (15). Irving is currently playing in his tenth season in the NBA, and in his second season with the Brooklyn Nets.
#1 Grant Hill
Grant Hill is one of the most notable "What If" players in NBA history in regards to players who were unable to reach their fullest gaudy potential due to a mutitude of injuries.
However, in 2018, Hill was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during his first year on the ballot. That tells you all you need to know about how phenomenal of a player he was, in spite of all of the various injuries he suffered throughout his career.
Hill is currently the longest-tenured NBA player to have played under Coach K at Duke. His NBA career spanned across nineteen seasons with the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Clippers.
The former third overall pick of the 1994 NBA Draft, who had a rookie season for the ages. was part of the second instance in NBA history where co-Rookies of the Year were awarded, as Hill and Jason Kidd both took home the 1995 NBA's ROTY.
Furthermore, Hill became the first rookie in all four of the major professional leagues in North American sports to lead their league in All-Star voting which led to him starting in the 1995 All-Star game.
Moving forward, although Hill played 19 seasons in the NBA, it was his first ten seasons where he was truly at his peak. Often credited as the league's first-ever "Point Forward," Hill excelled as a well-rounded versatile forward averaging 20.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists during his first decade in the league.
During this timeframe, Hill was a seven-time All-Star (95-98, 00-01, 05), four-time All-NBA Second team selection (96, 98-00), and an one-time All-NBA First team selection (97).
