Top 10 Greatest NBA Players from the DC/MD/VA Area

• The DMV area has given birth to some of the greatest, most underrated players in NBA History. Specifically, some of the NBA’s greatest dynamic scorers have come from the DMV. That, however, is not all that NBA players from this area have to offer. We also have championship pedigree, great two-way players, rebounders, playmakers, defenders, etc. the NBA has ever seen. We have so many great players that even the players in the honorable mention is full of studs. Unfortunately, only 10 players were able to make the cut which is a shame because, like I said, the DMV is full of talented NBA players. Be that as it may here are the top 10 Greatest NBA Players from the DMV Area.

Disclaimer: This will not be a ranked list rather players will be list in alphabetical order by last name. I’ll leave it up to the readers to decide where these players would be placed if this were ranked.

1. Elgin Baylor (1958-1972): Washington, DC

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Career Statistics: 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG

Career Accomplishments: 11x All Star (1959-1965, 1967-1970); 1959 NBA All-Star MVP; 10x All-NBA (1959-1965, 1967-1969); 1959 Rookie of the Year; Third Highest Career Scoring Average in NBA History; 10th Highest Career Rebound Average in NBA History; Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1977

Elgin Baylor unfortunately does not get enough credit because he played in a decade dominated by the Boston Celtics who won nine NBA Championships in the decade and 11 Championships between 1957 and 1969. In those years, Baylor led the Lakers to the NBA Finals eight times losing to the Celtics each time. This however, should not discredit the incredible player Baylor was in his prime as he was one of the best scorers the NBA has ever seen. In his first seven NBA seasons, he averaged 30.2 points, 15.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He along with Jerry West are arguably the best scoring duo the NBA has ever seen. They are the only set of teammates to average 30 points per game for the same team in the same decade.

2. Dave Bing (1966-1978): Washington, DC

Teams: Detroit Pistons (1966-1975); Washington Bullets (1975-1977); Boston Celtics (1977-1978)

Career Statistics: 20.3 PPG, 6.0 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG

Career Accomplishments: 7x NBA All-Star (1968, 1969, 1971, 1973-1976); 1976 All-Star MVP; 3x All-NBA (1st Team: 1968, 1971; 2nd Team: 1974); 1968 Scoring Champion; 1967 Rookie of the Year; Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1990

Like Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing is highly overlooked but for completely different reasons. In his 12 NBA seasons, he only made the playoffs five times and in his nine seasons with the Detroit Pistons (his prime years) only made the playoffs three times. However, Bing was a very talented all-around player in his prime. In his first seven seasons, he averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He has the second highest career scoring average for the Detroit Pistons (22.6) and the fourth highest assist average (6.4). He is one of only four Detroit Pistons players to average at least 27 points per game in a season for the Pistons and the only player to do it twice.

3. Bob Dandridge (1969-1982): Richmond, VA

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-1977, 1981-1982); Washington Bullets: (1977-1981)

Career Statistics: 18.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.3 SPG

Career Accomplishments: 2x NBA Champion (1971, 1978); 4x All-Star (1973, 1975, 1976, 1979); 1978-1979 All-NBA 2nd Team; 1978-1979 All-Defensive 1st Team

Dandridge has the distinction of being a member of the 1978 Washington Bullets NBA championship team the franchise’s only NBA championship team. He finished that season with the team’s second highest scoring average (19.3), the second highest playoff scoring average (21.2) and the second highest scoring average in that year’s NBA Finals (20.4). This was Dandridge’s second championship as his first came as a member of the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks a team that also featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. Dandridge was one of the first players to win an NBA championship with two different teams. Also, interesting footnote, he is the only player on this list that attended an HBCU playing his college ball for Norfolk State University.

