The Golden State has produced more than 500 NBA players – we set out to identify the five greatest based on prep careers.
Nearly 500 NBA players spent their high school basketball careers in California. That's nearly 100 players more than the state with the second-highest
total in New York and 200 more than third-place Illinois.
It's no
surprise that some of the greatest players in California high school
history also rank among the greatest players in NBA history. But who makes the cut for the state's all-time starting five?
The tricky part in
selecting the greatest
high school basketball players of all-time is
determining how much their college and professional careers should be
considered. Our approach is to find players who have a balance of
success across the prep, college and pro levels with one qualifier – they must have reached All-American status as a high school player.
Russell was not even an All-Northern California selection, Payton was the East Bay Player of the Year but not an All-American and Westbrook was a late-bloomer who was named third team All-State by Cal-Hi Sports as a senior.
Additionally,
high school greats like Ed O'Bannon of
Artesia (Lakewood), Edgar Lacy of
Jefferson (Los Angeles) and John Williams of
Crenshaw (Los Angeles) had little success as pros and thus
didn't achieve the balance across all three levels.
James Harden celebrates with his Artesia teammates after beating St. Mary's in the 2006 Division 3 state championship game. (Photo: David Steutel)
High school: Earned first team Parade Magazine All-American honors two straight years and was named Mr. Basketball in California by Cal-Hi Sports as
a junior and senior while leading St. Joseph to back-to-back Division 1
state championships. Recognized as the National Player of the Year by
EA Sports.
College: Played two years at
California, earning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors his first year
and conference Player of the Year honors as a sophomore.
Professional:
Drafted No. 2 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 1994,
Kidd played 20 years in the league, was a 10-time All-Star and a
five-time first team All-NBA. A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame,
Kidd finished his career ranked No. 2 in league history in assists and
steals.
James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood), 2007
High school: The Pioneers won back-to-back state championships behind the play of Harden,
going 33-1 his junior year and 33-2 as a senior. He was a
McDonald's All-American and second team Parade Magazine All-American.
College: Spent two seasons at Arizona State, earning All-Pac-10 honors
both years and conference Player of the Year honors as a sophomore.
Professional:
In his 15th season, Harden is a 10-time All-Star and six-time first team All-NBA selection. The 2018 NBA MVP has led the league in scoring three
times. He's the third all-time leading scorer in NBA history for
players from California high schools (although he only trails Reggie
Miller by nine points). He was drafted No. 3 overall in 2009 by Oklahoma City.
Bill Walton, Helix (La Mesa), 1970
High school:
Growing from 6-foot-1 to 6-7 between his freshman and sophomore
seasons, Walton was 6-11 by his senior campaign. He led Helix to
back-to-back San Diego Section championships (California did not have
state championships in 1970) with 49 straight wins over the 1969 and
1970 seasons. He averaged 29.0 points in 1970 while shooting 78.4 percent from the field. He also grabbed
825 rebounds, which still stands as a state record according to
the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book. A Parade Magazine All-American, Walton
was given the edge over Tom McMillan of Pennsylvania as the nation's
best player by some media outlets.
College: When Walton signed
a letter of intent to play with UCLA, he was regarded by some coaches
as more advanced as an all-around player at the same age as former UCLA
great Lew Alcindor. Walton won two NCAA championships and was a
three-time NCAA Player of the Year. Led the Bruins to 88 straight wins.
Professional:
The No. 1 overall pick by the Portland Trailblazers in 1974, Walton had an injury-plagued career. However, he won a pair of NBA
championships (1977 Trailblazers, 1986 Celtics) and was named the NBA
MVP in his fourth season.
Bill Cartwright, Elk Grove, 1975
High school:
Named Mr. Basketball two years in a row by Cal-Hi Sports,
Cartwright was a two-time Parade All-American (third team as junior,
first team as senior). He averaged 38.4 points as a senior and set a
state record with 1,232 points for the year. Finished as the second
all-time leading scorer in state history (2,449 points). Regarded as one
of the top three players in the country along with Darryl Dawkins and
Bill Willoughby, he was even considered a potential candidate to turn
pro out of high school (which both Dawkins and Willoughby did).
College:
Cartwright led a resurgence at San Francisco, leading the Dons to a pair of Sweet
16 finishes in 1978 and 1979. He was a three-time conference Player of the Year and two-time second team All-American.
Professional:
The No. 3 overall pick in the 1979 draft, Cartwright played 16 seasons
in the NBA, made one All-Star game and was a part of three NBA
championship teams.
Paul Pierce, Inglewood (Calif.), 1995
High school:
A late bloomer, Pierce emerged as one of the nation's
top players by his senior year. He made second team Parade All-American,
played in the McDonald's All-American game and was named California Mr.
Basketball by Cal-Hi Sports.
College: In three seasons at
Kansas, Pierce was a consensus All-American as a junior and finished as
the fifth all-time leading scorer at the school.
Professional:
Drafted No. 10 overall in 1998 by Boston, Pierce led the
Celtics to an NBA championship in 2008. He was a 10-time NBA All-Star
and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. He is the
all-time leading scorer in NBA history among players who went to
California high schools with 26,397 points.
