5 Greatest NBA Lottery Picks Born in Ohio
Ohio has produced several exceptional NBA lottery picks throughout basketball history. Here are the top 5 most notable players:
LeBron James
- #1 overall pick in 2003 from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
- 4x NBA Champion, 4x MVP, 10 NBA Finals appearances
- Brought Cleveland their first championship
- Widely considered either the greatest or second-greatest player ever
Stephen Curry
- Born in Akron during his father Dell's time with the Cavaliers
- #7 pick in 2009
- 4x NBA Champion, 2x MVP, 7x All-Star
- Revolutionary shooter who changed modern basketball
- Considered the greatest shooter of all time
John Havlicek
- #7 pick in 1962 from Ohio State
- Celtics legend who played all 16 seasons in Boston
- 8x NBA Champion, Finals MVP, 13x All-Star
- Made 8 All-Defensive teams
Nate Thurmond
- Akron native and Hall of Famer
- 7x All-Star, 5x All-Defensive team selection
- Had jersey #42 retired by Cleveland Cavaliers
- Spent 11 years with Warriors before retiring as a Cavalier
CJ McCollum
- #10 pick in 2013 from Lehigh
- Canton native and first NBA player from Lehigh
- Most Improved Player award winner
- Has averaged 20+ points for six straight seasons
- Established veteran scorer and playmaker
[All original images retained in their exact positions]