So I was thinking about starting this new project, and the idea was to make a list of all the NBA players who were born in Arizona. I thought it would be a fun little dive into basketball history, right?
First thing I did was hit up the internet. You know, just a general search to see what I could find. I stumbled upon this website that had a list. It mentioned a total of 69 players and I was like, “whoa, that’s a lot!” It even had some names I recognized, like Gilbert Arenas, but it was just a simple list with names, positions, heights, and weights. That is helpful, but I wanted to know more about their careers and stuff.
Then I found out another website. This one was talking about NBA players from Arizona in the 2023 season. It said there were only 4 players from Arizona during that season. It was kind of a bummer because I was expecting more current players, but it was interesting to see the contrast between the past and the present.
I also got sidetracked a bit and started reading about the NBA Cup and how players and fans are still trying to figure out its place in the whole NBA story. And there was this other article about where NBA players are from, with maps and everything! It mentioned that California had the most players with 442, and some big names like Kawhi Leonard, Paul Pierce, and Reggie Miller.
Anyway, back to Arizona. I learned that the University of Arizona has had 75 players drafted into the NBA since 1947. And get this – Deandre Ayton was the first player from there to be picked first overall in the draft! That’s pretty cool, I think.
I also found out about players from Arizona State University. It said 38 players from there made it to the NBA, including James Harden, who’s a ten-time All-Star, and others like Byron Scott and Isaac Austin. It was cool to learn about these guys and their connections to Arizona.
So, after all that searching and reading, I managed to put together a pretty decent list of NBA players born in Arizona. It wasn’t as many current players as I hoped, but I learned a lot about the history and some of the big names that came from there. I might do more digging later to see if I can find any more interesting stories about these players. It was a fun little project, and it made me appreciate the basketball history of Arizona a bit more.
- Start: Idea to list NBA players from Arizona.
- Initial Search: Found a list of 69 players on a website.
- Current Players: Discovered only 4 Arizona-born players in the 2023 NBA season.
- Distraction: Read about the NBA Cup and player origins, noting California’s dominance.
- University of Arizona: Learned about 75 players drafted, including Deandre Ayton as the first overall pick.
- Arizona State University: Found 38 players drafted, including James Harden.
- Compilation: Put together a list, though with fewer current players than expected.
- Reflection: Gained appreciation for Arizona’s basketball history.
It is a wrap for today! I will keep digging and share if I find something interesting.
