Published: December 25, 2012

Pick Your All-Time New York City N.B.A. Team

New York City high schools have produced at least 211 N.B.A. and A.B.A. players, including 12 Hall of Famers.
Below, choose and share a team of your own or see whom notable basketball insiders picked.

Select and share a customized team.

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Zaid Abdul-Aziz

John Jay

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Power Memorial

Don Ackerman

Metropolitan

Rafer Alston

Benjamin Cardozo

Kenny Anderson

Archbishop Molloy

Stacey Arceneaux

Taft

Tiny Archibald

DeWitt Clinton

Johnny Bach

St. John's

Andre Barrett

Rice

Ed Bartels

La Salle Academy

Ron Behagen

DeWitt Clinton

Walter Berry

Benjamin Franklin

Al Bianchi

Long Island City

Lionel Billingy

Our Savior Lutheran

Rolando Blackman

William E. Grady

Bill Bolger

Xavier

Dennis Boyd

Roosevelt

Harry Boykoff

Thomas Jefferson

Steve Bracey

Midwood

Pete Brennan

Saint Augustine

Dave Britton

Kennedy

Ernest Brown

St. Raymond

Roger Brown

Wingate

George Bruns

Saint Augustine

Walt Budko

Trinity School

Dick Bunt

Bayside

Steve Burtt

Charles Evans Hughes

Tommy Byrnes

DeWitt Clinton

Duane Causwell

Benjamin Cardozo

Ken Charles

Brooklyn Preparatory

Lorenzo Charles

Brooklyn Technical

Derrick Chievous

Holy Cross

Stephen Chubin

Forest Hills

Speedy Claxton

Christ the King

Ed Conlin

Saint Michael's

Chuck Connors

Adelphi Academy

Omar Cook

Christ the King

Ray Corley

Saint Peter's

Bob Cousy

Andrew Jackson

Freddie Crawford

Samuel Gompers

Billy Cunningham

Erasmus Hall

Lloyd Daniels

Andrew Jackson

Red Davis

Manhattan College

Mel Davis

Boys and Girls

Mike Davis

Eastern District

Dave Deutsch

Flushing

Sonny Dove

Saint Francis

Danny Doyle

William Cullen Bryant

Dick Duckett

Saint Francis

Mike Dunleavy

Nazareth Regional

Franklin Edwards

Julia Richman

Mario Elie

Power Memorial

Leroy Ellis

Thomas Jefferson

Len Elmore

Power Memorial

Bo Erias

Automotive

Johnny Ezersky

Power Memorial

George Feigenbaum

New Utrecht

Ray Felix

Metropolitan

Warren Fenley

Port Richmond

Al Ferrari

Brooklyn Technical

Bob Fitzgerald

Newtown

Jerry Fleishman

Erasmus Hall

Vern Fleming

Mater Christi

Luis Flores

Norman Thomas

Gary Forbes

Benjamin Banneker

World B. Free

Canarsie

Frank Fucarino

William Cullen Bryant

Sundiata Gaines

Archbishop Molloy

Dutch Garfinkel

Thomas Jefferson

Leo Gottlieb

DeWitt Clinton

Calvin Graham

Morris

Stewart Granger

Nazareth Regional

Si Green

Boys and Girls

Luther Green

DeWitt Clinton

Sidney Green

Thomas Jefferson

Ernie Grunfeld

Forest Hills

Richie Guerin

Mount Saint Michael

Jerry Harkness

DeWitt Clinton

Billy Hassett

La Salle Academy

Connie Hawkins

Boys and Girls

Brian Heaney

Bishop Loughlin

Tom Henderson

DeWitt Clinton

Sonny Hertzberg

Samuel J. Tilden

Armond Hill

Bishop Ford

Julius Hodge

St. Raymond

Red Holzman

Franklin K. Lane

Geoff Huston

Canarsie

Greg Jackson

Samuel J. Tilden

Tony Jackson

Thomas Jefferson

Mark Jackson

Bishop Loughlin

Charles Jenkins

Springfield Gardens

Vinnie Johnson

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Neil Johnson

George Washington

George Johnson

New Utrecht

Eric Johnson

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Cheese Johnson

