The 12 Best Basketball Players from Georgia
Georgia may be better known for its influence in the world of football and hip-hop than in basketball. But that doesn’t mean the peach state hasn’t produced some formidable basketball players. Read below on our ranking of the 12 best basketball players from Georgia.
Who on this list surprised you the most?
Walt Frazier
Born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 29, 1945, Walt Frazier was the eldest of nine children. He attended Atlanta’s David Tobias Howard High School. Walt Frazier played for the New York Knicks, after being drafted fifth overall. Named to the NBA All-Rookie Team, Walt Frazier would lead the New York Knicks to the franchise’s two only championships in 1970 and 1973.
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard was also born in Atlanta, Georgia on December 8, 1985. He spent his high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy and chose to forgo a college basketball career. He entered and was drafted in the 2004 NBA draft and was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic.
Dwight Howard is a dominant big man, standing at over 6’10” and weighing in at 265-pounds. He won the NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and is an eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team honoree, five-time All-Defensive Team member, and three-time defensive Player of the Year.
Jaylen Marselles Brown
Jaylen Marselles Brown was also born in Atlanta, Georgia and was born on October 24, 1996. He plays for the Boston Celtics and had played one-year of college basketball for the California Golden Bears, where he was named first-team all-conference and Freshman of the Year in the Pac-12 Conference. Declaring himself eligible for the NBA in 2016, Jaylen was chosen by the Boston Celtics with the third overall pick.
Horace Grant
Horace Grant, of goggles fame, was born in Augusta, Georgia on July 4, 1965. He grew up in Mitchell, Georgia and attended school in Sparta, Georgia, so definitely a Georgian through-and-through. Horace Grant attended and played college basketball at Clemson University and played in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jae Crowder
Jae Crowder was born in Villa Rica, Georgia on July 6, 1990. Not being heavily recruited from high school, Crowder first attended South Georgia Technical College, where he transferred to Howard College, and then once. More to Marquette, where he was named Big East Player of the Year in his senior season.
Declaring eligibility for the NBA in the 2012 draft, he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers 34th overall. He currently plays for the Phoenix Suns and reached his second NBA Finals with them.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Born in Marietta, Georgia on December 11, 1976, he attended Joseph Wheeler high school in the same town he was born in. At Joseph Wheeler, Shareef was known as, “Mr. Basketball”, as he led the school to a state title as a junior. In his senior year, he averaged 31 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game.
Abdur-Rahim attended college at the University of California, Berkeley and maintained a respectable 3.5 GPA. Averaging 21.1 point per game and 8.4 rebounds per game in his 28 games with the team. He entered the 1996 NBA draft and was selected third overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Collin Sexton
Also born in Marietta., Georgia on January 4, 1999, Collin Sexton played for both Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Georgia before transferring to Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgia. Rated as one of the best players in the 2017 recruiting class, he committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In 2018, Sexton was selected with the eight overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has also. Won a gold medal with the 2016 USA Men’s U17 World Championship Team and was named the MVP of the tournament.
Derrick Bernard Favors
Derrick Bernard Favors was born in Atlanta, Georgia on July 15, 1991. Derrick Favors played high school basketball at South Atlanta High School, ranking as one of the best high school basketball players for the class of 2009. In January 2009, Favors opted to join the Georgia Tech basketball team over North Carolina State.
In 2010, Favors would forego his final three years of college and enter the NBA draft. He was selected third overall by the New Jersey Nets. He currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Josh Smith
Born in College Park, Georgia on December 5, 1985, Josh Smith played for John McEachern High in Powder Springs, Georgia and played for the Atlanta Celtics AAU Team, alongside Randolph Morris and Dwight Howard. In his senior year he transferred to Oak Hill Academy, where he was teammates with Rajon Rondo.
He entered the NBA draft in 2004 and was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks as the 17th overall pick. In 2005, his rookie year, Smith won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and was selected as the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Jarvis James Hayes
Jarvis James Hayes was born in Atlanta, Georgia on August 9, 1981. He attended Frederick Douglas High School in Atlanta and attended Western Carolina from 1999-2000 before transferring to Georgia from 2001 to 2003. He was selected by the Washington Wizards in the 2003 draft as the 10th pick overall.
Lorenzo Dontez Brown
Lorenzo Dontez Brown was born in Roswell, Georgia on August 26, 1990. Lorenzo Brown attended Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia where he averaged 20.8 points per game as a senior and was named a fourth-team Parade All-American.
Samuel E. Mitchell Jr.
Sam Mitchell was born in Columbus, Georgia on September 2, 1963. He graduated from Columbus High School in 1981 and played basketball for four years at Mercer University, scoring nearly 2,000 points and becoming the leading scorer in Mercer history.