Kentucky leads the nation with 27 players on NBA rosters, Duke has 21

By ADAM ZAGORIA

No surprise, Kentucky and Duke lead again.

As the 2021-22 NBA season begins Tuesday, 27 players on NBA opening-day rosters (including two-way and inactive lists) played and finished their college basketball careers at Kentucky.

Duke is next with 21.

Of the 495 players in the NBA to start the 2020-21 season, 5.5% played and finished their college basketball careers at Kentucky, 4.2% played at Duke.

The list was compiled from the NBA’s official opening-day roster list.

Of the NBA’s 30 teams, 17 have former Wildcats and 16 have former Blue Devils.

The Knicks – nicknamed the Kentucky Knicks – remain the leader in NBA Wildcats with four: Kevin Knox II (2018), Nerlens Noel (2013), Immanuel Quickley (2019-20) and Julius Randle (2014). A fifth player, Derrick Rose, also played for John Calipari but at Memphis (2008), and assistant coach Kenny Payne was a longtime UK assistant. All played prominent roles in the Knicks’ run to the NBA Playoffs last season.

The Lakers are just behind the Knicks with three former Kentucky players in Anthony Davis (2012), Malik Monk (2017) and Rajon Rondo (2005-06). Davis and Rondo won NBA titles with the Lakers in 2020. Adding to the UK ties, is head coach Frank Vogel who is a Kentucky graduate and former Wildcat student manager and video coordinator.

Five other franchises – the Charlotte Hornets (Nick Richards [2018-20], PJ Washington [2018-19]), the Detroit Pistons (Hamidou Diallo [2017-18], Trey Lyles [2015]), the Los Angeles Clippers (Eric Bledsoe [2010], Brandon Boston Jr. [2021], the Miami Heat (Bam Adebayo [2017], Tyler Herro [2019]) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (Karl-Anthony Towns [2015], Jarred Vanderbilt [2018]) – open the season with at least two Wildcats apiece.

Of the 27 Wildcats on an opening-day NBA roster, John Calipari has coached 26 of them. With Rose, a former Calipari player at Memphis, Calipari has also coached 27 players on 2021-22 opening-day rosters.

Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski has coached all 21 Duke players in the NBA.

Atlanta (Cam Reddish, Jalen Johnson) New Orleans (Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram) and the Clippers (Luke Kennard, Justice Winslow) each have two former Blue Devils.

Wildcats in the NBA

Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat
Eric Bledsoe – Los Angeles Clippers
Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns

Brandon Boston Jr. – Los Angeles Clippers
Willie Cauley-Stein – Dallas Mavericks
Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers

Hamidou Diallo – Detroit Pistons

De’Aaron Fox – Sacramento Kings

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Tyler Herro – Miami Heat

Isaiah Jackson – Indiana Pacers

Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs

Enes Kanter – Boston Celtics

Kevin Knox II – New York Knicks

Trey Lyles – Detroit Pistons

Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers
Malik Monk – Los Angeles Lakers

Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets

Nerlens Noel – New York Knicks

Immanuel Quickley – New York Knicks
Julius Randle – New York Knicks

Nick Richards – Charlotte Hornets
Rajon Rondo – Los Angeles Lakers
Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves

Jarred Vanderbilt – Minnesota Timberwolves
John Wall – Houston Rockets
PJ Washington – Charlotte Hornets

Blue Devils in the NBA
Cam Reddish — Atlanta
Jalen Johnson — Atlanta
Jayson Tatum — Boston
Kyrie Irving — Brooklyn*
Vernon Carey Jr. — Charlotte
Mason Plumlee — Charlotte
Austin Rivers — Denver
Frank Jackson — Detroit
Luke Kennard — LA Clippers
Justise Winslow — LA Clippers
Tyus Jones — Memphis
Grayson Allen — Milwaukee
Rodney Hood — Milwaukee
Brandon Ingram — New Orleans
Zion Williamson — New Orleans*
RJ Barrett — New York
Wendell Carter Jr. — Orlando
Seth Curry — Philadelphia
Marvin Bagley III — Sacramento
Tre Jones — San Antonio
Gary Trent Jr. – Toronto
* – inactive

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram

And Like ZAGS on Facebook