Haaren

Charles Jones

Bishop Ford

Kevin Joyce

Archbishop Molloy

George Kaftan

Xavier

Ralph Kaplowitz

DeWitt Clinton

Tommy Kearns

Saint Ann's Academy

Irv Kiffin

Springfield Gardens

Albert King

Fort Hamilton

Bernard King

Fort Hamilton

Dan Kraus

DeWitt Clinton

York Larese

Saint Ann's Academy

Rudy LaRusso

James Madison

Butch Lee

DeWitt Clinton

Ed Leede

Bayside

Fuzzy Levane

James Madison

Barry Liebowitz

DeWitt Clinton

Felipe Lopez

Rice

Kevin Loughery

Cardinal Hayes

Ray Lumpp

Newtown

Ollie Mack

William Cullen Bryant

Norm Mager

Lafayette

Lionel Malamed

James Monroe

Mike Maloy

William Cullen Bryant

Frank Mangiapane

George Washington

Stephon Marbury

Abraham Lincoln

Ricky Marsh

Jamaica

Jamal Mashburn

Cardinal Hayes

Anthony Mason

Springfield Gardens

Brendan McCann

Manual Training

Dick McGuire

La Salle Academy

Al McGuire

St. John's

Bob McIntyre

Holy Cross

Jack McMahon

Saint Michael's

Jim McMillian

Thomas Jefferson

Larry McNeill

Westinghouse

Dean Meminger

Rice

Nat Militzok

Stuyvesant

Jack Molinas

Stuyvesant

John Morton

Walton

Chris Mullin

Xaverian

Boris Nachamkin

Thomas Jefferson

Ruben Nembhard

DeWitt Clinton

Dave Newmark

Abraham Lincoln

Jimmy O'Brien

Saint Francis

Dermie O'Connell

Cardinal Hayes

Buddy O'Grady

Saint Peter's

Tom Owens

La Salle Academy

Smush Parker

Newtown

Gerry Paulson

Columbus

Jake Pelkington

Cathedral

Derrick Phelps

Christ the King

Ed Pinckney

Adlai E. Stevenson

Olden Polynice

All Hallows

Tony Price

Taft

Cal Ramsey

Commerce

Allan Ray

St. Raymond

Khalid Reeves

Christ the King

Billy Reid

DeWitt Clinton

Chick Reiser

Stuyvesant

Terrence Rencher

St. Raymond

Norm Richardson

William E. Grady

Mike Riordan

Holy Cross

Marv Roberts

Wingate

Jamal Robinson

Monsignor McClancy

John Roche

La Salle Academy

John Salley

Canarsie

Tom Sanders

Seward Park

Kenny Satterfield

Rice

Billy Schaeffer

Holy Cross

Dolph Schayes

DeWitt Clinton

Ossie Schectman

Samuel J. Tilden

Shawnelle Scott

All Hallows

Carey Scurry

Alexander Hamilton

Malik Sealy

Saint Nicholas

Ed Searcy

Power Memorial

Phil Sellers

Thomas Jefferson

Nick Shaback

James Monroe

God Shammgod

La Salle Academy

Steve Sheppard

DeWitt Clinton

Connie Simmons

Flushing

Walter Simon

Commerce

Zeke Sinicola

Benjamin Franklin

Kenny Smith

Archbishop Molloy

Ricky Sobers

DeWitt Clinton

Kevin Stacom

Holy Cross

Lance Stephenson

Abraham Lincoln

Kebu Stewart

Our Savior Lutheran

Sam Stith

Saint Francis

Tom Stith

Saint Francis

Chris Taft

Xaverian

Sid Tanenbaum

Thomas Jefferson

Ollie Taylor

DeWitt Clinton

Sebastian Telfair

Abraham Lincoln

Jamel Thomas

Abraham Lincoln

George Thompson

Erasmus Hall

Jamaal Tinsley

Samuel J. Tilden

Irv Torgoff

Samuel J. Tilden

Bob Tough

Jamaica

Gary Voce

Saint Nicholas

Kemba Walker

Rice

Isaac Walthour

Benjamin Franklin

Bobby Wanzer

Benjamin Franklin

Gerry Ward

Cardinal Hayes

Pearl Washington

Boys and Girls

Robert Werdann

Archbishop Molloy

Lenny Wilkens

Boys and Girls

Jayson Williams

Christ the King

Kevin Williams

Charles Evans Hughes

Tony Windis

Commerce

Brian Winters

Archbishop Molloy

Metta World Peace

La Salle Academy

Willie Worsley

DeWitt Clinton

Sam Worthen

Franklin K. Lane

Charlie Yelverton

Rice