 

4. Adrian Dantley (1976-1991): Washington, DC

Teams: Buffalo Braves (1976-1977); Indiana Pacers (1977); Los Angeles Lakers (1978-1979); Utah Jazz (1979-1986); Detroit Pistons (1986-1989); Dallas Mavericks (1989-1990); Milwaukee Bucks (1990-1991)

Career Statistics: 24.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG

Career Accomplishments: 6x All-Star (1980-1982, 1984-1986); 2x Scoring Champion (1981, 1984); 2x All-NBA (2nd Team: 1981, 1984); 1977 Rookie of the Year

Another great scorer, Adrian Dantley has the 17th highest career scoring average in league history and is 28th on the all-time scoring list. Dantley is one of only nine players in NBA History to average at least 30 points per game in a season at least three times. He holds the record for the highest career scoring average with the Utah Jazz (29.6). He is one of only four players to ever score 50 points in a game with the Utah Jazz and has the most 50-point games in Utah Jazz history (6). He is one of only two players to average at least 24 points per game for his career while shooting 54% or better from the field for their career.

5. Kevin Durant (2007-Current): Seat Pleasant, MD

Teams: Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-2016); Golden State Warriors (2016-2019); Brooklyn Nets (2019-Current)

Career Statistics: 27.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG

Career Accomplishments: 2x NBA Champion (2017, 2018); 2x NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018); 2013-2014 NBA MVP; 10x All-Star (2010-2019); 2x All-Star MVP (2012, 2019); 9x All-NBA (1st Team: 2010-2014,2018; 2nd Team: 2016, 2017, 2019); 4x Scoring Champion: (2010-2012, 2014); 2007-2008 Rookie of the Year; Sixth Highest Career Scoring Average in NBA History

Kevin Durant is one of two active players featured on this list. Possibly the most accomplished player selected, Kevin Durant is arguably the greatest pure scorer in NBA History. He is one of only nine players in NBA History to average a 50-40-90 (field goal percentage, three-point percentage and free throw percentage) in a season. He is one of only six players to win three scoring titles or more consecutively and is one of five players with at least four scoring titles total. He not only has the sixth highest career scoring average in regular season history, he has the fourth highest career scoring average in playoff and NBA Finals history. He is the only player on this list to win the NBA MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star MVP.

6. Allen Iverson (1996-2011): Hampton, VA

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2007, 2010); Denver Nuggets (2007-2008); Detroit Pistons (2009) Memphis Grizzlies (2009)

Career Statistics: 26.7 PPG, 6.2 APG, 3.7 RPG, 2.2 SPG

Career Accomplishments: 2000-2001 NBA MVP; 11x NBA All-Star (2000-2010); 2x All-Star MVP (2001, 2005); 7x All-NBA (1st Team: 1999, 2001, 2005; 2nd Team: 2000, 2002, 2003); 3rd Team: 2006); 4x Scoring Champion (1999, 2001, 2002, 2005); 3x Steals Champion (2001-2003); 1996-1997 Rookie of the Year

Allen Iverson is one of two players on this list that played his college ball for the Georgetown Hoyas. Iverson is known as one of the greatest scorers standing 6 feet tall or shorter. He is the shortest player to ever win a scoring title in NBA History. He is one of only six players to ever score 55 points or more in a playoff game. Beyond his scoring ability, Iverson has some of the greatest handles the NBA with famous crossovers including crossing and stepping over Tyronn Lue in the 2001 NBA Finals, crossing over Antonio Daniels twice on the same play and crossing over all-time great Michael Jordan. His greatest claim to fame was leading the Philadelphia 76ers to its most recent NBA Finals appearance in 2001 where they faced the Shaq and Kobe led Los Angeles Lakers leading the series in scoring averaging 35.6 points per game.

7. Moses Malone (1974-1995): Petersburg, VA

Teams: ABA: Utah Stars (1974-1975); Spirits of St. Louis (1975-1976); NBA: Buffalo Braves (1976); Houston Rockets (1976-1982) Philadelphia 76ers (1982-1986, 1993-1994); Washington Bullets (1986-1988); Atlanta Hawks (1988-1991); Milwaukee Bucks (1991-1993); San Antonio Spurs (1994-1995)

