Best NBA Players from South Carolina
South Carolina may be known for its beaches, golf courses, and historic districts, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its fair share of great NBA players. Below, we’re going to review the best NBA players from South Carolina. These are NBA players born in this state filled with history and tourist hotspots.
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett was born in Greenville, South Carolina on May 19, 1976. Kevin Garnett fell in love with basketball in middle school but would not play on an organized team until high school. Although Garnett initially attended Mauldin High School in Mauldin, South Carolina, he would transfer out of the school in his senior year due to a racially charged incident against him, for which the charge was expunged.
While living with his sister in Chicago, Garnett led Farragut Career Academy in Chicago’s West Side to a 28-2 record and was named National High School Player of the Year by the USA Today. In addition, Garnett was also named Mr. Basketball by the state of Illinois for his impressive 25.2 points per game, 17.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 6.5 blocks while simultaneously shooting 66.8% from the field.
Stating that had he gone to play for a college team, he would have opted to play for the University of Maryland, Garnett instead went directly to the NBA from high school. He was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth overall selection in the 1995 NBA draft.
Kevin Garnett has an impressive NBA career and resume. Scoring just over 26,000 total points, Garnett also has over 14,600 rebounds and over 5,400 assists. He is an NBA champion, winning the championship in 2008. In addition, he was named as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2004. He is a 15-time NBA All-Star and an NBA All-Star MVP in the 2003 game.
Khris Middleton
Khris Middleton was born in Charleston, South Carolina on August 12, 1991. Middleton attended Porter-Gaud School and played basketball for the Cyclones under coach John Pearson. As a sophomore, he averaged 12 points and eight rebounds per game.
In his junior season, Middleton posted averages of 21 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and was named state player of the year. He repeated as player of the year as a senior, scoring 22.4 points per game and grabbing 8.6 rebounds per game in leading Porter-Gaud to the state title game.
Middleton was named Most Valuable Player of the Porter-Gaud Holiday Classic, scoring 22 points in the championship. He was nominated for the 2009 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game, but was not selected to participate.
ESPN ranked him the 64th best prospect in the Class of 2009, and noted he was the best shooter at his position. Middleton was recruited by Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Michigan, and Saint Joseph’s. He chose Texas A&M and signed with the Aggies on May 30, 2008. He liked the college town atmosphere and got along well with the coaching staff.
In the 2012 NBA draft, Middleton was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 39th overall pick. He is a 2-time NBA All-Star and recently won the NBA Championship, playing a vital part, with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Temetrius Jamel “Ja” Morant
Ja Morant was born in Dalzell, South Carolina on August 10, 1999. Morant was only lightly recruited by NCAA Division I programs and unranked by recruiting services; this was despite having been named All-Region Most Valuable Player three times and earning All-State honors at Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina.
Nevertheless, he made an immediate impact at Murray State University, earning first-team all-conference honors in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) as a freshman. He had a breakout sophomore season; it saw him win OVC Player of the Year as well as lead the NCAA in assists. Also, as a sophomore, Morant became the first player in NCAA history to average 20-plus points and 10-plus assists per game for a single season.
Funnily enough, Morant’s rise into the NCAA occurred rather accidentally. Assistant coach James Kane of Murray State was attending a camp to see a player they had hoped would join their team. While grabbing a snack, Kane noticed Morant playing a three-on-three game and was impressed with what he saw. He contacted the head coach at Murray State and soon offered Morant a scholarship.
Morant’s father would later note, “Every parent wants their child to play at a big-time program, but what I realized is, don’t go where you want to be, go to where they want you.”
Morant was selected second overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. Signing a two-year contract worth over $17 million, Morant would lead all rookies with 7.1 assists per game and 1,138 total points scored.
Larry Donnell Nance Sr.
Larry Nance was born in Anderson, South Carolina on February 12, 1959. He played for Clemson University, leading the university to the Elite Eight in his junior year. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the 1981 NBA draft with the 20th overall pick in the first round.
Nance was one of the most consistent NBA players in history. He consistently averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds per game. Although Nance would score over 15,600 points in his NBA career with 7,300 rebounds, he is best known for his performance at the 1984 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where he earned the nickname “The High Ayatollah of Slamola.”
Xavier Maurice McDaniel
Xavier McDaniel was born in Columbia, South Carolina on June 4, 1963. Nicknamed X-Man, McDaniel played both the small forward and power forward positions. McDaniel’s played for Wichita State and was the first person to lead the nation in both rebounding and scoring in the same year.
McDaniel was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round (4th overall) of the 1985 NBA draft and became an instant starter. He averaged 17.1 points per game and finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year balloting to Patrick Ewing.
McDaniel’s also has a storied NBA and basketball career and resume. He was named an NBA All-Star in 1988, an NBA All-Rookie First Team, and a consensus first-team All-American. His jersey number, 34, was retired by Wichita State.