Max Zaslofsky

Thomas Jefferson

Zeke Zawoluk

Saint Francis

The city's best

New York City high schools have produced 211 graduates who made it to the N.B.A. or A.B.A.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn has the most graduates who made it to the N.B.A. and A.B.A. The borough's most fertile schools have been Thomas Jefferson, with 10 players, followed by St. Francis (6), and Boys and Girls, Tilden and Lincoln (5).

Bronx

DeWitt Clinton is the city's most productive school, with 18 players. St. Raymond and Cardinal Hayes (4) rank second in the borough. Tiny Archibald (Clinton, class of 1966) was a playground legend and Mott Haven native; another Clinton standout was Dolph Schayes, out of the University Heights section of the Bronx, who led the N.B.A. in free-throw percentage three times. Both Archibald and Schayes were named one of the 50 greatest players in N.B.A. history.

Manhattan

La Salle (7 players) and Rice (6) lead Manhattan. Before closing in 1984, Power Memorial (5) produced Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), arguably the best player to come out of New York City; Mario Elie and Len Elmore. Elie, known as Super Mario for his clutch 3-point shooting in Houston’s 1994 and 1995 championship seasons, also won a championship with San Antonio in 1999. Elie is currently a Nets assistant coach.

Queens

Parochial schools like Archbishop Molloy (6 players) and Christ the King and Holy Cross (5) have groomed many players in the borough.

Staten Island

In the least populated borough, only St. Peter’s and Port Richmond have produced N.B.A. talent. St. Peter’s Ray Corley, a West Brighton native, played three seasons in the N.B.A. Corley advanced to the finals with Syracuse as a rookie in 1949-50, but the Nationals lost to the Minneapolis Lakers.

1940s

New York City's basketball prowess was established early by stars like Dolph Schayes, Bobby Wanzer and Dick McGuire. Schayes, out of University Heights, was a scorer and rebounder known for his high-arcing, two-handed set shot. Schayes led the N.B.A. in free-throw percentage three times. He led Syracuse to a championship in 1954-55. The 91-year-old Wanzer, the oldest living Hall of Famer, was a complete player and one of the best outside scoring threats in the 1950s. He won a championship with Rochester in 1951 and was the first to shoot over 90 percent from the free-throw line (1951-52). McGuire was nicknamed Tricky Dick for his trademark blind feeds and needle-threading passes. McGuire recorded 386 assists in his rookie season, which was then a record with the N.B.A. Tilden's Ossie Schectman, 93, is credited with scoring the first basket in N.B.A. history.

1950s

Bob Cousy, a Hall of Famer and one of the N.B.A.'s 50 greatest players, began his professional career in 1950, the year the N.B.A. integrated. Cousy, regarded as one of the N.B.A.’s great point guards, was called the Houdini of the Hardwood for his ambidextrous ballhandling and no-look passes. He received 13 All-Star selections, won six titles with the Celtics and was named the league M.V.P. in 1957. Two of the game's early African-American stars were Boys and Girls’ Si Green and Metropolitan's Ray Felix, who averaged 10.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and was the second African-American to be named an All-Star.

