Georgia Tech is one of those teams that often gets overshadowed in the ACC by historically great teams like Duke and the University of North Carolina. While they have struggled to achieve consistent success this millennia, they have enjoyed some in the past and have produced a number of great players. In fact, they have sent 38 players to the NBA all time, which is certainly not a number to scoff at. They are an underrated school for producing professional basketball talent and have had not only a high number of players in the pros, but also a number of players with successful careers. Here are the five best Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket basketball players of all time:
- Jarrett Jack
While this ranking mostly focuses on the professional achievements of the players, it is worth noting that he helped guide the Yellow Jackets to the NCAA finals in his sophomore year (2003-04). After his junior year, he opted to enter the draft and was taken by the Denver Nuggets with the 22nd pick. He was traded that night to Portland where he spent a few seasons. Jarrett Jack makes this list not because of his greatness or accolades as an NBA player but for his consistency. To be able to play for 13+ seasons is not something easily accomplished. He’s a professional journeyman but that doesn’t make him a bad player.
- Kenny Anderson
Kenny Anderson was taken with the second pick in the 1991 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. He may have not have lived up to the expectations of a #2 overall pick, but like Jack, he enjoyed a long, overall successful career in the NBA. He was selected as an All-Star in 1994, one of his more notable achievements. He retired from professional basketball after the 2005-2006 season with a team in Lithuania.
- Stephon Marbury
No list about Georgia Tech basketball players would be complete without ‘Starbury.’ Stephon Marbury was selected fourth overall by Milwaukee and immediately made an impact. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team while averaging 15.8 points and 7.8 assists. During his career, he was named an All-Star twice and made the All-NBA Third Team twice as well. Interestingly, he left the NBA after the 2009 season to pursue a career in China, likely accompanied by a big paycheck.
- Mark Price
Mark Price has one of the best pedigrees when it comes to awards for Georgia Tech players. He also had a standout career in college that was nearly matched by his NBA performance. In the NBA, he was actually not drafted high. He was the first pick of the second round and was traded on draft day to the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his career, he was named an All-Star four times and was selected to the All-NBA First Team in 1993. He was also named to the All NBA-Third team three times. He’s a two-time winner of the NBA 3-point contest and had to top it all off, had his jersey retired by the Cavaliers.
- Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh is sadly a career that ended too soon (due to health complications) but he made the most of it while he was in the league. During his time, he was an 11-time All-Star, All-NBA Second Team once, and All-Rookie First Team once as well. Then, what helps set him apart from other Georgia Tech alums is that he is a two-time NBA champion. He was part of the Miami Heat’s run of championships along with superstars Lebron James and Dwyane Wade. Bosh was an prototype for the modern big man: A player who can rebound, score inside, but also be a threat from the 3-point line. Unfortunately we never got to see how successful his career was, but it was certainly a sight to behold while he was playing.
Georgia Tech may not be considered among the “blue blood” programs in college basketball, but they have sent many players to the pros and many of those alumni have had successful careers. These five players are the cream of the crop and all-time great players from Georgia Tech.
