New York City and basketball go together like pandemics and $1,200 checks. It is the unquestioned mecca -- especially for point guards. Let’s sift through the archives to compile the best Gotham natives at every position, with honorable mentions as a bonus. Next week we’ll do Chicago.
Three quick rules:
The player must be from NYC.
The player must have played at least one year at an NYC high school. (That eliminates people like NYC-born Carmelo Anthony and Michael Jordan.)
The team is based on NBA accomplishments. Sorry, God Shammgod.
1. Point guard
Tiny Archibald (the Bronx, DeWitt Clinton High): Hall of Famer; six-time All-Star; one-time champ; only player to lead NBA in assists and points in the same season.
Honorable mention: Bob Cousy (Queens); Kemba Walker (the Bronx); Dick McGuire (the Bronx); Stephon Marbury (Brooklyn); Rod Strickland (the Bronx; made it onto a Wu Tang song); Mark Jackson (Brooklyn); Kenny Smith (Queens); Lenny Wilkins (Brooklyn); Kenny Anderson (Queens).
2. Shooting guard
Chris Mullin (Brooklyn, Xaverian High): Hall of Famer; Dream Teamer; five-time All-Star.
Honorable mention: Vinnie Johnson (Brooklyn); Mario Elie (Manhattan); Ricky Sobers (the Bronx). 3. Small forward
Bernard King (Brooklyn, Fort Hamilton High): Hall of Famer; four-time All-Star; one-time scoring champ; played for Nets and Knicks.
Honorable mention: Tom Sanders (Manhattan); Billy Cunningham (Brooklyn); Metta World Peace (Queens); Jamal Mashburn (the Bronx).
4. Power forward
Connie Hawkins (Brooklyn, Boys High): Hall of Famer; five-time All-Star; one ABA title; ABA MVP.
Honorable mention: Dolph Schayes (Manhattan); Lamar Odom (Queens).
5. Center
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Manhattan, Power Memorial Academy): Hall of Famer; 19-time All-Star; six-time MVP; six-time champ.
Honorable mention: Joakim Noah (Manhattan). Questions? Comments? Disparaging remarks? Think we’re impossibly stupid? Wanna buy our newsletter? Email us.
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