NBA Players Represent Philly Well

Anyone who knows basketball knows that Philadelphia has a rich history and deep legacy in the sport. 76ers legends like Julius “Doctor J” Erving and Allen Iverson revolutionized the game and inspired millions of people across the country. Many kids who grew up in Philly looked up to these athletes growing up or even modeled their games after them. In the NBA today, we can see the impact of those players on current NBA players who were born and raised in the area. Many players in the NBA and G-League can trace their roots back to our legendary basketball city, such as high-flying Slam Dunk Contest champion Derrick Jones Jr., a graduate of Archbishop Carroll High School, and Sixers prospect Charlie Brown, a George Washington High School and Saint Joseph’s University product. Maybe the average NBA fan hasn’t heard of these players, but Philly has produced some much more well-known talents in this generation. In this year’s NBA playoffs and play-in games, there were six players from the Philly area, including Jones Jr. who plays for the Chicago Bulls.

Twins Marcus and Markieff Morris, who play for the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat, respectively, have enjoyed 11-year careers with a combined 10 playoff appearances between them. In recent years, several talented players from Philly who had massive college success have found similar success in the NBA. Mikal Bridges, who attended Great Valley High School and won two national championships at Villanova University, is a bona fide Philadelphia legend. In four years with the Phoenix Suns, he has made two playoff appearances and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting this past season.

Two Philadelphia natives who have found great success in the postseason are Kyle Lowry and DeAndre Hunter. Hunter, who plays for the Atlanta Hawks, was part of a Cinderella Run to the Conference Finals last season, where he ironically knocked out his hometown Sixers on the way. Hunter’s Hawks managed to make it in as a play-in team this season, unable to recapture their magic from the season prior. Despite the lack of success this season Hunter still averages 16 points per game in the postseason, three points higher than his regular-season average. Finally, the most successful basketball player out of Philadelphia in the NBA today is Kyle Lowry. Lowry, nicknamed “North Philly’s Finest,” he is currently playing in the Eastern Conference Finals with the Miami Heat, is a six-time All-Star, and more importantly was a member of the Toronto Raptor’s 2019 Championship team. Currently, Lowry is looking to capture a second ring with Miami in his age 36 season.

Despite oftentimes being overshadowed by the stars produced by Los Angeles, Chicago, and even Washington D.C., the Philadelphia talent is nothing to scoff at. Philly has produced a plethora of extremely valuable role players, a share of young prospects, and even a future Hall of Famer in Kyle Lowry. Philadelphia athletes are everywhere in the NBA, and there is no reason to believe that will change anytime soon.