Top 5 NBA Players from Florida
Florida may be known for its beaches, warm weather, and party scene, but it has its fair share of basketball talent. Although basketball may not be the first thing we think about from Florida, the players we are going to list below as having been born and raised there will definitely change a lot of minds.
Now, without further ado, the definitive list of the top 5 NBA players from Florida.
Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady was born in Bartow, Florida on May 24, 1979. Although Tracy McGrady was a relatively unknown player, he made a name for himself following a. strong performance at the Adidas ABCD Camp. McGrady even stated himself, “Nobody had a clue who Tracy McGrady was. Sonny Vaccaro gave me that platform and I played against the best players in the world at that time. I left that camp the number 1 player in the nation, 175 to number 1.”
McGrady opted for the NBA straight out of high school and was selected ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 1997 NBA draft. McGrady had a storied NBA career although he never secured an NBA championship. He was a 7-time NBA All-Star, a 2-time All-NBA First Team, a 2-time NBA scoring champion, an NBA Most Improved Player and had his number retired by the Orlando Magic.
Vince Carter
Vince Carter was born in Daytona Beach, Florida on January 26, 1977. He is also distant cousins to Tracy McGrady. In high school, Carter played football, volleyball, and basketball. He led his high school team to its first Class 6A state title in 56 years and was a 1995 McDonald’s All-American.
Although Carter was contacted by 77 NCAA Division I schools he ultimately chose to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
During his sophomore and junior years, Carter helped North Carolina to consecutive ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament titles and Final Four appearances. Carter was drafted fifth overall in the 1998 NBA draft and was traded to the Toronto Raptors.
Known for his gravity defying dunks, carter earned such nicknames as, “Vinsanity”, “Air Canada” and “Half Man, Half Amazing”.
David Robinson
David Robinson was born in Key West, Florida on August 6, 1965. He was nicknamed the Admiral for his time in the U.S. Navy, following his own father’s stints. In high school, during his junior year, Robinson stood at an average height of 5’9”. However, during his senior year he grew to 6’6”. Having never played professional basketball, the coach added him to the team, but he gained little. Interest amongst basketball coaches.
Having scored a 1320 on the SAT, he chose to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, majoring in mathematics and playing on the basketball team. Standing at 6’7”, he received a waiver to continue on the U.S. Navy as the height limit stood at 6’6”. However, by the start of his second year, he had grown to 7’0”, making him ineligible to serve on any U.S. naval ships.
Eventually, Robinson was signed by the San Antonio Spurs, where he would spend his career from 1989-2003. He is a 2-time NBA Champion, an NBA Most Valuable Player in 1995, a 10-time NBA All-Star, a 4-time All-NBA First Team, a 4-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, an NBA scoring champion, an NBA rebounding leader in the 1991 season, and an NBA blocks leader in the 1992 season to name a few.
Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Arenas was born in Tampa, Florida on January 6, 1982. He was raised in San Fernando Valley where he played basketball at the Ulysses S. Grant High School, where his jersey number of 25 was retired. Arenas played for the University of Arizona with fellow NBA alumni Richard Jefferson. In 2001, during Arenas’ sophomore year, he helped to lead Arizona to the national championship game where the lost to Duke University.
In the 2001 NBA draft, Arenas was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 31st pick in the second round. He chose to wear the number 0 to signify the number of minutes experts predicted he would play. In his sophomore year in the NBA he received the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
Gilbert Arenas would be a 3-time NBA All-Star and an All-NBA Second Team member.
Amar’e Carsares Stoudemire
Amar’e Stoudemire was born in Lake Wales, Florida on November 16, 1982. Stoudemire did not start playing basketball until the age of 14. Due to personal and familial issues, Stoudemire transferred between five different high schools. However, in his senior year he averaged 29.1 points per game, 15 rebounds, 6.1 blocked shots, and 2.1 steals.
Considered a top recruit, he was listed as the number 1 overall player in the nation in 2002. He was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 2002 NBA draft as the ninth pick overall. Stoudemire is a 6-time NBA All-Star, an All-NBA First Team member in the 2007 NBA season, and an NBA Rookie of the Year.