Career Statistics: 20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.3 BPG

Career Accomplishments: 1983 NBA Champion; 1983 NBA Finals MVP; 3x NBA MVP (1979, 1982, 1983); 13x All-Star (ABA: 1975, NBA: 1978-1989); 8x All-NBA (1st Team: 1979, 1982, 1983, 1985; 2nd Team: 1980, 1981, 1984, 1987); 2x All-Defensive Team (1st Team: 1983, 2nd Team: 1979); 6x Rebound Champion (1979, 1981-1985)

The longest tenured NBA player on this list, Moses Malone is also the only player featured that did not attend college and the only player that played in the ABA. Moses is in the conversation of not only greatest centers in NBA History, but the greatest NBA players ever. He is the only player to ever win the MVP award in back to back seasons for different teams. He has the fifth most career rebounds and the most career offensive rebounds in NBA History. Malone has the ninth highest career rebound average in NBA playoff history and the 16th highest in regular season history. He is one of only four players to lead the league in rebounds per game in five or more seasons. In addition, he is also in ninth place on the all-time scoring list.

8. Alonzo Mourning (1992-2008): Chesapeake, VA

Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1992-1994); Miami Heat (1995-2002, 2005-2008); New Jersey Nets (2003-2005)

Career Statistics: 17.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 2.8 BPG

Career Accomplishments: 2005-2006 NBA Champion; 7x All-Star (1994-1997, 2000-2002); 2x All-NBA (1st Team: 1999, 2nd Team: 2000); 2x Defensive Player of the Year (1999, 2000); 2x All-Defensive (1st Team: 1999, 2000); 2x Blocks Champion (1999, 2000)

Alonzo Mourning is one of the greatest defenders in NBA History. He is sixth in career blocks per game average and 11th in total career blocks. He also has the ninth highest blocks per game average and 20th in total career blocks in NBA playoff history. He is one of nine players to win multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards. Mourning is one of six players to average at least 20 points and three blocks in a season multiple times. In his career, Alonzo Mourning has 155 games with at least five blocks, 84 games with at least 20 points and five blocks and 57 games with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks.

9. Victor Oladipo (2013-Current): Silver Spring, MD

Teams: Orlando Magic (2013-2016); Oklahoma City Thunder (2016-2017); Indiana Pacers (2017-Current)

Career Statistics 17.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.7 SPG

Career Accomplishments: 2x NBA All-Star (2018, 2019); 2017-2018 All-NBA Third Team; 2017-2018 All-Defensive 1st Team; 2017-2018 Steals Champion; 2017-2018 Most Improved Player

The youngest player on this list, Victor Oladipo is the only player on this list that was born and raised in Maryland (Kevin Durant was born in Washington, DC). Oladipo has a very high ceiling with the potential of being amongst the best players in the NBA today. Since joining the Indiana Pacers, he has shown signs of being one of the top two-way guards the NBA has to offer. Unfortunately, a knee injury put him out for over a year putting a halt to his developing stardom in the midst of what was an All-Star season. Now that he’s back healthy, he has a chance to continue his rise in the NBA ranks once this COVID-19 pandemic is finally over.

10. Ralph Sampson (1983-1992): Harrisonburg, VA

Teams: Houston Rockets (1983-1987); Golden State Warriors (1987-1989); Sacramento Kings (1989-1991); Washington Bullets (1991-1992)

Career Statistics: 15.4 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.6 BPG

Career Accomplishments: 4x NBA All-Star (1984-1987); 1985 All-Star MVP; 1984-1985 All-NBA 2nd Team; 1983-1984 Rookie of the Year

Ralph Sampson is the one player on this list that was not able to maximize his full-potential due to suffering injuries that derailed his career. In his first three seasons, Sampson showed signs of being an all-time great averaging 20.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 blocks while only missing three total games leading the Houston Rockets to an NBA Finals appearance in 1986 along with fellow great big man Hakeem Olajuwon. If not for injuries, we could be talking about Ralph Sampson as one of the greatest big men of all-time but unfortunately he is in the discussion of the greatest What Ifs in NBA History.

Honorable Mention: Len Bias, David Robinson, Grant Hill, Dell Curry, Muggsy Bogues, Steve Francis, Rudy Gay, Jeff Green, Michael Beasley, Delonte West and Sam Cassell.