The Top 25 NBA Players from Duke in the Coach K Era
Zion and R.J. have a long way to go to catch Kyrie Irving, Grant Hill, Shane Battier, and Elton Brand
DUKE IS A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN MODERN COLLEGE BASKETBALL. And by modern, I mean since Coach K took over. Coach K is of course legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has led the Blue Devils’ charge since taking the reins in 1980. During those four decades, Coach K’s Duke has made 12 Final Fours and cut down the nets five different times, in 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, and 2015.
During that time, Duke has seen a ton of basketball talent come through those doors on Tobacco Road. An incredible 55 different Blue Devils have played in the NBA since Coach K showed up, and plenty more are on the way. That includes Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish, all lottery picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, and it will surely include more names to come.
So who are the greatest NBA Dukies of all time? And which Blue Devil player has had the best NBA career during Coach K’s reign?
Let’s count them down from 25 to 1…