1960s

In this decade, New York City's high schools graduated great players like Connie Hawkins and Roger Brown in 1960, Lew Alcindor (who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1965, Tiny Archibald in 1966, and Kevin Joyce in 1969. Hawkins, a Bedford-Stuyvesant native, began his career in the A.B.A. He was barred from the N.B.A. until 1969 for his association with a point-shaving scandal at the University of Iowa. Despite his delayed entry into the N.B.A., Hawkins played for seven seasons in the league.

1970s

DeWitt Clinton's Tiny Archibald is a headliner in any look at the 1970s. The decade also brought the creation of the Ernie and Bernie Show -- after the city stars Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King joined forces at the University of Tennessee -- and a host of options for anyone's all-mutton-chop team.

1980s

Mark Jackson, Kenny Smith and Pearl Washington made this a guard-heavy decade, one that did wonders for the profile of city players and the emerging Big East Conference.

1990s

St. John's lured many of the city's top players to Queens in the 1990s. Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury made headlines, but Felipe Lopez made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

2000s

The influence of rising prep school and private school programs began to drain some -- but not nearly all -- of the city's talent in this decade.

2010s

Kemba Walker left Rice for the University of Connecticut, but he saved some of his best work for returns to the city for the Big East tournament.

Guards

More than half of the 200-plus city high school players who made it to the N.B.A. or A.B.A. did so as guards.

Forwards

Ft. Hamilton's King brothers, Bernard and Albert, earned the distinction of being the first family of Brooklyn hoops. Bernard, the more famous of the two, came out of Ft. Hamilton in 1974 and became an N.B.A. all-star with the Knicks and Nets. A knee injury forced him to reinvent himself as a perimeter player later in his career.

Centers

Aside from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, easily the most dominant center to come out of the city, there have been notable others, including 6-11 Ray Felix, who played for eight seasons in the ’50s and early ’60s.

Hall of Famers

Three of these players, Red Holzman, Al McGuire and Lenny Wilkens, were inducted as coaches. Wilkens also entered the Hall of Fame as a player, one of only three people to do so. The two others are John Wooden and Bill Sharman.

N.B.A. Champions

Power Memorial's Lew Alcindor and Andrew Jackson’s Bob Cousy each earned six championships, but Seward Park High School, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, leads the count with eight titles, all won by Tom Sanders from 1960-73 with the Celtics.

McDonald's High School All-Americans

Being a high-school All-American is not always a predictor of professional success. Chris Mullin went on to become a Hall of Famer, but others lasted only a few seasons in the N.B.A.

By Kevin Quealy, Bedel Saget, Shan Carter and Marc Lavallee; additional photo research by Jim Luttrell, Allison McCann, Susan Matthews

Sources: basketball-reference.com; National Basketball Association

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Pro Basketball

Published: December 25, 2012

Pick Your All-Time New York City N.B.A. Team

Select and share a customized team.

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

5

5

Share your team

Zaid Abdul-Aziz

John Jay

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Power Memorial

Don Ackerman

Metropolitan

Rafer Alston

Benjamin Cardozo

Kenny Anderson

Archbishop Molloy

Stacey Arceneaux

Taft

Tiny Archibald

DeWitt Clinton

Johnny Bach

St. John's

Andre Barrett

Rice

Ed Bartels

La Salle Academy

Ron Behagen

DeWitt Clinton

Walter Berry

Benjamin Franklin

Al Bianchi

Long Island City

Lionel Billingy

Our Savior Lutheran

Rolando Blackman

William E. Grady

Bill Bolger

Xavier

Dennis Boyd

Roosevelt

Harry Boykoff

Thomas Jefferson

Steve Bracey

Midwood

Pete Brennan

Saint Augustine

Dave Britton

Kennedy

Ernest Brown

St. Raymond

Roger Brown

Wingate

George Bruns

Saint Augustine

Walt Budko

Trinity School

Dick Bunt

Bayside

Steve Burtt

Charles Evans Hughes

Tommy Byrnes

DeWitt Clinton

Duane Causwell

Benjamin Cardozo

Ken Charles

Brooklyn Preparatory

Lorenzo Charles

Brooklyn Technical

Derrick Chievous

Holy Cross

Stephen Chubin